{"id":144973,"date":"2026-09-06T16:11:13","date_gmt":"2026-09-06T16:11:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/korea\/144973\/"},"modified":"2026-09-06T16:11:13","modified_gmt":"2026-09-06T16:11:13","slug":"hyundais-new-kona-ditches-the-weird-look-for-a-normal-crossover-shape","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/korea\/144973\/","title":{"rendered":"Hyundai\u2019s New Kona Ditches The Weird Look For A Normal Crossover Shape"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n The redesigned 2028 Kona has been caught with less cladding, showing a softer design that walks back the model’s boldest styling choices <\/p>\n

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Third-generation Hyundai Kona has been spied<\/a> with less disguise.<\/p>\n

Model adopts a rounded design and a traditional crossover shape.<\/p>\n

2028 Kona will likely be offered with both gas and hybrid powertrains.<\/p>\n

The redesigned Hyundai Kona<\/a> has been spied on multiple occasions, but the heavy cladding has finally come off. It reveals a radical rethink for the model, which has been reimagined as a traditional crossover.<\/p>\n

Designers gave the Kona a curvaceous front end with an upper shark nose, which appears to incorporate an illuminated bar. Notably, it\u2019s much thicker than the Seamless Horizon Lamp found on the current model.<\/p>\n

More: Hyundai\u2019s Eco-Friendly Kona Is Transforming Into A Seltos Twin<\/a><\/p>\n

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SHProshots<\/p>\n

Further below, we can see mid-mounted headlights and what appears to be an active shutter grille. The latter has oddball slats, which seem to be broken up into multiple sections. Elsewhere, there\u2019s a wide lower intake and a pronounced front lip.<\/p>\n

Overall, the prototype looks very similar to a picture that surfaced in July<\/a> and claimed to show the crossover undisguised. However, it\u2019s not an exact match and there are some notable differences.<\/p>\n

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SHProshots<\/p>\n

While the front passenger decided to flip photographers the bird, we can see the Kona will adopt flush-mounted door handles and streamlined bodywork. They\u2019re joined by an upward sweeping beltline that contributes to a relatively small greenhouse. The model also has an angular roof and aerodynamically optimized wheels.<\/p>\n

Last but not least, there\u2019s a rear end that will make you forget about the atrocious one found on the current model. It features an angular rear window as well as a pronounced spoiler. The Kona<\/a> also has a wider and more practical liftgate, and a rounded bumper with a \u2018hidden\u2019 exhaust.<\/p>\n


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SHProshots \/ Hyundai<\/p>\n

The interior is more mysterious, but we can expect a minimalist cabin with a new Pleos Connect infotainment system. Details remain to be seen, but the model could offer a 12.9-, 14.6-, or 17-inch screen.<\/p>\n

Under the hood, there could be a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine shared with the 2027 Kia Seltos<\/a>. It produces 190 hp (142 kW \/ 193 PS) and 195 lb-ft (264 Nm) of torque.<\/p>\n

Kia has also confirmed plans for a Seltos Hybrid, which uses a 1.6-liter engine and a six-speed dual-clutch transmission instead of the eight-speed automatic found on the regular model. In Korea, the engine produces 104 hp (77 kW \/ 105 PS), while the electric motor contributes an additional 43 hp (32 kW \/ 44 PS). This implies a combined maximum output of around 147 hp\u00a0(110 kW \/ 149 PS).<\/p>\n

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SHProshots<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The redesigned 2028 Kona has been caught with less cladding, showing a softer design that walks back the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":144974,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[24],"tags":[295,294,21440,293,15846,6922],"class_list":["post-144973","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-hyundai","tag-hyundai","tag-hyundai-group","tag-hyundai-kona","tag-hyundai-motor-group","tag-hyundai-scoops","tag-scoops"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/korea\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/144973","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/korea\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/korea\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/korea\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/korea\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=144973"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/korea\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/144973\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/korea\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/144974"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/korea\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=144973"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/korea\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=144973"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/korea\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=144973"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}