A New-Generation Kona

Posted on by Derek Price
Cargazing
By Derek Price

The 2024 Hyundai Kona arrives with a fresh look and a range of updates, aiming to make its mark in the competitive compact SUV segment.

On the positive side, the Kona’s exterior design is notably stylish, boasting a sleek and modern appearance that’s bound to turn heads on the road.

It was designed first to be an electric vehicle, and the gasoline versions benefit from its sleek, modern, EV-like styling and lightweight shell. This design approach not only gives it a contemporary appearance but also contributes to impressive fuel economy.

With front-wheel drive, it is rated for 29 mpg in the city and 34 on the highway. The turbocharged version is rated for 26 in the city and 32 on the highway. Opting for all-wheel drive lowers those numbers a bit, as one would expect.

Inside, the new Kona offers a spacious and well-arranged center console, with the gear selector moved behind the steering wheel, creating more storage space and enhancing overall comfort and convenience for occupants.

 

The 2024 Hyundai Kona gets a complete overhaul for 2024, making it bigger and more refined. It was designed first to be an electric vehicle, but the gasoline-powered versions also benefit from its sleek look and very up-to-date tech features.

Hyundai has also invested heavily in the Kona’s technology features, giving it dual 12.3-inch panoramic display screens, over-the-air software updates, and a next-generation infotainment system, providing a modern and connected driving experience.

Safety is a strong suit for the 2024 Kona, as it comes equipped with advanced driver assistance systems such as Remote Smart Parking Assist, Blind-Spot View Monitor, Forward Collision-avoidance Assist, and Highway Driving Assist, elevating safety and convenience on the road.

On the flip side, the base 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine may leave some drivers wanting more in terms of acceleration, producing just 147 horsepower and coupled to a continuously variable transmission. It’s an underwhelming combination for those seeking a more spirited driving experience.

 

Dual 12.3-inch panoramic display screens make it easy to use the new Kona’s many digital features. The cabin is also noticeably more roomy than before.

Also, the impressive updates in design, tech and safety come at a cost, as the 2024 Kona features a higher price tag compared to the previous year’s model.

My tester came with the upgraded 1.6-liter turbocharged engine, which makes a much more enjoyable 190 horsepower. It also, thankfully, is matched to an eight-speed automatic transmission that feels much more engaging than a fun-sapping CVT.

Overall, the redesigned Kona brings a lot to the table in the compact SUV segment. Its stylish design, spacious interior and advanced technology features make it an appealing choice for those looking for a modern and well-equipped vehicle.

Pricing starts at $24,100 for the SE grade. The turbo version starts at $30,650 for the aggressively sporty N Line or $31,650 for the more comfort-oriented Limited grade. The all-wheel-drive Limited tops the lineup at $33,150.

At A Glance

What was tested? 2024 Hyundai Kona Limited AWD ($33,150). Options: Atlas White paint ($450), carpeted floor mats ($210). Price as tested (including $1,335 destination charge): $35,145
Wheelbase: 104.7 in.
Length: 171.3 in.
Width: 71.9 in.
Height: 62.4 in.
Engine: 1.6-liter turbocharged four cylinder (190 hp, 195 lbs.-ft.)
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel economy: 24 city, 29 highway

RATINGS
Style: 9
Performance: 6
Price: 9
Handling: 8
Ride: 8
Comfort: 8
Quality: 7
Overall: 8

Why buy it?
A complete redesign makes the 2024 Kona more refined and mature than before. It was engineered first to be an EV, and the gasoline versions benefit from its focus on efficiency and in-cabin technology.

Posted in Hyundai

A Logical Alternative

Posted on by Derek Price
Cargazing
By Derek Price

The timing couldn’t be better for Toyota.

Just as other automakers are scaling back their ambitious plans for electric vehicles because — surprise, surprise – most American buyers aren’t ready to accept the downsides of a battery-powered car, there’s a brand-new generation of Prius offering an alternative.

If someone needs a car strictly for local trips, EVs makes perfect sense. But in a nation where many of us enjoy road trips across the fruited plain, EVs are a fruited pain. They add hours to long highway drives for charging stops, if you’re lucky enough to find chargers available and functional along your route.

