This week I was cruising around in the 2025 Hyundai Kona N-Line, and loving the speed I was getting from such a compact sedan.
A stylish design on the exterior with angular exterior panels and geometric hub caps. The Kona N-Line offers drivers a modern space age appeal.
However, within there was a juxtaposition between old and new with manual seat and wheel adjustment. The former was pump style on the side of the chair to lean the forward or back, and a bar to grip and push or pull to adjust the position of the seat. There was also no lumbar support, which is just as rare in vehicles as need to go manual. I found my back sunk in. It had me hunching and pushing back my hips to align with the seat.
This was in contrast to the wraparound touchscreen infotainment system, and the incredibly intuitive wireless phone charging pad, that both focused on electronic advantages. For the latter, you basically chuck it in the bin and it will start charging, whereas I have found other options fairly finicky.
The cabin went heavy on the plastic and you could smell it, in contrast to the cloth seats with leather patches. I liked the red line sewn down the middle of the two front seats and the embroidered “N” that added a sporty feel. A similar red stripe ran across the dash and through each air conditioning vent. Both of which paired with the only other drive mode: sport.
Although the drive itself didn’t feel all that sporty. It was weak on turns and when traversing uphill you really had to hammer down on the acceleration. I felt the struggle to slowly ramp up, but once there the Hyundai Kona was spry with good agility.
I was frustrated by the smaller cup holders, that didn’t fit my standard water bottle, but liked how they can be retracted to have the entirety of the bin as a compartment. Similarly I wasn’t a fan of the centre console. With tiered binning it didn’t seal completely. There was a fully open side, where you are able to reach your stored goods without having to lift the cushioned top lid open. This didn’t feel that secure or offer much storage.
I also didn’t like the mismatched height and placement of either arm rests. The one at the centre was further back and did not align with the one at the door, leaving me feeling lopsided if and when engaged with both.
The suspension left me feeling everything underneath the tires, every crack and speed bump rippled. The wheel also didn’t leave me feeling like I was in control, I wanted something sturdier to grip onto, to avoid oversteering.
There was only one reverse camera function, with half the screen black out, teasing you with the possibility of another. It gave you a grainy picture from the view from the back bumper. There was no sensors to signal proximity from car to barrier. Although given how compact the 2025 Kona is, navigating it wasn’t much of an issue. Parking was a breeze.
I just couldn’t get use to the paddle gear shift. Even after a week, I still struggled to remember what direction was drive and what was reverse. I found myself needing to bend and tilt my head down by the side of the steering wheel to ensure I was in the right setting. In reverse there are sounds that alert you when anything is too close to your back end, sides and bumper. In hindsight it is fairly easy to remember that to drive you twist forward and you twist the handle back to reverse.
