2026 Hyundai Kona: Key Updates and Features You Need to Know

September 11th, 2025 by

The new 2026 Hyundai Kona may be a small SUV, but it’s a bold one, offering striking styling, smart technology, and ample capability for your autumn adventures. The 2025 Hyundai Kona was Kelley Blue Book’s KBB.com’s pick for the Best Buy of the Year among Subcompact SUVs,1 and now the new 2026 Hyundai Kona is ready for you to take the wheel.

Discover our Kona lineup today at Wolfchase Hyundai in Memphis, TN! If you’re interested in upgrading to a 2026 Hyundai Kona Electric instead, feel free to ask our team about this EV’s availability today.

This new model year brings a few updates. For starters, some of the trims from the previous model year have been dropped, while two new trims have been added: the SEL Sport and the SEL Premium. When it comes to safety, FCA with Junction Turning and Driver Oncoming as well as Smart Cruise Control with Stop & Go are now standard on all trims.

Ready to learn more about the Hyundai Kona for sale in Memphis, TN? Check out some of the standout features of the new 2026 Hyundai Kona below!

Exterior and Interior Features: Modern Style Meets Exceptional Comfort

The new 2026 Hyundai Kona trims — the SEL Sport and the SEL Premium — offer a variety of features you and your passengers are sure to enjoy.

We love the sharp lines and striking design details on the Hyundai Kona. The SEL Sport features gloss black outside mirrors and rear spoiler while the SEL Premium features gloss black outside mirrors and a body-color rear spoiler. The SEL Sport is equipped with 18-inch black-painted alloy wheels and the SEL Premium is equipped with 19-inch black with silver alloy wheels.

Whether you like to fly under the radar or boldly stand out on the road, you can choose from a range of exterior colors. Paint color options across the lineup include:

  • Abyss Black Pearl
  • Cyber Gray Metallic
  • Ecotronic Gray Metallic
  • Ultimate Red Metallic
  • Mirage Green
  • Atlas White
  • Soultronic Orange Pearl
  • Denim Blue Pearl
  • Neoteric Yellow

Moving on to the interior, there’s a host of features to enjoy in the newly added trims. Both the new SEL Sport and SEL Premium trims give you heated front seats, wireless device charging, front auto up/down windows, and LED interior lighting — features that enhance your experience on the go.

The latest Hyundai Kona lineup features a total of four trim levels: the SE, SEL Sport, SEL Premium, and Limited. The Limited trim tops the lineup with standard ventilated front seats, in addition to heated front seats. It also features a standard power-tilt-and-slide sunroof with a sunshade for when you want to stargaze or let in more natural light and fresh air — and a convenient hands-free smart liftgate with auto open.

The Limited and SEL Premium come with H-Tex® Leatherette-trimmed seating surfaces while the SE and SEL Sport come with cloth seating surfaces. No matter which trim level you choose, though, expect a comfortable ride!

Advanced Technology and Safety Features for a Smarter Drive

The new 2026 Hyundai Kona ensures that you stay seamlessly connected, no matter how many miles you have to go. A 12.3-inch touchscreen comes standard, providing easy access to your phone via standard wireless Android Auto™ and Apple CarPlay®. A 4.2-inch digital gauge cluster comes standard on the first two trims and is upgraded to 12.3 inches on the top two trims for an even better view of driving information.

Safety-wise, the latest Kona comes with a plethora of advanced features that provide protection and convenience for long and short drives. Standard features include:

  • Blind-Spot Collision-Avoidance Warning
  • Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist
  • Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist with Pedestrian Detection, Cyclist & Junction Turning Detection, and Direct Oncoming
  • Lane Following Assist
  • Lane Keeping Assist
  • Driver Attention Warning
  • Safe Exit Warning
  • Rear Occupant Alert
  • High Beam Assist

Thanks to these safety features, you can take more peace of mind with you, no matter where the road leads.

Enhance your drive even more with extra tech features like wireless device charging — standard on all trims except the base — and a Wi-Fi hotspot — only standard on the Limited. The Limited is also the only trim that gives you Bose Premium Audio with external amp and eight speakers, allowing you to enjoy your favorite playlist even more.

Performance, Efficiency, and Driving Experience

A small SUV that’s big on efficiency but also fun to drive? That’s the new 2026 Hyundai Kona for you. Plus, all models give you the option of upgrading from standard front-wheel drive to available HTRAC all-wheel drive for additional confidence.

If you choose the SE or SEL Sport, you’ll get a 2.0-liter MPI 4-cylinder engine, matched with a Intelligent Variable Transmission, that delivers 147 horsepower and 132 pound-feet of torque.

With the SE, you can expect to get an EPA-estimated 29 City/34 Highway/31 Combined MPG2 with the FWD version and an EPA-estimated 27 City/29 Highway/28 Combined MPG2 with the AWD version.

With the SEL Sport, you can expect to get an EPA-estimated 28 City/35 Highway/31 Combined MPG2 with the FWD version and an EPA-estimated 26 City/29 Highway/27 Combined MPG2 with the AWD version.

Moving on to the SEL Premium and the Limited, these top trims are equipped with a 1.6-liter turbocharged GDI 4-cylinder engine, matched with an eight-speed automatic transmission, that delivers 190 horsepower and 195 pound-feet of torque.

Both the SEL Premium and Limited give you an EPA-estimated 26 City/31 Highway/28 Combined MPG2 for FWD models and an EPA-estimated 25 City/28 Highway/26 Combined MPG2 for AWD models.

Upgrade to a New Hyundai Kona Today at Wolfchase Hyundai!

If you can’t wait to get behind the wheel of a new Hyundai Kona in Memphis, TN, stop by Wolfchase Hyundai — a Hyundai dealer near Bartlett, TN — to test-drive a Hyundai Kona near you today! Our team will be here to answer your questions, provide more details about this stylish SUV, and help you compare it to other Hyundai SUVs for sale in Memphis, TN.

Curious about the Hyundai Kona price in Memphis? Browse our current Kona inventory to see our pricing or contact our Hyundai Kona Wolfchase Hyundai dealership for more information. Our team can also tell you about the latest Hyundai Kona lease deals in TN!

Thinking about upgrading to an electric car in Wolfchase? We’d love to tell you more about the models we have in stock. Feel free to contact us at your convenience or stop by your local car dealer in Memphis to talk to a team member about our Hyundai electric cars in Memphis.

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1For more information, visit Kelley Blue Book’s www.kbb.com. Kelley Blue Book is a registered trademark of Kelley Blue Book Co., Inc.


2All figures are EPA estimates and for comparison purposes only. Actual mileage may vary with options, driving conditions, driving habits and vehicle’s condition.

Posted in 2026 Hyundai Kona