The 2024 Hyundai Kona Limited is not just another CUV. The exterior styling has concept car cues that are always nice to see compared to more tamed designs. One of my favorite things of the Kona is the long daytime running light strip. Add a nice almost cyberpunk style wheel, and you’ll see how the Kona can stand out in the CUV segment.

Inside you get a very modern minimalistic design. The gauge cluster and infotainment are share the same screen enclosure and are clear and sharp to see. One unfortunate design is the shifter. It looks like a column shifter that you’d move up and down but it is actually a twisting design. Although there’s no infotainment input knob or pad, you still get an array of menu buttons that are very well organized and easy to navigate. The Kona’s cupholder design has to be my favorite that I’ve experienced. You’re able to hide half of the circle to open up for a larger storage area in case you prefer the open space instead.

Under the hood, the 1.6L turbocharged engine was delivering 190 horsepower and 195 lb.-ft. of torque. The 8-speed automatic transmission has to be its performance hinderer. The ratios are too long with the 1.6L’s power band and makes acceleration feel slow. The steering and suspension feel great and makes it a super easy CUV to drive.

Overall I was impressed at how the 2024 Hyundai Kona Limited stood out among such a saturated and almost cookie cutter CUV segment.