Hyundai is skipping a typical mid-cycle refresh of the Kona and is instead preparing a fully redesigned third-generation model, with a more upright sport-utility shape and an updated interior, Electrek reported. It has been nearly four years since the second-generation Kona arrived, when a facelift would usually be due. Early prototypes spotted in Korea this year looked boxier and more rugged, and later test mules in the United States, Europe and other regions point to a design closer to the new Santa Fe, Palisade and Tucson. The wider stance appears to draw from Hyundai's Crater Concept, shown at last year's Los Angeles Auto Show as a preview of the "next evolution" of Extreme Rugged Terrain vehicles such as the IONIQ 5 XRT and Palisade XRT Pro.
The third-generation Kona, codenamed SX3, was recently photographed, still disguised, in a parking garage in Korea, in images sent to ShortsCar that show a new wheel design. Earlier leaked pictures suggested a mix of the Crater Concept and the IONIQ 5, with pixelated lighting and a clamshell hood. Inside, previous spy photos appeared to show Hyundai's new Pleos Connect infotainment system, as used on the IONIQ 3, which offers a 12.9-inch or 14.6-inch center screen and an optional driver display. Hyundai has not confirmed powertrain or battery specifications. Earlier reports had suggested the company might drop the all-electric Kona and sell only gas and hybrid versions, but the latest Korean prototype is expected to be an EV model.
Electrek reported that the third-generation Kona is still expected to be offered as a fully electric model, a hybrid and a gasoline version, like the current vehicle. Hyundai skipped a 2026 Kona EV, and the electric version could return in 2027 or 2028 when the new generation is due. The hybrid may use the same 1.6-liter hybrid engine as the new Seltos. The EV could offer battery options similar to the IONIQ 3, which in Europe and the United Kingdom is sold with 42 kWh and 61 kWh packs and WLTP ranges of up to 213 miles (344 kilometers) and 308 miles (497 kilometers). Those figures are comparisons, not confirmed Kona ratings.
The verified news is a redesign plan, spy evidence and an expected 2027 or 2028 arrival, not a priced brochure or a factory confirmation that the electric Kona is definitely coming back. Hyundai has yet to publish official specifications, and any XRT off-road variant remains a question raised by the concept, not an announcement.