The new 2023 Hyundai Kona The small SUV range is poised to double the electrified performance – with hybrid technology available on a range of models – when it begins arriving in local showrooms mid-year.

Hyundai dealers have been told the first deliveries of petrol-powered Konas are due in showrooms in June or July – pending any delays – ahead of the hybrid and electric models between September and November this year.

Dealers have been told plans for a reshuffled model range consisting of five model classes, with a choice of front-wheel drive petrol or hybrid, all-wheel drive N-Line petrol or electric drive.

Pricing has yet to be confirmed, but price increases across the range are expected to reflect the larger body, new interior, broader technology suite and improved safety features.

The price premium hybrid will carry over gasoline versions — and whether it will be able to match Toyota’s $2,500 premium — is unclear.

Full specs are nearing release, however the cheapest model class in the range – dubbed simply the ‘Kona’ – is expected to offer a choice of petrol, hybrid or ‘standard range’ front-wheel drive electric powertrain.

Dealers have said that the current Active, Elite and Highlander model classes are expected to be replaced by a single “Kona Premium” model – with petrol, hybrid or “Extended Range” front-wheel drive electric powertrain.

Both petrol and hybrid versions are said to be available with an optional N-Line package, which, if the larger Tucson’s N-Line package is any guide, can marry sporty styling cues and bigger wheels with more luxurious features.

Buyers looking for more power will likely be able to step up to the full Kona N Line and N Line Premium variants, which combine sporty styling with all-wheel-drive petrol power.

Engine specs for the new Hyundai Kona in Australia are yet to be confirmed, but in South Korea there is a choice of a 2.0-litre 110kW/180Nm petrol four-cylinder, a 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol Four-cylinder with 146 kW/265 Nm and a 1.6-litre petrol-electric hybrid with 104 kW/265 Nm.

These engines appear to have been carried over from the outgoing range and are matched on the 2.0-litre petrol and 1.6-litre hybrid with front-wheel drive or the 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol with all-wheel drive.

Details on the Kona Electric have not been released, but the option of standard-range and extended-range versions is planned again.

For today’s model, the Standard Range combines a 100 kW/395 Nm motor with a 39.2 kWh battery for a claimed range of 305 km, while the Extended Range combines 150 kW/395 Nm, a 64 kWh battery and a claimed WLTP range of 484 km claimed.

Dealers have been told that the new Kona Electric Premium will be available with an optional technology package that adds some of the luxury features – but no sporty N-Line styling cues – available in top-of-the-line petrol versions.

As previously reported, the new Hyundai Kona is 150mm longer, 25mm wider and 60mm taller than the car it replaces, reportedly offering more passenger and trunk space.

A camouflaged example (above) was spied testing on Australian roads drive Reader Stacie, in the sporty N-Line trim with 19-inch wheels. It’s unclear if this will use petrol, front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive, or hybrid drive.

For more details on the 2023 Hyundai Kona, click on the links below to read them Moves previous reporting.