The Hyundai Kona Has A Very Impressive AWD System With One Big Issue.... 

This AWD system is meant for rain and snow since it's a Dual clutch tans. Not for off-roading.

I dont understand why you guys dont make this your first test for ALL the cars and trucks you test drive🤔

I have yet to see or read a negative review of this car. Sounds like Hyundai really made a class leader here

I'd be willing to bet that both Hyundai and the buying demographic for this vehicle, only ever intended the AWD to be used in mud and snow in suburban and city situations, not severe off roading situations.

Great vid. Most people don't know awd systems can be very different in capabilities.

Hyundai does not make off road vehicles so it makes no sense to take this off road. This is a good vehicle in winter climates on paved roads. Also, do not buy press vehicles. 😂

TL, DW: The AWD system is awesome, but the dual clutch transmission make offroading almost impossible

I have a 19 Kona SE AWD. 2.0 and 6 Speed Auto. There is a Gauge for the AWD Power distribution inside the DIC. When I take off(Street) Power starts at 50/50. As the Speed increases, More power is transferred to the Front. Although I live in NJ, Last winter I was not able to test the Snow traction. But the Rain is Excellent.

2:45 It ain’t “roasting” those clutch plates.. Hyundai engineers knew what people would attempt to do with these cars so they (along with many manufacturers) have tuned the nannies to intervene long before it reaches the point of something breaking or getting damaged. It could probably allow more throttle and RPM but if that were the case you’d have people sitting there with their foot to the floor spinning.

The auto with the NA engine would be better for off road, the 1.6 dct is a better vehicle for driving quick on the road and not worrying about weather.

I'm incredibly amazed. Hyundais got likely the best AWD system, but nothing can beat a Jeep or Subaru. I've driven my Tucson through a pretty deep patch of snow this past winter that was about 6 inches and my car just handled it fine!

You should always get the right tool for the job. This car isn't designed for off road recreation. The issue isn't the Kona, this issue is you.

Meant for people who are going to lease it for 3 years and then get a new one. No way I would buy a car with a dual clutch and expect to commute in stop and go traffic everyday for years and it be trouble free. All this test shows is that dual clutch transmissions should be avoided.

Nice review and I learned something about AWDs. I am a Subaru owner, but a coworker said people in the market for a Crosstrek are getting the Kona which made me curious. I think the Crosstrek is slightly more capable in mild off roading. For all weather street driving the Kona is plenty capable and I wish I would have test drove one before buying my Subaru. Edit for spelling.

Best looking subcompact SUV.

I love my Kona Turbo. I would never drive on this type of terrain. If this is your type of terrain you would want a different vehicle.

I have 2022 Kona AWD & DCT N-Line Trim. It has 3 AWD drive mode settings: Normal, Sport & Smart. When driving in the Smart Mode, I wonder if Kona detects the road conditions (e.g. snow, rain, icy, mud, sand, normal, etc.) and automatically sets the AWD properly. Thank you for comments.

Had my local dealer had one of these in a 2.0L I would have purchased it. But, they didn't even have any AWD Konas and that is why I went with my 2021 Subaru Crosstrek and I really Love the Crosstrek Sport 2.5L. Traded in my 2017 Tucson for it. Glad I Did!!

Just leased one. Will NEVER go off road. I love it!

Pretty sure 90% of the Hyundai/Kia owners out there aren't going to be taking their SUVs off road. 🤷♂

Can you also debunk the old myth "use the brake pedal to mimic lockers action" by testing both AWD (range rover?) and 4WD (wrangler? ) on rollers ?

Guys I can confirm this. I have a kona 1.6t awd. And one day it was snowing really bad and I took a turn and there was ice and slippery snow and the awd kicked in and I was able to correct my oversteer. And this van behind me with fwd spun out.

Kuna was launched on a Hawaiian Mountain .... on a paved road. That’s all you really need to know.

People hate on CVTs all day but dual clutch trannies are very problematic and expensive when they fail as well. Nowadays, best bet is just a regular old torque converter auto. It's one of the reasons why I went with a new Elantra over other options.

Yeah good video. I own Kona 1.6 Turbo AWD and this car works very well here in Finland in all season weather conditions. I have no need to go off road that much.

The overheating clutch was the same reason Fiat 500L got burned right from the start. Although, that was a regular gearbox with automated clutch. People did not know how to drive those cars and prolonged crawling in drive throughs or on a highway in rush hour caused the clutch to overheat. The only way the car could crawl was to slip the clutch which quickly resulted in heat buildup. The gearbox problem quickly become publicised and otherwise good car soon became stigmatized.

The worst "off road" conditions the Kona will ever see are probably a snowy road, and maybe an occasional and fairly maintained dirt road

I bought a 2020 Kona SEL Plus AWD about three months ago and have driven it in heavy rain, gravel roads and mud and while most cars could go through it the Kona goes right through and fells very connected. Can’t wait to drive it in the snow and ice this winter!

The 7 speed dual clutch is the whole reason I’m looking into the 2.0 with the 6speed auto and awd for the wife.

