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New spy images show the current Hyundai Kona – launched in 2023 – could be replaced by a new-generation model as soon as next year.
Electric Cars
What appears to be the next-generation 2028 Hyundai Kona has been spied for the first time, with the current model likely to skip a traditional mid-life facelift.
The first images of the new Kona from South Korea show an 'SX3' codename, as the successor to the current 'SX2' model, similar to other upcoming Hyundai models, such as the 2027 'CN8' i30 Sedan (replacing 'CN7') and 'NX5' Tucson (replacing 'NX4').
Inside, it is likely to adopt the Hyundai Motor Group's new Pleos infotainment system, which will make its Hyundai debut in the next-generation i30 Sedan and Tucson this year.
Hyundai has committed to retaining physical buttons, such as climate controls, in its future vehicles, despite an expected growth for the Kona's central touchscreen from today's 12.3-inch display, which is integrated with a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster.
However, the new-generation model could retain its current 'K3' underpinnings – with a redesigned body – shared with the i30 Sedan, the new-generation Kia Seltos, and the Kia K4.
The current-generation Hyundai Kona debuted in December 2022, ahead of its Australian launch in mid-2023 with petrol and hybrid power, followed by the fully-electric model at the start of 2024.
The current Kona's circa-five-year lifespan will be shorter than that of other Hyundai vehicles, which usually receive a mid-life update after three or four years, followed by a new-generation model two or three years later.
It was Hyundai Australia's best-selling vehicle last year, ahead of the Tucson (20,145), i30 sedan and hatch (10,688), Venue (7927), Santa Fe (6264).
Globally, the company is in the midst of refreshing its petrol and hybrid-engined SUV line-up, with new generations for the Venue, Bayon, Kona and Tucson, a mid-life update for the current Santa Fe, and the recently-launched Palisade and Nexo.
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Jordan is a motoring journalist based in Melbourne with a lifelong passion for cars. He has been surrounded by classic Fords and Holdens, brand-new cars, and everything in between from birth, with his parents’ owning an automotive workshop in regional Victoria. Jordan started writing about cars in 2021, and joined the Drive team in 2024.
