Hyundai Kona diesel SUV: specs, prices and release date

All the specs and prices for diesel versions of the Hyundai Kona SUV have been revealed, with the entry-level SE trim costing from £19,750 – around £3,000 more than a basic petrol, but £5,000 less than the Kona Electric, even after the £4,500 Plug-In Car Grant (PICG) is deducted. The Hyundai Kona diesel is available to order immediately.

Arriving several months after the launch of the petrol Kona, it's fitted with a new 1.6-litre CRDi diesel and "state-of-the-art" emissions-reduction technology. This reduces CO2 to as little as 111g/km, but unlike with the petrol model, customers need to occasionally top up its AdBlue tank. The Kona’s combined fuel economy is up to 67.3mpg, putting it virtually on a par with the 68.9mpg of the equivalent Citroen C3 Aircross.

Read our in-depth Hyundai Kona review

Two versions of the new engine are available: one with 113bhp and a six-speed manual gearbox and another with 134bhp and a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic for around £1,300 extra. Both send power just to the front wheels. The automatic is slightly thirstier, returning 64.2mpg and emitting 114g/km of CO2.

Trim levels kick off with SE, fitted with 17-inch alloy wheels, LED daytime running lights, body-coloured exterior trim, air-conditioning, automatic headlights and cruise control. There’s also a seven-inch infotainment screen, with DAB, Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Choose Premium (costing around £1,300 more than SE) and Hyundai adds 18-inch wheels, a chrome grille surround, grey body cladding and silver skid plates for a rugged SUV look. Keyless entry boosts convenience along with storage nets dotted around the interior, and there are tinted windows. The touchscreen is upgraded to an eight-inch display, with sat nav and connected services, while a Krell sound system beefs up the audio and you can charge compatible smartphones wirelessly.

Costing from £23,450, the top Premium SE grade introduces leather seat faces, power adjustment for the heated and ventilated front seats, a heated steering wheel and front parking sensors. There’s also a central armrest to make rear passengers more comfortable and power-folding door mirrors for tight parking spots. Premium SE also includes a head-up display that projects key information onto a pop-up screen ahead of the driver.

One standard paint finish (Galactic Grey) is offered, along with seven optional metallic or pearl colours costing £565. Premium and Premium SE Konas can be further customised with a two-tone roof for £420.

Every Kona is also sold with a five-year/unlimited-mileage warranty and roadside assistance, annual health checks lasting for the same duration.

Hyundai Kona petrol

If you'd rather have a petrol Kona instead, the entry-level is a turbocharged 1.0-litre three cylinder producing 118bhp – the same engine fitted to the latest i30 family hatchback. It’s teamed with a six-speed manual gearbox and front-wheel drive.

Four-wheel drive and a seven-speed dual-clutch DCT automatic gearbox are both standard with the 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine. Producing 175bhp, it’s said to make 0-62mph in 7.7 seconds possible. To incorporate the four-wheel-drive system, 1.6-litre Konas have a redesigned chassis with a more sophisticated rear suspension system.

Cars with the 1.6-litre are also billed as offering greater driver appeal – there’s an ‘Advanced Traction Cornering Control’ system intended to increase grip and the standard DCT automatic gearbox has a sport mode for more direct gearchanges.