2026 Hyundai Kona price and specs: Turbo AWD axed, new Elite trim added

Hyundai has reshuffled its popular Kona lineup, axing a powertrain and adding a new mid-range trim level, among other changes for the small SUV.

The revised 2026 Hyundai Kona petrol and hybrid range is on sale now, ahead of first customer deliveries from early August.

Hyundai hasn’t released details for the 2026 Kona Electric lineup.

The 146kW/265Nm turbocharged 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol engine – previously the only way to get all-wheel drive and an eight-speed automatic in the Kona – has been axed.

Hyundai says it has been axed as part of a strategy to simplify the Kona lineup.

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The company says it only accounted for 10 per cent of Kona sales across 2024 and 2025, against a 34 per cent take rate for the 1.6-litre four-cylinder hybrid, six per cent for the Kona Electric, and 51 per cent for the base naturally aspirated 2.0-litre four-cylinder.

You can no longer get the N Line option package on the entry-level Kona grade, which also drops from 18-inch alloy wheels to 17-inch wheels (pictured above).

However, there’s a new Elite trim level, available with the carryover naturally aspirated 2.0-litre and 1.6-litre hybrid powertrains. It can be had with the optional N Line package.

Over the base Kona, it adds features like power-adjustable, heated front seats and leather upholstery.

The flagship Premium (pictured above) now has a sunroof with a power sunshade, resulting in price rises of $2200 for the petrol version and $2500 for the hybrid.

The N Line package now costs $3000 on Premium variants, up from $2200 before.

Otherwise, the Kona is unchanged for 2026.

Pricing

Drivetrains and Efficiency

The Kona’s turbocharged 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol engine is now gone, leaving only the naturally aspirated 2.0-litre and hybrid 1.6-litre fours. The Kona Electric is covered separately.

Dimensions

Servicing and Warranty

The Hyundai Kona is backed by a five-year, unlimited-kilometre vehicle warranty and an eight-year, 160,000km battery warranty.

Servicing is required every 12 months or 15,000km.

The first five services are capped at $402-407 each for the 2.0-litre petrol, while in the hybrid they’re capped at $403, $593, $403, $613 and $627.

Safety

The Hyundai Kona has a four-star safety rating from safety authority ANCAP, based on testing conducted in 2023.

Standard safety equipment across the range includes:

• Adaptive cruise control with stop/go
• Autonomous emergency braking
  • Pedestrian detection
  • Cyclist detection
  • Junction assist
• Blind-spot assist
• Intelligent Speed Limit Assist
• Multi-collision brake
• Rear cross-traffic assist
• Safe exit warning
• Reversing camera
• Front and rear parking sensors
• 7 airbags, including front-centre airbag

The Premium adds:

• Blind-Spot View Monitor
• Parking Collision Avoidance Assist Reverse
• Surround-view camera
• Side parking sensors

Standard Equipment

There are three trim levels in the 2026 Kona lineup.

The base trim level – simply called Kona – comes standard with the following equipment:

• 17-inch alloy wheels (NEW)
• Automatic reflector LED headlights
• Automatic high-beam
• Dark grey roof rails
• Heated, power-folding exterior mirrors
• Proximity entry with push-button start
• Remote start
• 4.2-inch instrument cluster screen
• 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system
• Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• DAB+ digital radio
• Over-the-air updates
• Bluelink connected car services
• Leather-appointed steering wheel
• Leather-wrapped shifter (2.0 only)
• Paddle shifters (Hybrid only)
• Shift by Wire (Hybrid only)
• ‘Open-type’ centre console (Hybrid only)
• Dual-zone climate control with rear air vents
• LED interior lighting
• Fold-down rear armrest
• Height-adjustable front seats
• 2-way driver lumbar adjust

The Elite adds:

• 18-inch alloy wheels
• Rear privacy glass
• Silver-painted skid plates
• Rain-sensing wipers
• Leather upholstery
• Heated front seats
• 10-way power driver’s seat
• 8-way power passenger seat
• Paddle shifters
• Shift by Wire
• ‘Open-type’ centre console
• Elecrochromic rear-view mirror

The Premium adds:

• Remote Smart Parking Assist
  • Projector LED headlights
• LED indicators
• Full-width front light bar
• Sunroof with power sunshade
• Acoustic laminated/solar windshield
• Power tailgate
• 12.3-inch digital instrument clusters
• Satellite navigation
• 8-speaker Bose sound system
• Ambient lighting
• Cloth headliner
• ‘Premium Relaxation front seats
• Heated and ventilated front seats
• Driver’s seat memory
• Heated outboard rear seats
• Heated steering wheel

Options

The N Line option package costs $3500 on the Elite and $3000 on the Premium.

This package adds:

• 19-inch N Line alloy wheels
• High-gloss black rear spoiler
• N Line-specific bumpers, skid plates, side skirts
• Chrome twin tip exhaust
• Black mirror caps and belt line trim
• Body-colour cladding
• Leather and Alcantara upholstery
• Steering wheel with perforated grips
• Active Red air vent, seat highlights
• Dark Metal inlays
• Black headliner
• Alloy pedals
• ‘Sport’ scuff plates
• 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster (Premium only)
• Projector LED headlights with LED indicators, parking light (Premium only)
• Full-width front light bar (Premium only)

Premium paint is a $595 option, while a Light Shale Grey/Sage Green interior is a $295 option exclusive to the Premium.

MORE: Explore the Hyundai Kona showroom