Cars & Autos | Tuesday 17 July, 2018 10:12 am |

Hyundai’s much-anticipated KONAsubcompact SUV will officially arrive in Africa and Middle East markets from early August, with the company expecting the premium model will attract strong sales among younger and more style-conscious customers.

First launched in Europe during 2017, the KONA is envisioned as the perfect companion for an active urban lifestyle. It features a sleek, sharp design, and the bold front shares Hyundai’s new family identity with its signature Cascading Grille. Similar in size to the Creta, it will be a cool and confident new offering alongside Hyundai’s more family-oriented SUVs.

“The KONA is already a big hit in international markets and we are very excited to be bringing it to showrooms in our region,” said Mike Song, Hyundai’s Head of Operations for Africa and the Middle East. “The all-new model brings a completely new character to Hyundai’s very successful SUV line-up; fun, fashionable, and fully loaded with clever tech features. It presents a very dynamic image, making a direct appeal to younger drivers and to female customers.”

The car, named after the Kona district in Hawaii, offers four-wheel drive, 7-speed DCT transmission, and Hyundai’s latest powertrains.

Besides its progressive design, the KONA offers a selection of the latest technology, making premium features more accessible for a convenient and safe driving experience. One new feature is a head-up display which projects key driving information directly into the driver’s line of sight. The eight-inch projected image has a class-leading luminance of 10,000 candela per-square-meter, which guarantees daytime visibility and supports safe driving.

The KONA will have its Africa and Middle East Launch in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, in the first half of August.