Make More of a Smaller SUV: 2027 Hyundai Kona

Meet Your Everyday Kona in Tuscaloosa

The 2027 Hyundai Kona is a five-passenger, gasoline-powered small SUV that brings passenger flexibility and modern technology into a manageable footprint. It occupies the smaller end of Hyundai’s SUV lineup, offering a practical direction for shoppers who want hatchback cargo access without moving into a three-row vehicle. Its personality is expressive; its usefulness comes from the details.

Tuscaloosa Hyundai in Tuscaloosa, AL, is a starting point for comparing four trims: SE, SEL Sport, SEL Premium, and Limited. The lineup divides into two engine families, with available all-wheel drive on every trim. For shoppers researching SUVs for families, the Kona deserves consideration when five seats meet the household’s needs and everyday maneuverability matters as much as maximum space.

Interior Specs and Features: Built Around the Day Ahead

The cabin of the 2027 Kona balances passenger room with adaptable cargo space. A reclining rear seat and adjustable cargo floor give you useful ways to accommodate different trips without stepping into a larger SUV.

Interior Dimensions

• Passenger volume: 101.2 cubic feet; 99.0 with the sunroof
• Cargo behind the rear seats: 25.5 cubic feet
• Cargo with rear seats folded: 63.7 cubic feet
• Front/rear legroom: 41.7/38.2 inches
• Front/rear headroom: 39.9/38.3 inches; front headroom is 38.3 inches with the sunroof
• Front/rear shoulder room: 56.8/55.2 inches

The rear-seat measurements provide a useful starting point for passenger fit. Bring your usual child restraints or travel bags when comparing cabins to see if the dimensions suit your daily routine.

Interior Highlights

• SE and SEL Sport: Cloth seating and a six-way adjustable driver’s seat
• SEL Premium and Limited: H-Tex® trimmed seats and an eight-way power driver’s seat with lumbar support
• SEL Sport and higher trims: Heated front seats, dual automatic temperature control, and rear air vents
• Limited: Ventilated front seats and a heated steering wheel
• Standard cargo equipment: 60/40 split-folding rear seatbacks, dual-level floor, and four tie-down anchors

Rear vents and ventilated seating address different comfort priorities during Alabama summers. The cargo floor helps adapt the loading area, while split seatbacks let you carry a longer item without folding the entire rear bench.

Exterior Design: Small Footprint, Clear Personality

The 2027 Kona’s lighting, body cladding, and trim-specific finishes make the small-SUV shape feel distinctive. SEL Sport adds gloss-black mirror covers and a gloss-black spoiler, while upper trims bring larger wheels and additional convenience equipment.

Exterior Dimensions

• Length: 171.3 inches
• Width: 71.9 inches
• Wheelbase: 104.7 inches
• Turning diameter: 34.8 feet
• FWD ground clearance: 6.7 inches with 17-inch wheels; 6.9 inches with 18- or 19-inch wheels
• AWD ground clearance: 8.1 inches with 17- or 18-inch wheels; 8.3 inches with 19-inch wheels

These proportions suit shoppers who regularly negotiate parking lots and neighborhood streets in Tuscaloosa.

Exterior Highlights

• Wheel progression: 17-inch alloys on SE, 18-inch alloys on SEL Sport, and 19-inch alloys on SEL Premium and Limited
• Standard lighting: LED projector headlights, daytime running lights, and taillights
• SEL Sport and higher trims: Heated mirrors and black roof rails
• Limited convenience: Power tilt-and-slide sunroof and Hands-free Smart Liftgate with Auto Open

The liftgate can simplify loading when your hands are occupied, while roof rails provide a starting point for compatible carrying equipment.

Exterior Paint Options

• Abyss Black
• Cyber Gray
• Ecotronic Gray
• Ultimate Red
• Mirage Green
• Atlas White
• Soultronic Orange
• Denim Blue
• Neoteric Yellow

Power and Performance: Pick the Response You Want

The 2027 Kona offers two gasoline engines, giving shoppers a meaningful choice between straightforward daily transportation and stronger turbocharged response. Both recommend regular unleaded fuel.

Engines and Powertrains

SE and SEL Sport use a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder with 147 horsepower and 132 lb-ft of torque. SEL Premium and Limited receive a 1.6-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder producing 190 horsepower and 195 lb-ft of torque.

