2027 Hyundai Kona Engine Options and Fuel Economy at Webb Hyundai Highland

Webb Hyundai Highland | (219) 923-2277 | 9236 Indianapolis Blvd, Highland, IN 46322

What engines can you get in a 2027 Hyundai Kona?

Two, and they serve different drivers. The standard 2.0L MPI four-cylinder produces 147 horsepower and 132 lb-ft of torque, which is the sensible, unfussy choice. The available 1.6L turbocharged GDI four-cylinder produces 190 horsepower and 195 lb-ft, a gain of 43 horsepower and 63 lb-ft.

Torque is the number most shoppers underweight. The turbo’s 195 lb-ft arrives with less throttle travel than the 2.0L’s 132 lb-ft requires, so the difference shows up most in the everyday moments: pulling out of a driveway onto Indianapolis Blvd across two lanes of traffic, or getting up to speed on a short Borman Expressway (I-80/94) on-ramp with a truck in the mirror.

What fuel economy does the 2027 Kona get?

Up to 35 MPG highway with front-wheel drive. With HTRAC All Wheel Drive the ratings are 27 city / 29 highway / 28 combined, 26 / 29 / 27, or 25 / 28 / 26, depending on configuration. Those three all-wheel-drive sets are not a range to average; they are separate ratings that attach to specific builds, so the window sticker on the exact unit is what counts.

Framed simply: the best front-drive highway figure of 35 MPG is six MPG better than the best all-wheel-drive highway figure of 29, and seven better than the lowest at 28. Over a commute from Highland to downtown Chicago and back, that gap is real money across a year.

Which engine should a Northwest Indiana driver pick?

Start with the drive itself. A driver whose week is mostly surface streets through Highland, Griffith and Munster spends more time at 35 MPH than at 70, and the 2.0L’s 147 horsepower is entirely adequate there. A driver who spends 40 minutes a day on the Borman Expressway (I-80/94) or runs regularly toward Calumet City and the state line will use the turbo’s extra 43 horsepower far more often.

The second question is towing or hauling ambitions, and the honest answer for a subcompact SUV is to keep them modest. Neither engine turns the Kona into a truck. What the turbo buys is confidence in merging and passing, not capability the vehicle does not have.

How does Kona power and MPG compare with the 2026 Kia Seltos?

Very closely at both ends, with the tiebreakers in the details. Base for base it is 147 horsepower for the Kona against 146 for the Seltos, a one-horsepower difference nobody will feel. At the top both make 190 horsepower, the Kona through the 1.6L turbo and the Seltos through the SX.

Fuel economy splits the decision. The Kona takes the front-drive highway crown at up to 35 MPG against the Seltos at 34. The Seltos takes the all-wheel-drive comparison, with LX, S and EX models rated up to 27 city / 31 highway against the Kona’s best all-wheel-drive highway rating of 29. A Seltos SX with all-wheel drive falls back to roughly 24 city / 27 highway, which is below every Kona all-wheel-drive configuration listed here.

What does that mean for a Lake County Indiana commute?

A commuter who drives mostly clear roads and wants the highest possible MPG should look hard at a front-wheel-drive Kona and its up-to-35-MPG highway rating. That is exactly what Webb Hyundai Highland has on the ground right now: one 2027 Kona, an SEL Sport with front-wheel drive, at $29,325.

A commuter who will not accept getting stuck on an unplowed side street in Highland during a lake-effect event should be shopping HTRAC and accepting the 28 MPG combined ceiling. Webb Hyundai Highland can look for all-wheel-drive units through its sister store, Webb Hyundai Merrillville, or through dealer trade. Full model details are on the 2027 Hyundai Kona page at Webb Hyundai Highland, and (219) 923-2277 reaches the team that can check today’s availability.

What should I check on a 2027 Kona test drive?

Three things, and they take about twenty minutes. First, roll onto the throttle from a stop the way you would pulling out onto Indianapolis Blvd, and note whether the engine in that specific car feels like enough. The gap between 132 lb-ft and 195 lb-ft is easiest to judge at low speed, not on a spec sheet.

Second, get the car to highway speed and hold it there long enough to hear it. Wind and road noise at 65 MPH tell a shopper more about a daily commute between Munster and the state line than any showroom conversation will. Third, ask the salesperson to point at the fuel economy line on the window sticker and read it out loud. If the car is front-wheel drive, that line should support the up-to-35-MPG highway rating; if it is an HTRAC car, it will show one of the three published all-wheel-drive rating sets rather than an average of them.

Key takeaways

• Standard 2.0L MPI four-cylinder: 147 horsepower and 132 lb-ft of torque.
• Available 1.6L turbocharged GDI: 190 horsepower and 195 lb-ft, a gain of 43 horsepower and 63 lb-ft.
• Front-wheel drive is rated up to 35 MPG highway.
• HTRAC all-wheel-drive ratings are 27 / 29 / 28, 26 / 29 / 27 or 25 / 28 / 26 by configuration.
• The best front-drive highway figure beats the best all-wheel-drive highway figure by six MPG.
• The 2026 Kia Seltos matches the Kona at 190 horsepower on top and beats it on all-wheel-drive highway MPG, 31 against 29.
• The one 2027 Kona in Highland today is a front-wheel-drive SEL Sport at $29,325.

Frequently asked questions about the 2027 Hyundai Kona