Kona Takes Home Top Award Tearing Through Dirt at 2018 Mudfest
The Hyundai Kona is one of the youngest vehicles in the lineup, only showing up for the first time in the 2018 model year. In the brief time it has been around, though, it has already snapped up a number of awards, from a place in WardsAuto’s 10 Best Interiors List to Green Car of the Year from the New England Motor Press Association, and now the title for Best Subcompact Utility Vehicle at the 2018 Mudfest near Shelton, Washington, adjudicated by the Northwest Automotive Press Association.
For the awards, 27 automotive writers tested out 26 vehicles at the Ridge Motorsports Park, over the course of two days taking each vehicle though a set of on-road and off-road performance tests. The journalists judged the vehicles based on value, interior features, ride quality, fuel economy, and performance.
Despite the Kona being one of the shortest vehicles in its class, it stood out for its nonetheless roomy interior and well-stocked interior. Tom Voelk, the New York Times journalist who reported on the event, said that the Kona handily ran through the on-road handling section of testing, and then happily tore through the off-road course’s modified motocross track.
Voelk wrapped up his discussion of the Kona by saying, “Maybe it was the snappy performance, or perhaps it was the retina-searing Lime Twist paint, but the journalists getting out of the Kona always wore a smile.”
That Lime Twist paint color is part of the Kona’s charm, as it offers both a fresh design for the Hyundai lineup as well as bold colors like Pulse Red, Surf Blue, and Lime Twist.
News Sources: The New York Times
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