2026 Hyundai Kona price and specs: Turbo-petrol AWD axed, new Elite grades added

• 2026 Hyundai Kona pricing and specifications
• 1.6-litre turbo-petrol AWD powertrain axed in Australia
• Mid-spec Elite variants added, smaller wheels for base Kona
• Priced from $32,700 before on-road costs

Turbocharged petrol versions of the Hyundai Kona have been axed in Australia, leaving the small SUV range without an all-wheel-drive option.

The 2026 Hyundai Kona is not available to order with its all-wheel-drive 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol four-cylinder engine, while its front-wheel-drive non-turbo 2.0-litre petrol and 1.6-litre hybrid powertrains remain available.

A Hyundai Australia spokesperson said the 1.6-litre all-wheel-drive powertrain – exclusive to the N Line and Premium N Line grades – accounted for 10 per cent of Kona sales in 2024 and 2025, compared with 51 per cent for the 2.0-litre and 34 per cent for the hybrid.

Hyundai Kona Hybrid.

"As part of our strategy to simplify the Kona model line-up, we decided to discontinue the 1.6T [all-wheel drive] powertrain," the spokesperson said.

Hyundai Australia did not confirm whether the Federal Government's newly introduced New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES) was a factor in this decision, with the turbo-petrol AWD rated at 174 grams of CO2 emissions per kilometre, compared to 149g/km for the 2.0-litre and 88g/km for the hybrid.

This strategy has seen the removal of base N Line variants, while there are new Kona Elite grades to slot between the Kona base model and Kona Premium, including hybrid and N Line versions.

Hyundai Kona Hybrid.

The Kona base grade – now starting from $32,700 before on-road costs, $200 more than before – has also lost its 18-inch alloy wheels for smaller 17-inch items, with no other specification changes.

Along with the previously standard 18-inch alloy wheels, the Kona Elite adds black leather-accented upholstery, power-adjustable and heated front seats, rain-sensing wipers, heat-insulated UV windows, and rear privacy glass.

The non-hybrid Elite also gains a shift-by-wire gear selector, an 'open-type' centre console, and paddle shifters, while these features are standard on all Kona Hybrid models, including the entry-level version.

Previously a $1500 option, a panoramic sunroof is now standard in the Kona Premium, with a $2200 price rise over the 2025 model – or $700 more than an equivalent version optioned with the sunroof.

The standard Kona Premium also gains cloth-knit headlining and retains its light shale grey or sage green leather upholstery – instead of black – as a $295 option, depending on the exterior colour selected.

Year-to-date, the Hyundai Kona is Australia's most-popular small SUV, with 11,241 reported as sold by the end of June, ahead of more-affordable Chinese models, the MG ZS (10,177), GWM Haval Jolion (9029) and Chery Tiggo 4 (7996).

Hyundai Kona Hybrid.

The 2026 Hyundai Kona will arrive in local showrooms next month.

The most-affordable all-wheel-drive Hyundai SUV in Australia is now the $48,600 before on-road costs Tucson Elite 1.6-litre turbo-petrol, while hybrid AWD versions of the Tucson start from $52,600.

• Kona 2.0-litre FWD automatic: $32,700 (up $200)
• Kona Hybrid 1.6-litre FWD automatic: $36,700 (up $200)
• Kona Elite 2.0-litre FWD automatic: $35,700 (new)
• Kona Elite N Line 2.0-litre FWD automatic: $39,200 (new)
• Kona Elite Hybrid 1.6-litre FWD automatic: $39,700 (new)
• Kona Elite Hybrid N Line 1.6-litre FWD automatic: $43,200 (new)
• Kona Premium 2.0-litre FWD automatic: $41,700 (up $2200)
• Kona Premium N Line 2.0-litre FWD automatic: $44,700 (up $2200)
• Kona Premium Hybrid 1.6-litre FWD automatic: $45,700 (up $2200)
• Kona Premium Hybrid N Line 1.6-litre FWD automatic: $48,700 (up $2200)

Note: All prices above exclude on-road costs. FWD is short for front-wheel drive.

