Hyundai has revealed its boldly styled Kona compact crossover, which will target rivals such as the Nissan Juke and forthcoming Citroën C3 Aircross when it launches this year.

Named after a district in Hawaii, the new model will sit under the Tucson and Santa Fe in the carmaker’s line-up and will play a vital role in the carmaker’s goal to become the leading Asian automotive brand in Europe by 2021.

Slightly wider and longer but lower than the Juke, the Kona features Hyundai’s new cascading grille design along with full-LED twin headlamps, two-tone roof and the choice between 10 exterior colours while the interior offers different-accent colours and matching coloured stitching on the seats and steering wheel. Boot space stands at 361 litres rising to 1,143 with the seats folded flat compared to 354/1,189 litres respectively for the Juke.

Only two engines – both turbocharged petrols – will be available from launch, comprising a 120hp 1.0-litre with six-speed manual transmission and two-wheel drive and a 177hp 1.6-litre T-GDI with a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission (7DCT) and four-wheel drive. Preliminary efficiency figures stand at 5.3l/100km and 119g/km with 7.3l/100k and 169g/km for the higher-powered engine.

These will be joined in summer 2018 by a new 1.6-litre diesel powertrain, covering a 115hp front-wheel drive manual version and a 136hp unit with the 7DCT gearbox and a choice between four-wheel and front-wheel drive, and electric versions could be on the cards too.

On-board technology includes a head-up display and Display Audio – both firsts for the brand, with the latter enabling passengers to use Apple CarPlay and Android Auto on the seven-inch screen. The Kona will also offer an eight-inch infotainment system, supporting both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and an optional wireless inductive charging pad for mobile phones. Safety features include Autonomous Emergency Braking with pedestrian detection.

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