I’ve said for a long time that if you can only have one car to help the planet, right now it makes the most sense to get a plug-in hybrid like I’m testing this week, the all-new Prius Prime.

When you fully charge it in your garage, the Prius Prime can drive 44 miles on electric power, enough for some commuting and daily errands without burning a drop of gas, just like an EV.

And when you need to take longer trips, you don’t have to subject yourself to the pathetic current state of America’s charging infrastructure. You just fill it up with gas and keep going.

Even if you never charge it up, the wonks in Washington rate this new Prius Prime for 48 mpg in combined city and highway driving. If you do, it’s rated for the equivalent of 114 mpg.

Its cheaper sibling, the standard Prius without plug-in ability, earns an even better mileage rating of 57 mpg combined, presumably because it doesn’t have to lug around the Prime’s 284-pound battery pack everywhere it goes.

 

A fresh design for 2023 makes the Toyota Prius prettier than it’s ever been before. It looks sportier and more athletic, a good match for its re-engineered driving feel.

The reason to buy a Prius has always been the gas mileage, plain and simple.

The reason to buy this new-generation Prius is that it’s appealing for non-numeric reasons, too.

It looks spectacular, for starters.

Unlike previous Prius designs, which have always been intentionally frumpy by resembling a wedge of blue cheese, this one seems to take its inspiration from classic sports cars. It’s sleek, sexy even.

Its driving feel is just as surprising.

While it still won’t win any races, this redesigned Prius drives with a taut, rewarding, quick-responding feel that every one of its predecessors lacked. Where older Priuses wallowed in corners, this one feels composed.

And when you step on the accelerator, it actually feels like it wants to go somewhere, compared to the reluctant, petulant whine of older versions.

Sadly, it doesn’t offer the instant kick-in-the-pants acceleration of a pure EV, but it does close the gap in a big way.

 

The Prius’ new cabin is impressively roomy in the front seats, and its unusual instrument cluster location is something more new cars should adopt.

Inside, the cabin is more of a mixed bag.

The new look is definitely modern, with a big, clean, sweeping dash and optional 12.3-inch touchscreen to run today’s requisite digital toys. Unfortunately, its sexy styling with the sloping roof cuts into rear headroom and limits visibility out the back window. A digital rearview mirror can help solve the visibility problem, at least.

I do love the non-traditional layout of the Prius’ instrument cluster. It’s perched up above the steering wheel, high on the dash where the driver’s eyes never have to stray far from the roadway.

It also feels impressively roomy, especially in the front seats where head, shoulder and knee room all seem weirdly airy in a vehicle designed primarily for its gas mileage.

Overall, it’s the perfect vehicle for people who are on the fence about buying an EV.

America may be better prepared for the electric revolution in the future, but until that day, plug-in hybrid cars will be the more palatable option for many people. And this new-generation Prius is the most impressive of them all.

Pricing starts at $27,650 for the standard Prius or $32,675 for the Prime.

At A Glance

What was tested? 2023 Toyota Prius Prime XSE Premium ($39,170). Options: Digital rearview mirror ($200), solar charging roof ($610), advanced technology package ($1,085), special color ($425), heated rear seats ($350). Price as tested (including $1,095 destination charge): $42,935
Wheelbase: 108.3 in.
Length: 181.1 in.
Width: 70.2 in.
Height: 56.3 in.
Power: 2.0-liter four cylinder engine plus electric motor (combined 220 hp)
Transmission: Continuously variable
Fuel economy: 48 mpg combined

RATINGS

Style: 9
Performance: 6
Price: 7
Handling: 6
Ride: 8
Comfort: 8
Quality: 9
Overall: 9

Why buy it?
A complete redesign makes the 2023 Prius more efficient, better looking and more enjoyable to drive than before. The plug-in hybrid Prime version has an electric range of 44 miles.

Posted in Toyota

Honda Redesigns Pilot

Posted on by Derek Price
Cargazing
By Derek Price

The Honda Pilot has always delivered family-friendly transportation with rugged SUV styling, but not necessarily SUV capability.

