FAMILY CAR REVIEW: 2023 Hyundai Kona

How big is the boot of the new 2023 Hyundai Kona?

Boot space in the 2023 Hyundai Kona is spacious and practical for families. Eleven bags of shopping fit in the boot when empty, the same as the Mitsubishi ASX. This is comparable with the Kia Seltos and the Nissan Qashqai, both holding one more with twelve bags of shopping and the Subaru XV, which will hold one less with ten shopping bags.

The Leclerbaby Influencer XL single-hand fold stroller fits comfortably in the boot of the Kona with seven bags of shopping.

The Leclerbaby Influencer XL single-hand fold stroller with the bassinet fits comfortably in the boot of the Kona with three bags of shopping.

The Leclerbaby Influencer XL single-hand fold stroller fits comfortably in the boot of the Kona with seven bags of shopping…

… and with its compatible Infasecure Adapt More Infant capsule installed into the 2023 Hyundai Kona…

The boot space and its functionality are really important. I like to have a big boot space and little side wells or areas I can divide things into. So something I don’t want to move around while I’m driving such as the kids lunch bag or her wet swimming gear can be sectioned off in a little well where it’s not going to spill or get squashed by the rest of the things in the boot.

Hooks for securing shopping bags to are also favourites of mine, I like being able to secure the bag containing more fragile things like eggs so they don’t move around on the journey.

I measure the boot space in freezer shopping bags, prams and dogs. Not because I think all there is to a mum’s life is food shopping, prams and dogs. (Although it can feel like it sometimes!!) But because these are visually mesurable items we can all associate with. For me, the car company boot measurement of litres is not an amount I can easily visualise and 400L in one car may differ in usability to that in another due to the configuration or shape of the space.

A twin side-by-side pram fits in the boot of the Kona with two bags of shopping.

The boot floor of the Kona is flat and carpeted so families that want to transport their fur babies too can fit a medium size dog in the boot.

How good is storage in the 2023 Hyundai Kona?

In the cabin of the new 2023 Hyundai Kona, the interior is quite minimal with good storage.

The central console has two cup holders that are a good size to hold a reusable or disposable coffee cup…

… and either side of them are good slots for storing phones.

Underneath the armrest, the central console box has a small shelf and space underneath it.

In front of the gear lever is a phone charging tray and USB-C sockets.

The glove box has lots of room to fit my iPad, wallet and the owner's manual and the shelf along the dash above it is great for the passenger to put their phone.

The door bins in the front are large enough to hold a refillable water bottle, iPad and purse.

In the back, the door bins are smaller, and only a disposable water bottle will fit.

There are net map pockets on the back of both front seats. They will hold a book or an iPad but not conceal it.

There is a phone storage tray and two USB-C charging sockets in the back of the central console box for rear passengers to charge devices while travelling along.

There is a fold-down armrest in the central seatback with two cup holders that will hold a reusable or disposable coffee cup or a kid's drink cup.

How noisy is the new 2023 Hyundai Kona? How good is the media system in the 2023 Kona?

The 2023 Hyundai Kona is quite quiet in terms of wind and road noise; however, the onboard safety features are VERY noisy and disturbing while driving. The car dongs and beeps when you go over the speed limit, even when the car's system has the speed limit incorrect. This also happens with sliproads off the highway; the car's system thinks the speed has dropped to 60km because that's the exit speed, and you have to travel along the highway until you pass the next 110 km sign with the car beeping and dodging at you. It is incredibly distressing for passengers onboard and infuriating and distracting for the driver. You can turn this function off within the media screen; however, you have to do it EVERY time you use the car.

The driver attention alert also bongs an alert constantly when you drive wearing polarised sunglasses. This is equally distracting for the driver and disturbing for the other passengers.

The 2023 Hyundai Kona media system has changed from their previous system and I find it way too wordy to use while driving. No one can read that much while driving and still keep their eyes on the road! Gone are the very easily recognizable symbols and instead are vague and tiny symbols and the words are in prime position. This is frustrating because Hyundai had one of the best media systems of all brands, so I don't know why they changed it!?

The previous features that were great for families, like ‘Quiet mode', aren't there…

…instead, you have to go through some wordy drop-down lists and change the position yourself each time.

The 2023 Hyundai Kona has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, which allows you to easily access your phone's navigation, listening and communication apps while driving.

The climate controls within the media screen…

… as well as there being physical controls on the dash.

In reverse, the camera images are crisp and clear…

… and you can change camera views on the top right of the screen…

… You can turn the parking sensors off easily with a button down beside the gear stick. You can also turn the cameras on and off with a button there too.

Becoming a parent I soon realised there are some noises and sounds I feel are unnecessary and I could happily live without if it meant my baby stayed asleep!!

That often the distraction of my screaming, distressed baby is more dangerous when driving than not having a lane departure warning for example.

