Hot on the heels of the Kia Telluride &. Sportage Nightfall Edition, Hyundai is getting in on the blackout trend with the 2021 Hyundai Kona Night Edition.
The Night Edition is a limited-run version of Hyundai’s successful subcompact crossover which features unique exterior and interior accents to differentiate it from other Kona models.
The Kona Night Edition comes standard with the more powerful turbocharged 1.6L inline four-cylinder with 175 horsepower and 195 lb-ft torque which is normally reserved for the Limited and Ultimate trim levels. This engine connects to the wheels via a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. As of this writing, it’s unclear whether the Night Edition will be available in front wheel drive, all wheel drive, or both.
On the outside, the Kona Night Edition receives gloss black side mirrors and lower door trim, and maintains the matte black upper and lower grilles from the existing base model Kona, along with the matte black lower section of the rear bumper. It also sits on custom 18” Rays black-painted alloy wheels which help it stand out in the crowd. Full LED front lighting is provided, but fog lights are absent. In back, you’ll find LED brake lights but traditional bulbs for the turn signals and reverse lights. The Night Edition is available in three exterior colors: black, white, and, for the first time on the Kona, Galactic Gray, which is slightly lighter than the Thunder Gray offered on past Kona models.
The interior features additional gloss black trim pieces, such as the interior door handles and door locks. There are also aluminum pedals for the driver to match the sporty attitude of the turbo powertrain. Although pricing and convenience features haven’t been announced, we noticed that the Night Edition does not offer a sunroof option, indicating that this model may sit below the Kona Limited in terms of pricing and convenience/luxury features. It may offer a slightly less expensive and more appealing way to get a turbocharged Kona. While blind-spot monitoring is included, a lower radar doesn’t appear on the Night Edition’s front bumper, so it most likely won’t come with smart cruise control or other advanced safety features available in high-end Konas.
The Hyundai Kona Night Edition is set to hit Hyundai dealers in September 2020.
