Hyundai Motor PH to revive Kona nameplate?

MANILA: Hyundai Motor Philippines (HMPH) could be reviving the Kona nameplate. 

Based on the invite sent to Zigwheels Philippines, not only is Hyundai’s local subsidiary celebrating its third year, but the company is also adding a new model to its lineup. 

The photo in the invitation shows the brand’s emblem sitting on a bonnet with a long horizontal light bar. Telling is its paint, which we make out to be lime green or “yellow.”

A quick look at the brand’s global roster and the nameplate that bears a striking resemblance to the shown fascia is the Hyundai Kona. Currently sold in major markets like the United States (US), it also comes in a Neoteric Yellow finish, which unmistakably has similar tones to the photo the publication received. 

Further, the photo was captioned “a new vibe is coming your way,” which fits with the Hyundai Kona’s new marketing tag line “move with the vibe.” 

To note, the Hyundai Kona was previously sold in the Philippines but was discontinued a few years back. 

Should the brand be bringing back the crossover, here are some of the specifications we can expect. 

Hyundai Kona powertrain specifications 

In the US, the lower variants of the Hyundai Kona are powered by a 2.0-liter gasoline engine mated to the brand’s intelligent variable transmission (IVT). It comes standard with a front-wheel drive system, but a four-wheel drivetrain is also available. 

The US-spec Hyundai Kona dishes out the following performance figures: 

Maximum power output (in horsepower [hp>)	147
Maximum torque (in Newton-meters [Nm>)	132

Meanwhile, a 1.6-liter turbocharged powerplant is also available for its higher trims. In lieu of Hyundai’s IVT, it gets an eight-speed automatic transmission. These can also be had with either a front-wheel drive system or an all-wheel drive unit. 

The turbocharged mill puts out the below numbers: 

Maximum power output (in hp)	190
Maximum torque (in Nm)	195

 

New N Line in the pipeline?

HMPH appears to be on a forward momentum in 2025. The carmaker recently added the new Creta to its catalog, which is offered with a sporty N Line version. 

Lucky for N Line fans, the Hyundai Kona is sold in the US with an N Line. 

If we are to pick up on what HMPH General Manager for Marketing Mark Parulan told Zigwheels Philippines, there is a good chance we will also get the sleek and sporty version of the forthcoming model. 

 

Also read: 

Hyundai Motor Group deploys private cloud platform via Equinix

More Hyundai N Line models to arrive in PH

Hyundai gives PH-spec Creta a makeover

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