Hyundai might already be working on a next-gen subcompact Kona, but that doesn’t mean the new one is any less appealing. And with pricing now out for the 2027 model year, Hyundai is proving yet again why it’s a budget car champion in a market where prices seem to forever be skyrocketing.
Prices Everyone Can Afford Without Selling A Kidney
Hyundai’s one of the few automakers still investing in small cars in America, and it’s being healthily rewarded for it, with sedans and compact crossovers driving impressive sales. The Kona is an often-forgotten alternative to the Mazda CX-30 and Toyota Corolla Cross, but for 2027, it’s got pricing on its side against rivals.
The big news is almost zero price increase from 2026 to 2027. If you look at the MSRP alone, you’d believe there was no price increase at all. While that is true, we’d be remiss not to point out a $50 increase in destination charges for the year, now sitting at $1,650. But the carryover pricing means the 2027 Hyundai Kona still starts at $25,500 for the SE FWD, with the SEL Sport FWD carrying a $26,825 sticker price. Those two models are powered by a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with 147 horsepower and 132 lb-ft of torque, paired to a CVT automatic gearbox.
2025 Hyundai Kona rear 3/4 angle while parkedHyundai
The upper trims switch to a 1.6-liter turbocharged motor with 190 hp and 195 lb-ft, utilizing an eight-speed torque converter automatic gearbox. And like the lesser trims, pricing remains unchanged. That means the SEL Premium retails for $28,425 while the range-topping Limited trim is the only model above $30k, asking $32,535. On all trims, AWD is a $1,500 option.
So if the price hasn’t changed, has anything else?
What’s New For 2027?
Officially labeled a carryover model for 2027, the Hyundai Kona doesn’t escape entirely unchanged. Minor tweaks have ever-so-slightly refined the lineup, but unless you’re a Kona Stan, you probably won’t notice the changes. On the SE trim, Idle Stop and Go (ISG) has been dropped, reflecting a shift in US legislation no longer requiring the technology. Elsewhere in the lineup, the SEL Premium loses its ambient lighting, which is now solely reserved for the Limited trim.
Options are limited to a choice of drivetrain and a few premium paint colors for $500, those being Cyber Gray Metallic, Ultimate Red Metallic, Soultronic Orange Pearl, and Neoteric Yellow. Outside of that, buyers only have a handful of accessories they can specify.
With a 2028 Kona expected to be revealed early in 2027 at the latest, this carryover model is a stopgap until then, and is likely to have slightly limited availability to avoid leaving too many sitting on dealer lots ahead of the third generation’s arrival.
CarBuzz Insights — Why It Matters
Changes like this, or a lack thereof, don’t move the needle in terms of global automotive news, but when gas prices are inflated and new car buyers are extending the length of their car loans, affordable models like the Kona are more important than ever. Hyundai keeping pricing for most trims below $30,000 is a significant achievement.
The Kona remains a pretty important model for Hyundai in the US market, and despite a 9% decrease in sales this year, 48,374 American families have still purchased a new one as of the end of August. That’s nearly double the number of Venue crossovers and almost as many Hyundai Sonata sedans sold for the same period.
Base Trim Engine
2L Nu PE I4 ICE
Base Trim Transmission
Smartstream IVT CVT
Base Trim Drivetrain
Front-Wheel Drive
Base Trim Horsepower
147 HP @6200 RPM
Base Trim Torque
132 lb.-ft. @ 4500 RPM
Base Trim Fuel Economy (city/highway/combined)
28/35/31 MPG
Infotainment & Features
8 /10