• 17-inch alloy wheels with 215/60 tyres, space-saver spare (down from 18 inches)
• Dusk-sensing LED headlights (reflector type)
• LED daytime-running lights and tail-lights (with halogen rear indicator bulbs)
• 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, AM/FM/DAB+ digital radio, over-the-air updates
• Rear-view camera
• Bluelink connected-car technology
• Keyless (proximity-key) entry and start
• Six-speaker sound system
• Dual-zone climate-control air conditioning with rear air vents
• Leather steering wheel, gear shifter and door armrests
• Cloth seat upholstery
• Height-adjustable front seats with two-way driver lumbar support
• Front seatback storage pockets
• Rear-seat centre fold-down armrest
• LED interior lighting
• Heated and power-folding side mirrors
• Electronic parking brake
• Torsion-beam rear suspension
• Seven airbags (including centre airbag)
• Front and rear parking sensors
• Autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian, cyclist and motorcycle detection, intersection support
• Adaptive cruise control with stop and go
• Lane-keep assist
• Lane following assist
• Blind-spot monitoring (detection and braking)
• Rear cross-traffic alert (detection and braking)
• Traffic sign recognition
• Door exit warning
• Driver fatigue monitor
• Auto-dipping high beam
• Tyre pressure monitoring

• Multi-link independent rear suspension
• Virtual Engine Sound System
• Regenerative braking
• Torque vectoring
• 'Shift by wire' gear shifter
• Open-type centre console
• Steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters

• 18-inch alloy wheels with 215/55 tyres
• Black leather-accented upholstery
• Heated front seats
• 10-way power-adjustable driver's seat 
• Eight-way power-adjustable front passenger seat
• Rain-sensing wipers
• Auto-dimming rear-view mirror
• Heat-insulated windows
• Rear privacy glass
• Silver-painted skid plates
• 'Shift by wire' gear shifter (2.0-litre petrol only; already standard on hybrid)
• Open-type centre console (2.0-litre petrol only; already standard on hybrid)
• Steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters (2.0-litre petrol only; already standard on hybrid)

• Panoramic glass sunroof with power sunshade (now standard)
• Cloth knit headlining (new)
• 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster
• Projector-beam LED headlights
• LED 'horizon' front parking light
• Front and rear LED turn indicators
• Power tailgate
• Satellite navigation with live traffic updates
• Eight-speaker Bose premium sound system
• Driver's seat memory function
• Ventilated front seats
• Heated steering wheel
• Heated outboard rear seats
• Ambient cabin lighting
• Blind-spot camera (Blind Spot View Monitor)
• Rear autonomous emergency braking
• 360-degree camera
• Remote Smart Parking Assist (automatic entry/exit from parking spaces from the key fob when standing beside the car)
• Dark grey body cladding with silver 'skid' plates

• 19-inch alloy wheels with 235/45 tyres (2.0-litre non-turbo petrol)
• 18-inch N Line alloy wheels (hybrid only)
• N Line exterior styling (bumpers, side skirts, skid plates, body-coloured cladding)
• Black mirror caps and side window trim
• Gloss black rear roof spoiler
• Leather and Alcantara seat upholstery
• N Line sports steering wheel
• Dark grey and red interior highlights
• Black headlining
• Alloy pedal covers
• Sport scuff plates
• For Kona Elite only (as already standard on Kona Premium model):
  • 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster
  • Projector-beam LED headlights
  • LED 'horizon' front parking light
  • Front and rear LED turn indicators

• Glass sunroof – $1500 (Kona Premium only)
• Light Shale Grey or Sage Green interior – $295 (Kona Premium only)
• Metallic or mica premium paint – $595 (all models)

• Atlas White (no cost, all models)
• Cyber Grey metallic ($595 extra, N Line models only)
• Ecotronic Grey mica ($595 extra, all except N Line models)
• Neoteric Yellow (no cost, N Line models only)
• Soultronic Orange mica ($595 extra, N Line models only)
• Ultimate Red metallic ($595 extra, all models)
• Mirage Green (no cost, all except N Line models)
• Denim Blue mica ($595 extra, all except N Line models)
• Abyss Black mica ($595 extra, all models)

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.

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