The turbo engine develops its rated torque from 1,700 to 4,500 rpm, giving it a different response profile from the base engine. Compare both during a test drive if your routine includes frequent highway merging or carrying several passengers.

Transmission and Drivetrain

• SE and SEL Sport: Intelligent Variable Transmission with SHIFTRONIC® manual shift mode
• SEL Premium and Limited: Eight-speed automatic with paddle shifters and shift-by-wire controls
• Standard drivetrain: Front-wheel drive
• Available drivetrain: HTRAC all-wheel drive on every trim
• Drive modes: Normal and Sport; AWD adds Snow

Drivetrain choice changes traction, ground clearance, and rear suspension, so assess the whole configuration.

Driving Experience and Efficiency

Every Kona uses a MacPherson-strut front suspension. FWD models have a coupled torsion-beam rear axle; AWD models use a multi-link rear suspension. That distinction is worth exploring on the routes with the bumps and turns you hit daily.

Key Technology Features: Everyday Connections, Less Clutter

The 2027 Kona makes a large touchscreen and wireless smartphone integration part of every trim. Higher trims build on those essentials rather than reserving all useful technology for Limited.

Displays and Infotainment

• Standard center display: 12.3-inch touchscreen audio system
• SE, SEL Sport, and SEL Premium: 4.2-inch color Multi-Information Display
• Limited: 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and Bose® eight-speaker premium audio

The touchscreen gives media and compatible phone apps a central home. Limited expands the display in front of the driver, while its audio upgrade may appeal to commuters who spend substantial time listening on the road.

Connectivity and Convenience

• Standard phone integration: Wireless Apple CarPlay® and Android Auto™
• Standard device outlets: Two front and two rear USB-C outlets
• SEL Sport and higher trims: Wireless charging for supported devices
• Standard access: Proximity key, push-button start, and remote start
• Standard connected equipment: Bluelink® Connected Car System and over-the-air software updates

Rear outlets give passengers their own charging locations, and wireless integration reduces cable handling on frequent short trips. Check phone compatibility and connected-service terms for the functions you plan to use.

Safety Review: Assistance That Supports Your Attention

The 2027 Kona includes collision warnings, lane support, and rear-seat reminders across the lineup. These systems supplement an attentive driver; they do not replace observation or guarantee that a collision will be avoided.

Driver-Assistance Technology

• Standard forward support: Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist with pedestrian, cyclist, junction-turning, and direct-oncoming detection
• Standard surrounding-traffic support: Blind-Spot Collision Warning and Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist
• Standard lane support: Lane Keeping Assist and Lane Following Assist
• Standard attention support: Driver Attention Warning
• SE, SEL Sport, and SEL Premium: Smart Cruise Control with Stop & Go

These features address different tasks, from maintaining lane position to monitoring approaching cross traffic while reversing.

Parking, Visibility, and Vehicle Safety

• Standard reversing aid: Rearview monitor with parking guidance
• Limited camera equipment: Surround View Monitor and Blind-Spot View Monitor
• Limited parking equipment: Forward/side/reverse Parking Distance Warning and Remote Smart Parking Assist
• Standard passenger equipment: Rear LATCH anchors, upper tether anchors, and rear child-safety locks
• Standard reminders: Rear Occupant Alert and Safe Exit Warning

Camera views can help assess tight spaces, but continue checking your surroundings directly. Rear-seat reminders are an additional prompt, not a substitute for checking passengers and belongings before leaving the vehicle.

Explore the 2027 Kona at Tuscaloosa Hyundai

The 2027 Kona combines useful cabin flexibility, familiar smartphone connections, and two powertrain choices into a city-friendly package. When comparing Hyundai SUVs in Tuscaloosa, start with the passenger space and equipment you use most, then decide whether turbo power or AWD fits your priorities.

Browse new Hyundai inventory, then contact Tuscaloosa Hyundai in Tuscaloosa, AL, to discuss 2027 Kona availability, compare trims, and arrange a test drive.

Disclaimer: This content was drafted with AI assistance for initial drafting, reviewed by a subject-matter expert for accuracy, and edited by our team of writers and editors.