Singapore - Hyundai brought in the all-new version of its Kona Hybrid crossover last week (Friday 14 July) for a special preview in Singapore, ahead of the car’s official launch later this year.

The event also saw the official local debut of the Hyundai Ioniq 6 electric car, which is now available for sale and retails at S$257,888 inclusive of COE.

(Click HERE to read our First Drive Review of the Hyundai Ioniq 6)

But back to the Kona, which has been completely redesigned for its latest generation, and features the futuristic design language that has been seen on recent newer Hyundai models like the Avante and Staria.

Notable design highlights include the slim LED light bar that stretches across the front fascia, and repeated at the back for the rear lights, as well as the flared wheel arches and bodywork slashes that aim to portray a rugged lifestyle image.

Powering the Kona Hybrid is a 1.6-litre engine mated to an electric drivetrain that produces a total of 141hp and 265Nm of torque, mated to a 6spd dual-clutch gearbox – in this iteration, it is good for a 0-100km/h sprint time of 11.2 seconds.

However, Komoco says that it is planning to launch the car here with a powertrain that allows it to slot into COE Category A, which means that it will have an eventual power output of under 130hp.

The display car’s shade of Neoteric Yellow also reflects the Kona’s target customer base of younger drivers with an active lifestyle, and the car will be displayed at a special Klub Kona corner of the showroom of official distributor Komoco Motors when the car is officially launched.

The Klub Kona section will be decked out in a Hawaiian party theme, with photo booths and decorative surfboards as decor, along with information about the car displayed on the walls.

PHOTOS Clifford Chow