Hyundai Kona review

The Kona’s seat is a mounted a few centimetres farther from the ground than a Seat Arona's, but you still don’t really feel as though you’re driving a proper SUV.

How high you like to sit is, of course, down to personal preference and the Kona's driving position is fundamentally sound; the pedals line up neatly with the steering wheel and there's plenty of steering wheel adjustment.

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All Konas get driver’s seat height adjustment as standard, and from second-rung SE trim you also get manual adjustable lumbar support for the driver's seat. Meanwhile, range-topping Premium SE and Premium GT models have fully electric seats as standard.

Seeing out of the Kona to the front and the side is easy, thanks to relatively thin pillars and tall windows. This makes judging T-junctions and roundabouts a breeze. Look back over your shoulder and you'll find the Kona’s heavily styled rear end involves thick pillars and not much glass.

However, rear parking sensors and a reversing camera are standard from second-rung SE trim – this at least helps with the rear visibility problem. From Premium SE trim, Hyundai throws in front parking sensors, too.

Entry-level S cars get a 5.0in monochrome display, a DAB radio and Bluetooth, while a 7.0in colour touchscreen, with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone mirroring, is included with SE trim. The touchscreen is pretty easy to use, although it's a pity that you don't get (and can't add) built-in sat-nav.

We've also tried the range-topping 8.0in touchscreen system that's standard on Premium trim and above. As well as the bigger screen, you get sat-nav, wireless phone charging and an eight-speaker Krell sound system with a subwoofer. Sound quality won't blow you away, but it certainly means you can crank the volume up when your favourite song comes on the radio without fear of distortion.

The Kona's interior is a bit of a disappointment, with lots of hard, scratchy plastic on the dashboard and centre console. At least everything feels sturdily assembled and most of the buttons, switches and dials feel reasonably robust.

Hyundai hasn't forgotten about personalisation, offering interior trims and seatbelts that match the Kona's bright exterior colours. The trouble is, you can only have these things on the range-topping trims (Premium SE Two Tone and Premium GT Two Tone).