2027 Hyundai Kona HTRAC All Wheel Drive and Winter Driving in Highland, Indiana

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

What is HTRAC All Wheel Drive on the Kona?

HTRAC is Hyundai’s all-wheel-drive system, available on the 2027 Kona rather than standard. It distributes power to all four wheels when the fronts start to slip, which is the moment that decides whether a car pulls away from a snowy stop sign or sits there spinning.

The Kona is front-wheel drive as standard, so a shopper has to ask for HTRAC specifically. That matters in Northwest Indiana more than it does in most of the country, because lake-effect snow does not arrive on a schedule and it does not distribute itself evenly across Lake County Indiana.

What does HTRAC cost in fuel economy?

Six to seven highway MPG, in round terms. Front-wheel-drive Konas are rated up to 35 MPG highway. HTRAC configurations are rated 27 city / 29 highway / 28 combined, 26 / 29 / 27, or 25 / 28 / 26. The best all-wheel-drive highway number of 29 is six below the best front-drive number of 35, and the lowest all-wheel-drive combined rating of 26 tells the rest of the story.

That is the trade, stated plainly. Nobody should buy all-wheel drive expecting to keep front-drive fuel economy, and nobody should skip it purely on an MPG argument if their driveway in Griffith is the last one plowed on the block.

Does all-wheel drive help on the Borman Expressway in a snow event?

It helps with getting moving and with maintaining momentum in packed snow and slush, which is the usual condition on the Borman Expressway (I-80/94) after an overnight lake-effect band. It does not shorten stopping distance. Braking is a tire job, not a drivetrain job.

The practical Highland-area answer looks like this. Short trips on plowed streets between Highland, Munster and Hammond: a front-wheel-drive Kona on good tires copes fine. Unplowed side streets, a sloped driveway, or a regular run out toward Schererville and Calumet City in weather: HTRAC earns its fuel economy penalty.

Are winter tires better value than all-wheel drive?

For a lot of drivers, yes, and it is worth saying out loud even at a dealership. A front-wheel-drive Kona on four winter tires will out-brake and out-corner an all-wheel-drive Kona on worn all-seasons in cold conditions, every time. All-wheel drive is a starting aid; winter tires are a starting, stopping and steering aid.

The strongest setup is obviously both, and the cheapest useful setup is tires. Webb Hyundai Highland’s service department at 9236 Indianapolis Blvd can talk through what fits a specific Kona, including whether the available 18-inch alloy wheels change the winter tire conversation.

How does HTRAC compare with the Kia Seltos all-wheel-drive system?

Both are optional rather than standard: HTRAC All Wheel Drive on the Kona, torque-vectoring all-wheel drive on the 2026 Kia Seltos, with both vehicles built front-wheel drive as the baseline. Neither one is a truck four-wheel-drive system, and neither should be shopped as one.

On efficiency the Seltos has the edge in its volume all-wheel-drive trims, up to 27 city / 31 highway on LX, S and EX against the Kona’s best all-wheel-drive rating of 29 highway. The exception is the Seltos SX with all-wheel drive at roughly 24 city / 27 highway, which sits below every Kona HTRAC configuration cited here. Pricing starts at $24,990 for an all-wheel-drive Seltos LX, against $25,500 to start for the Kona lineup.

Can I get an HTRAC Kona at Webb Hyundai Highland?

Not off the ground today. As of August 10, 2026, Webb Hyundai Highland has exactly one 2027 Kona in stock and it is an SEL Sport with front-wheel drive at $29,325. A shopper who needs HTRAC should not drive to 9236 Indianapolis Blvd expecting to find one waiting.

What Webb Hyundai Highland can do is search. The store can look for additional 2027 Kona trims and drivetrains through its sister store, Webb Hyundai Merrillville, and through dealer trade with other Hyundai stores. Starting that search in late summer beats starting it during the first serious snow, when every all-wheel-drive vehicle in the region is spoken for. Call (219) 923-2277, and read the full 2027 Hyundai Kona overview from Webb Hyundai Highland first so the request is specific.

Key takeaways

• HTRAC All Wheel Drive is available on the 2027 Kona, not standard; front-wheel drive is the baseline.
• Front-wheel-drive Konas are rated up to 35 MPG highway.
• HTRAC ratings are 27 / 29 / 28, 26 / 29 / 27 or 25 / 28 / 26 depending on configuration.
• The all-wheel-drive fuel economy penalty is roughly six to seven highway MPG.
• All-wheel drive helps a vehicle start moving; winter tires are what shorten stopping distance.
• The 2026 Kia Seltos also offers all-wheel drive as an option, at up to 27 city / 31 highway on LX, S and EX.
• No HTRAC Kona is on the ground in Highland today; the single unit in stock is a front-wheel-drive SEL Sport at $29,325.

Frequently asked questions about the 2027 Hyundai Kona