Hyundai is a motor manufacturer with big ambitions, and one of those ambitions is to become the leading Asian automotive brand in Europe by as soon as 2021. To rival the likes of Honda and Toyota is a huge undertaking requiring a huge increase in sales, and that will inevitably mean a lot of new models launched between now and that target date. The latest of these new models has just been revealed as the Kona, a subcompact SUV that will take the brand's range of SUVs offered for sale in Europe to four.
The Kona will, therefore, be the smallest member of a family that also includes the Grand Santa Fe, the Santa Fe and the Tucson.
The Hyundai borrows its name from one of the Hawaiian islands, its styling will be along the lines of the current i20 and i30 hatchbacks, and it will go head-to-head with rivals such as Nissan Juke, Vauxhall Mokka X and the imminent Seat Arona. It won't just be sharing design cues with the i30 either, as it's also expected to utilise the same turbocharged 1.0-liter and 1.4-liter petrol and 1.6-liter diesel engines.
There's more than just ambition behind that intention to be Europe's leading Asian automaker by 2021 though; there's also a clearly defined plan. Hyundai has stated it intends to build on its growing credibility by launching no fewer than 30 new models and derivatives between now and then. Since the first-generation Santa Fe went on sale in 2001, the company has notched up more than 1.4 million SUV sales.
Concrete details about pricing and specifications for the all-new Hyundai Kona have yet to be revealed but expect to see the subcompact SUV make a public debut sometime in the summer with vehicles landing for sale in dealerships in October.
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