It seems to add a special, sportier variant of a popular car by the manufacturer has become the norm in recent times. These versions usually get some cosmetic tweaks and mild adjustments to the powertrain or the transmission option. The latest to join the bandwagon is the Hyundai Kona.
The Hyundai Kona has received a special Night Edition, which is essentially a regular Kona with dark panels, in the US market, and is scheduled to be launched around September this year. To be clear, the Kona in question is the petrol-powered model and not the EV which is offered in India.
Changes in design
The Night Edition extinguishes nearly all the brightwork outside, starting with black-finished 18″ wheels (by supplier Rays) and continuing with darkened door handles, side mirror caps, and bumper and grille trim. The badges look to be the sole surviving chrome elements. Inside, there’s more of the same, with gloss-black trim that even includes the door handles, although metal-finished pedals are added.
The Night Edition Kona is offered in three colour options- Chalk White, Galactic Grey, and of course, Ultra Black. Simply put, the Night Edition package replaces the stock chrome and colored exterior trim with gloss black. This includes the chrome strips on the lower rockers and the chrome grille surround. Hyundai wasn’t keen on divulging all the precious details, but the monochromatic vibe has given the Kona a rather sleek and mystifying persona. In fact, the chrome grille and chrome strips on the lower bumpers and the rear hatch/tailgate have also been removed.
Interior & Features
Meanwhile, the interior is all-black with darkened door handles and dashboard trim. Luckily, Hyundai resisted the urge to black-out the throttle and brake pedals. Instead, you get shiny aluminum pedals to complete the racier vibe. As for features, The standard US-spec Kona, in its highest trim, features an 8.0-inch touchscreen loaded with Hyundai Blue Link connectivity, 4.2-inch colour MID, heads-up display, wireless charging, electrochromic IRVM, 8-speaker Infinity audio, etc.Â
The Night Edition model also gets LED headlights and LED taillights. There is also a host of safety equipment such as six airbags, lane-keep assist, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, pedestrian detection and more.
Powertrain
Powering the Night Edition is the same 1.6-litre, 4-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine that powers the regular model. Paired to a 7-speed DCT, the turbocharged petrol engine produces 175bhp of power @5000rpm and 264 Nm of peak torque @1500-4500 rpm. Power can be sent to the front wheels or all the four wheels through an AWD setup which is optional across the range.
On the other hand, the Indian-spec Hyundai Kona EV has a lesser 39.2kWh battery pack claiming a range of 452km (ARAI figure; 289km as per WLTP) on a full charge. It generates 134bhp and 395Nm of peak torque. The improved 64kWh battery variant promises 449km range on the WLTP cycle while making 201bhp.
Also READ: Maruti Suzuki Ignis Gets A Touchscreen Infotainment System For Zeta Variant
This special model is unlikely to reach our shores because we get only Kona electric SUVs in India and not the one with an internal combustion engine. The Kona EV was launched in India in July 2019 at a starting price of Rs 25.30 lakh(ex-showroom). It rivals the likes of MG ZS EV and Tata Nexon EV in the electric vehicle space in the country.