If it is the lane departure warning beeping that creates distress with my baby then which is safest?

It’s where I think we need to be able to strike a balance and choose when we can mute the warnings or swap them to a vibration in the steering wheel or flashing light perhaps?

A lot of these noises come with the increase in technology and especially linked to safety features and alerts. For me these all have their place.

Another thing I have realised is I spend my time in a lot more places where small children roam, parks, beaches, play gyms, swimming lessons, daycare centre etc. I have become more aware that when I’m reversing or manouvering in the car parks I have to tripple check for small children running around behind me or being in my blind spot when reversing. For this I LOVE reversing cameras, I just don’t like their beeping sounds!!

I have become so much more aware of safety and potential accidents or hazards since having a child and so I love the peace of mind that I get from the cameras and sensors combined with my own vision from windows and mirrors as I don’t trust cameras alone.

The indicators are not too loud in the Hyundai Kona and you can lock the doors and windows separately using the buttons in the driver door panel.

How many child seats fit in the new 2023 Hyundai Kona?

There are ISOFix points in the two outer rear seats, not within plastic guides, but nice and easy to connect to.

There are top tether anchorages on the back of all three rear seat backrests that are within plastic guides, clearly labelled and easy to access through the boot.

Two Infasecure child seats fit really nicely in the back seats of the new Hyundai Kona. I installed the Infaecure Adapt More Infant Capsule rear-facing behind the driver and Achieve More forward-facing behind the front passenger seat.

When it comes to legroom in the Hyundai Kona, we found that with the rear-facing Adapt More installed, we could fit about a 175cm driver in front of it. Or with forward-facing child seats 180cm or taller drivers can fit. For families with only one child in a child seat, you can sit two passengers beside a child seat comfortably.

Posting Bub into their child seats in the back from inside and outside the car is nice and easy. The door openings are big and there is plenty of interior space.

Australia being a country of weather extremes; blazing sun and torrential rain, mean you may find it easier to put Bub into their seat from inside the car sometimes. If it’s hot you can get the air-con going, cool the car down and not stand out in the sun while you fasten them in or shelter from the rain and not get soaked yourself whilst you’re doing it. So it is important to test whether Bub can be easily installed from either direction!

I found there is room to feed Bub in the back of the Kona with a child seat installed.

How comfortable is the new 2023 Hyundai Kona? And How good is the new 2023 Hyundai Kona to drive?

The front seats of the Hyundai Kona are simple and comfortable, they are divided by the slim central console.

For a mum travelling in the back with bub, the seats are very comfortable. There is a hump in the footwell, which means a central passenger has to straddle the hump or put their feet on it. I found I could sit beside two seats in the back but not between them.

The seats are simple woven upholstery in the front and back.

For the first year of my first daughters life when we would go out as a family, if I wasn’t driving, I would travel in the back with her so it’s important to check the back seat comfort as you may be spending a lot of time in them! They were never something I gave any thought to before but I definitely notice a good or bad back seat now!

The steering wheel is fully adjustable in/out and up/down. The cruise controls are on the steering wheel and are easy to use. The gears are a traditional lever in the central console.

There are four air-conditioning vents in the front of the 2023 Hyundai Kona. Two below the media screen and one at either end of the dash…

… and air-conditioning vents in the back of the central console box for rear passengers.

There are climate controls on the dash…

…as well as in the front media screen.

There are handles above both rear doors that are well-positioned to hang a toy for rear-facing passengers.

I have found our kids do not like travelling in the dark in the car so if it gets dark whilst travelling then I reach back and turn the interior light on for her. So it’s really important for me that I can reach the rear ceiling light.

Also if I am traveling home and it is getting near to bed time and I DEFINITELY DON’T want her to fall asleep in the car as even a five-minute nap in the car means bed time is all over!!!! I lean back and pop the light on so it’s not dark and try to keep her awake!! Along with screaming/singing at the top of my voice!!!

It is also useful when there are lights situated above the doors where the handles are usually positioned. These are good for when putting baby into their child seats when visibility is poor, so you do not have to reach across them to a light situated in the ceiling centrally etc.

Visibility is pretty good in the new 2023 Hyundai Kona; you can see out of the rear windscreen with two Infasecure child seats installed and there is a rearview camera you can turn on with a button down beside the gear lever.

One thing I have noticed since being a mum is I hate it when I reach a destination or get home from being out and my daughter has either done really well in the car or she is screaming her head off and I have done really well to keep it together for the entire journey (usually the latter!!) and it takes 10 minutes to park the car! It can be really stressful. Usually I dread parking new cars as they take longer in our tight apartment block carpark, but the Hyundai Kona was simple to park as the visibility and cameras are very good!

How safe is the 2023 Hyundai Kona?

The new 2023 Hyundai Kona comes with six airbags and has been given a four-star ANCAP safety rating.