The second-generation Hyundai Kona is entering the testing phase of its development as spy photographers have caught pictures of it hiding under heavy camouflage. It’s hard to discern a lot about the exterior appearance through the camouflage but our shots show very low taillights, much like the current model. There are also slots in the camouflage at the front that vaguely resemble the split headlights on the existing model. How accurate a representation that is of what’s under the camo is difficult to know, though.
Looking a little larger than the current Kona, the new model
will likely add interior volume thanks to what appears to also be a longer
wheelbase. Reports suggest that it will sit on a new front- and all-wheel-drive
platform, which is also expected to form the basis for the 2024 Kia Seltos.
The new platform should be capable of handling both gas and
diesel powertrains, and reports suggest that the new model will bring with it
an electric and an N variant. Hybrid and plug-in hybrid models are also
expected in the next-generation model lineup. Another source suggests that the
electric variant will get an “Ioniq” name.
Rumors suggest that the new Kona will not only take over
where the current model leaves off, but it will also replace the i30 hatchback.
Another supposed victim of the cossoverfication of the automotive industry, the
i30 may simply be allowed to die when production of the current-generation
model comes to an end, although that’s just speculation at the moment.
The next-generation Kona is expected to start rolling
through the production lines in the first half of 2023, which suggests a global
unveiling could take place earlier in the same year.
