Hyundai Kona B-SUV previewed in Malaysia – three variants, 1.6 T-GDI, 7DCT, SmartSense, from RM115k

The Proton X50 isn’t the only B-segment SUV that’s just around the corner – there’s the Hyundai Kona as well. Hyundai-Sime Darby Motors (HSDM) opened order books for the Euro-flavoured crossover last month, and is now giving the Kona a public preview at Sunway Pyramid. The Kona and Hyundai’s roadshow will be at the mall till Sunday.

We headed over to Sunway for a closer look at the Kona and here are the pics. Apparently, this is the same unit as the one that was displayed at KLIMS 2018, but with a funky wrap. This preview unit’s original colour is the Kona’s signature lime green, and you can see matching green trim and seatbelts inside.

Three variants with two engines will be available – 2.0 Standard, 2.0 Mid and the top 1.6 T-GDI High. The 2.0L models come with a naturally-aspirated Nu MPI engine with 149 PS/179 Nm, mated to a six-speed conventional automatic transmission.

The 1.6L T-GDI is a direct-injection turbo-four with 177 PS and 265 Nm of torque, mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. With a 0-100 km/h sprint time of 7.7 seconds and top speed of 210 km/h, the top Kona should outpace the rest of the B-segment class, including the also-coming-soon Proton X50 1.5 TGDi Flagship. All local Konas will be front-wheel-drive, as is the norm.

The 2.0 Standard comes with 17-inch wheels, halogen lights, manual air con and six airbags. The 2.0 Mid adds on 18-inch rims, projector LED headlamps with static cornering lamps, LED tail lamps, eight-way power adjustable driver’s seat with lumbar, and single-zone climate control. There’s also a head-up display.

The range-topping 1.6 T-GDI High gets the Hyundai SmartSense active safety suite, which includes AEB, adaptive cruise control, lane keeping assist and high beam assist. All Konas will get a seven-inch touchscreen head unit with six speakers and Apple CarPlay/Android Auto compatibility.

Pricing will start from RM115,000 for the CBU South Korea imported model, and the booking fee is RM288. The Kona is a welcome addition to the foreign brand B-SUV scene, which has the locally-assembled Honda HR-V, CBU Mazda CX-3 and CBU Toyota C-HR, among others. Against those crossovers, the Hyundai’s standout points are turbo power and unique styling.

GALLERY: Hyundai Kona Malaysian preview

GALLERY: Hyundai Kona at KLIMS 2018

The post Hyundai Kona B-SUV previewed in Malaysia – three variants, 1.6 T-GDI, 7DCT, SmartSense, from RM115k appeared first on Paul Tan's Automotive News.



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