Kona wins 2020 Drive Small SUV of the year.

• The Hyundai Kona has won Drive’s 2020 Car of the Year: Best Small SUV award
• Kona’s style, value and flexibility saw it triumph against established rivals
• Drive said Kona was the clear winner in this increasingly mature and popular class

The Hyundai Kona range has won the 2020 Drive Small SUV of the Year award.

Drive said Kona was the clear winner among increasingly mature competition in the popular small SUV class.

“While the compact SUV class is relatively new, it has evolved quickly and has become a popular vehicle of choice for those new to the market or downsizing,” Drive said.

“The Hyundai Kona is the clear all-round winner in the segment, with a strong mix of style, value and interior flexibility. It encompasses a model grade to suit most tastes including the all-electric variant.”

Hyundai’s eye-catching SUV met the challenge from some established rivals, including finalists the Mazda CX-3, Toyota C-HR and Honda HR-V.

Kona left an indelible impression on the Drive Car of the Year judges during the dynamic exercises, which it backed up with impressive on-road performance courtesy of a bespoke Australian-tuned chassis.

Hyundai Motor Company Australia Chief Executive Officer, JW Lee, said that Kona’s victory in such an intensely competitive and popular class is especially satisfying.

“Winning the coveted 2020 Drive Small SUV of the Year award among a field of accomplished rivals highlights the impressive package that is Kona,” Mr. Lee said.

“The Kona’s eye-catching looks, immense value, driver appeal and the availability of conventional and EV models make it the ideal compact vehicle for a wide cross-section of customers.”

The Kona’s unique styling, bright palette and customer personalisation options, as well as its spacious, practical interior, make it an attractive choice in the booming small SUV class.

With an advanced multimedia system featuring Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity and Hyundai’s SmartSense™ active safety suite as standard, Kona is a compelling package starting from $24,000 MLP, with the peace of mind of Hyundai’s five-year, unlimited kilometre warranty.

The stylish and practical Kona provides the ideal small SUV for a wide range of customers, offering the choice of 2WD or AWD paired with two petrol powertrains, as well as the option of a long-range, zero-emissions EV in the form of Kona Electric.

Drive’s 2020 Car of the Year saw a 10-strong expert judging panel compare more than 100 cars across 20 categories, over an exhaustive week of assessment.