That changes after a complete redesign for 2023.

Instead of being a more tough-looking version of the Odyssey — something it does even better this year with a bigger, boxier, square-shouldered shape — the new Pilot actually has some real capability baked in.

That’s especially obvious in the new TrailSport version, the most capable off-road SUV Honda has created to date.

The TrailSport rides a full inch higher than the standard Pilot, allowing more ground clearance over challenging terrain from its suspension tuned for off-roading.

It also comes fitted with two things Honda has never offered before: standard all-terrain tires to help with grip off the pavement and thick steel skid plates to protect its underbody.

I haven’t driven the standard version of the Pilot yet, but I was happy to find the suspension on my TrailSport tester wasn’t too harsh or abrasive, a common problem on vehicles designed for the dirt.

The Pilot TrailSport comes with other useful features for off-roaders, including a TrailWatch system with four cameras that give the driver a clear, close-up view around the vehicle. It’s great for seeing things outside the driver’s field of vision, a safety feature that helps in driveways and garages as much as it does on trails.

It also has a Trail drive mode that uses both brake vectoring and torque vectoring to send power to whichever wheels still have traction. It’s designed to smoothly, effortlessly get the Pilot out of sticky situations.

 

For the first time in its history, the Honda Pilot has a version designed for serious off-road capability from the factory. Called the TrailSport, its suspension is an inch higher than the standard trims.

Orange accents in the cabin and on body badging catch the eye and set the TrailSport apart visually from its more road-friendly siblings.

While the TrailSport’s aggressive off-road features are somewhat of a surprise from Honda, the rest of the Pilot’s design is exactly what one would expect from this logical, practical Japanese brand.

Cup holders seem to be everywhere you look in the cabin — 14 in total — including roomy spaces in the door panels. Clearly this fourth-generation Pilot was designed with American drivers and their Big Gulp cups in mind, and it’s assembled in a very fitting place: Alabama.

Every speck of space inside the Pilot appears to be designed for a purpose, too. Honda does a great job packaging interior volume to be as useful and airy as possible.

The new-for-2023 Pilot is bigger than last year’s model. It’s 3.4 inches longer, and you can feel that space in the roomy first- and second-row seats. The third row still feels a bit cramped for adults, but it is easy to access thanks to second-row chairs that easily fold and slide forward.

It also has more cargo volume than ever before. There are 22.4 cubic feet available behind the third row, 60.1 behind the second row and a whopping 114.3 when you fold all the rear seats down.

 

Orange stitching and accents set the TrailSport’s cabin apart from other versions of the Pilot.

If I could change one thing about the new Pilot, it would be the touchscreen size. Today’s vehicles — especially SUVs and pickup trucks — are in an arms race to install the biggest, fastest, flashiest touchscreen interfaces they can. Sometimes that can feel like overkill, but the 7- and 9-inch screens in the new Pilot seem small compared to the competition.

Its driver assistance features, though, are spectacular. The Pilot’s adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping systems do a good job making driving easy on well-marked roads, responding in a more natural-feeling way than before.

Pricing starts at $36,300 for the base LX trim with two-wheel drive. The version I tested, the off-road-oriented TrailSport, starts at $48,700.

Other versions include the Sport ($39,500), EX-L ($42,300), Touring ($46,800) and range-topping Elite ($52,380).

At A Glance

What was tested? 2023 Honda Pilot AWD Transport ($48,350). Options: Diffused sky paint ($455). Price as tested (including $1,345 destination charge): $50,150
Wheelbase: 113.8 in.
Length: 199.9 in.
Width: 78.5 in.
Height: 71 in.
Engine: 3.5-liter V6 (285 hp, 262 ft. lbs.)
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Fuel economy: 18 city, 23 highway

RATINGS
Style: 8
Performance: 7
Price: 8
Handling: 7
Ride: 7
Comfort: 6
Quality: 9
Overall: 7

Why buy it?
A complete redesign for 2023 makes the Pilot roomier and tougher looking than before. The new TrailSport package adds serious off-road credibility for the first time with skid plates, a lifted suspension and all-terrain tires.

Posted in Honda

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