Hyundai Kona teaser released, debut soon?

KUALA LUMPUR: The plans for the Hyundai Kona's arrival has long been in talks in Malaysia. The model was earmarked for the country at the time of global debut in 2017 and also been previewed at the 2018 Kuala Lumpur International Motor Show. Later on, it was estimated to make a debut in the second quarter of 2019, but as we can see, the plan could not turn out. We forgot it, but Hyundai Malaysia did not. 

The SUV has recently spied on the Malaysian roads around Ara Damansara. But this is not it; as the Hyundai Sime Darby Motors has finally dropped a Kona teaser on its Facebook page, which hints that the launch is around the corner.

The teaser revealed the interior of the upcoming Kona, and the caption reads, "A glance of the "upcoming" interior. You Drive it. You Define it."

As a compact SUV, Hyundai Kona sits below the Tucson in the brand's lineup. Dimensionally, it is 4,165 mm long, 1,800 mm wide, 1550 mm tall, and has a wheelbase of 2,600 mm. With such numbers, the B-SUV is going to enter the segment occupied by the likes of Honda HR-V, Toyota C-HR, and Mazda CX-3. Also, the upcoming Proton X50 will soon join the list. 

Although Kona features a turbocharged engine in the field mostly powered by natural aspiration. The model shown in 2018 was equipped with a 1.6-litre turbocharged gasoline unit that produces 177 PS of maximum power and 265 Nm of peak torque, delivered to the front wheels through a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic. As per the sources, a pure electric option is also in the pipeline for Malaysia.

As far as the exterior is concerned, Kona appears to be the same despite the passage of time. Inside the cabin, the SUV is likely to feature a head-up display with navigation, a premium sound system by Krell, wireless charging, and the brand's full suite of active safety and driver-assistance systems.

For more updates on the upcoming Hyundai Kona, stay tuned to Zigwheels Malaysia.

Also read: Hyundai launched a new sub-brand “IONIQ” for electric vehicles