The Hyundai Kona Hybrid is here

The Hyundai Kona has been on sale in Europe since October 2017. Some 120,000 have been sold here in that time, making it something of a hit. There are already petrol and all-electric versions – but from August there will be a third way, in the form of a hybrid.

Makes sense, if you think about it. The Kona shares a lot with the Kia Niro, which has also been on sale for some time and has only ever been available as a hybrid full-EV. And Hyundai has another hybrid in its line-up, the Prius-shaped Ioniq.

The Kona uses the same drivetrain as both of those – a 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with 104bhp and a small, 43bhp electric motor powered by a 1.56kWh battery. Combined, these produce 139bhp, which is sent to the front wheels only via a six-speed dual clutch transmission. Yup, no whiny CVT here. Its top speed is 100mph, and it reaches 62mph in 11.2 seconds on the smaller wheels.

It’s not a plug-in, the Kona, so the economy figures are good, rather than ludicrous. Hyundai claims 72mpg and 90g/km, again on the small wheels. Go for the big ones and not only does your car get slower, but less economical too.

Besides the engine, the rest of it is standard Kona. There’s some hybrid-specific trim and eco menus/tricks in the infotainment system, but that’s about it. No bother.

The Kona Hybrid goes on sale this August, for an as-yet undisclosed price.