It Might Be Hard to Find a Hyundai Kona in the US
If you have your eyes set on the 2018 Hyundai Kona, it may be wise to start talking to your local dealership.
Like Toyota, Hyundai is joining the subcompact crossover segment a few years behind the competition with its Kona subcompact. Expected to arrive U.S. dealerships early next year, the Korean automaker plans on building 200,000 units for the worldwide market, but only 40,000 are expected to make it to the U.S. With 835 dealerships in the country, that means there will be an average of just four Kona crossovers per dealership a month.
To put that into perspective, Jeep sold over 100,000 Renegade crossovers last year, and the Subaru Crosstrek came close to that figure with 95,677 sold. According to the Automotive News Data Center, a total of 507,575 subcompact crossovers were sold last year.
SEE ALSO: 2018 Hyundai Kona Subcompact Crossover Revealed
That means if there’s decent demand for the Hyundai Kona at its launch, it may be difficult to get your hands on one right away. Hyundai says one main reason for the delay is waiting on the new platform it rides on to be developed, which is similar to what happened with Toyota and the C-HR, which rides on the modular TNGA platform that also underpins the Prius.
The 2018 Hyundai Kona is powered by a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with 147 horsepower and 132 pound-feet of torque as standard. Buyers can also choose a 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine with 175 hp and 195 lb-ft of torque.
[Source: Automotive News]
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Jason Siu began his career in automotive journalism in 2003 with Modified Magazine, a property previously held by VerticalScope. As the West Coast Editor, he played a pivotal role while also extending his expertise to Modified Luxury & Exotics and Modified Mustangs. Beyond his editorial work, Jason authored two notable Cartech books. His tenure at AutoGuide.com saw him immersed in the daily news cycle, yet his passion for hands-on evaluation led him to focus on testing and product reviews, offering well-rounded recommendations to AutoGuide readers. Currently, as the Content Director for VerticalScope, Jason spearheads the content strategy for an array of online publications, a role that has him at the helm of ensuring quality and consistency across the board.
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The fact that smooth salesthings will be able to maneuver people to the vaguely similar but increasingly out-of-date Soul to get those off dealer lots probably doesn't hurt Kia's feelings much. ;)