The 2026 Hyundai Kona is a CUV that’s heating up the already hot CUV market. The exterior offers a modern retro style design that catches your attention.

This Limited model was painted in the Cyber Gray metallic color, although my preference would be the Soultronic Orange pearl or the Neoteric Yellow to give it some life. I was rather impressed with the light output of the Kona. With the real headlights in a lower spot, they are able to be angled further out, without blinding the oncoming traffic. The higher mounting of the LED light bar gave it a cool look at night. The taillights also followed the same design language with the true headlights being in a lower spot.

Inside the Kona, the gray color did leave me wanting for more. I did wish the door panels had an accent of whatever exterior color you chose, or some accent piping. It did make up for it in the tech and comfort. The big screens for the gauge cluster and infotainment are sharp, bright and low to stay out of your visibility. I enjoyed blasting my music through the Bose Premium audio that is only available in the Limited trim.

Under the hood, the 1.6L turbocharged 4-cylinder engine was delivering 190 horsepower and 195 lb.-ft. of torque. It was connected to an 8-speed automatic, and then to the HTRAC AWD system. The Kona also comes with a 2.0 non-turbo engine with a CVT for the lower 2 trims. All trims come in FWD with the optional AWD that I had.

Overall, the 2026 Hyundai Kona is a fun little CUV that has a cool design and lots of tech. The ideal model would definitely be the Limited I had with a brighter color selection.