2028 Hyundai Kona: Next-generation small SUV spied hot-weather testing

The next-generation Hyundai Kona, codenamed SX3, has been spied testing in hot weather in Spain ahead of the Toyota Corolla Cross and Nissan Qashqai rival’s expected 2028 global launch.

Previously spied in cold-climate conditions, the latest images show the next Kona taking advantage of an extreme northern hemisphere summer that has seen temperatures in Spain reach up to 45.5 degrees Celsius.

As noted by The Korean Car Blog, the test vehicle suggests Hyundai may be fast-tracking a new-generation Kona to showrooms, given its shape appears to take significant cues from the 2025 Hyundai Crater Concept.

The Crater showcased the brand’s latest ‘Art of Steel’ design language, and the Kona pictured here appears to feature much more substantial changes than a typical facelift.

These include much more aggressive, squared-off lines in place of the softer curves of the current second-generation Kona, which was introduced to Australia in 2023.

The latest images show a much higher bonnet line for a bluffer front-end appearance, along with a clamshell bonnet and more angular door frames beneath a higher roofline.

The roofline also does away with the more pronounced curve of the current Kona, although it still slopes downwards from front to rear.

Following the Crater Concept, the changes are combined with fuller front and rear wheel-arches for a more rugged appearance, and follow similar design moves with Hyundai’s entry-level Venue SUV and the boxy 2027 Tucson.

While there are no new interior images from the vehicles spied in Spain, photos of the next Kona’s cabin have previously been published and suggest it will also follow the more rugged theme previewed by the Crater Concept.

It's also expected to use Hyundai Motor Group’s new Android Automotive-based Pleos Connect infotainment system.

While the test vehicle had a visible exhaust outlet, the Kona is expected to continue offering battery-electric, hybrid and petrol powertrains, like the current generation.

It's unclear if the lineup could grow to include an extended-range electric vehicle (EREV) powertrain, which uses a petrol engine as a generator to charge a battery while an electric motor drives the wheels.

Hyundai and its luxury offshoot Genesis are preparing range-extender EVs for launch in North America from 2027, with the first confirmed models set to be large SUVs. No specific models have been confirmed for Australia.

Hyundai is celebrating 40 years in Australia this month, with the first Excel hatchbacks reaching a Perth dealer in August 1986, priced from $9990 before on-road costs.

MORE: Explore the Hyundai Kona showroom