Overview What is it?

It’s probably the most outrageously styled Hyundai the world has ever seen. The Kona is a small SUV that competes with the Nissan Juke and Seat Arona, among others, in what’s known as the ‘B-SUV’ segment. These so-called SUVs are hugely popular, hence the droves of them invading showrooms across the land.

But even in this style-led segment, none we’ve seen is as bold as the Kona. There are shades of Hyundai in there, but for the most part this is a bespoke design, and in our view not a totally successful one.

We appreciate Hyundai wanted to go bold (and applaud it for following through) – as it’s so late to the party. Going big is the only way to get noticed, we figure. But there are ways of doing that without over-styling your car, which is the trap Hyundai’s fallen into.

There are five ‘grilles’ in front, but only two are real, and the arrangement of the rear-end is plain odd. It will find as many fans as it will naysayers, no doubt. Happily, things are more conventional underneath…