If the transmission overheats in 2 seconds, what's that impressive awesome superb extraordinary AWD junk/ system good for?! :)) These are not made for offroad driving! Just be happy that their AWD makes it a little bit safer driving from your kids school to the shopping center and then, home! :))

How would the 2.0 non turbo with the traditional automatic transmission do?

Great Review. I do take my Kona into the Australian Outback and it handles pretty much anything super well. I am so impressed with the little Kona. It's an amazing package for the coin. We shared your Video "Hyundai Kona Owners" on Facebook also. I noticed on your first Vid doing an off-road test, you stopped the Kona dead before asking it to go over a 5" wedge shaped rock that would act like a wheel chock. Any AWD would struggle to do that. ;-)

Why do you keep ignoring the 2.0/6AT version of the Kona? The 1.6/7DC is for buyers who want a sportier road car, not for the more utilitarian market. While the Kona isn’t an off reader (ground clearance makes that clear), I suspect the 6AT version would do better on Gold Mine Hill.

you guys should try it with the lower trim levels with the 6 speed auto.

My 2021 Hyundai Kona was at Reliable Hyundai in Springfield Missouri for over 1 1/2 years. It only had 6500 miles on it and under full warranty. The dealership experience was horrible. The excuse, week after week, month after month, was that the couldn’t get approval from Hyundai Customer Care. Only after getting an attorney involved, did they finally take the car back. During that time, they didn’t give me a loaner vehicle. I spent over $16,000 for 1 1/2 years of rental car expenses. I was expecting full reimbursement, but they only reimbursed $4000. What a scam! I finally went down the street and bought a Toyota Camry. I learned a lesson. I hope you avoid what I experienced.

Great result in roller test, so far the best of all Hyundai cars.

There is a trim level for the Kona with AWD and the 2.0L 4cyl 6A transmission that should eliminate the Dual Clutch transmission concern (albeit with less HP and Torque than the Turbo version tested). Would be good to see a retest with that setup...

I had alot of trouble crossing the baja with my Kona.

I would go VW Golf Alltrack SEL for the type of driving you attempted with the Kona. The Hyundai Kona is built to handle rain and snow better than a typical FWD only small car...and handle light dirt road driving...that's about it. ;-)

Omg this is perfect for me, I visit my parents often and they're living off-grid on a mildly rough dirt road. To think I was thinking of choosing a new Altima previously.

I'm going to get a Kona 1.6 Turbo AWD for my winter car and keep my GTI for Summer!

With an AWD economy car based vehicle you should never need to power brake it. This was not built for off road smh

I drive a Santa fe sport awd, and I'd never take it off roading. I'm sure no Kona drivers will ever do this 😂

Could you test the model with the normal Auto?

Man I love the muscular shape of the Kona. Please do the same that with a 2nd generation 2012 Ford Escape Limited.

People really need to stop saying a center diff lock(which in this case is really just the clutch pack locking the front and rear axles together) locks you into a 50/50% torque split. That is simply not true. When you lock the front and rear together more torque is produced at whichever side has the most traction. Meaning that 100% of the torque could potentially go to either axle as long as the opposite axle has no traction. That's how automakers can advertise that there hadlex style awd systems can sent more torque to the back even though the back wheels are never going to spin faster than than the front.

"I hate using momentum off-road" said no real offroader ever.

I have the 2018 SE AWD, bought straight off the showroom with 7 miles, and I have nearly 100,000 on it now. I did not have the intent of purchasing an off-road vehicle. If that was the goal, I would have gone with a small Jeep or a used Subaru. I wanted something that could handle a casual beach trip, but also classy enough to take to the theatre. My first experience off-road was on the beach in Southeast Texas where the tide is unpredictable, disrupting the sand on a regular basis. Where it looks stable, it occasionally isn't. I accidentally put the Kona through a compromising scenario and it handled surprisingly well and got itself out of a jam. After many trips after that, it handled better than your usual '98 z71 in the sand, most likely due to its lesser weight. It glided over the deep sand without a problem. My next "jewel in the crown," per say, was my trip to Northwest Arkansas. In order to reach many of the hiking trails, we were forced to take on some steep inclines on unpaved paths. Steepest was nearly 40 degrees. One of the paths was totally unpaved, and much rather an ATV trail for hunters on the mountain. Some of those inclines matched the others. I passed outfitted Jeeps, trucks, and side-by-side's while driving cautiously. They thought I was crazy; some of them complimented the ride's capabilities. That particular day, we were on the trail for nearly 3 hours round trip. I get my oil changed every 7-8k miles and the sealed transmission has handled everything without overheating or showing any signs of compromise. I have never seen the warning light that is featured in this video, although I'm sure it is very possible with the 1.6L. Everything I have done so far has been atop the factory rims, and at the time, on the factory tires. I have since replaced all four tires, getting nearly 55k miles out of the factory. Long story short, if you want a capable vehicle, this is your ride. If you want an off-roading machine, get something made for it. I am inspired, though, to purchase some rims made to take a little heat and some all terrain tires for those Arkansas situations.

2:05 you have the passenger front wheel pinned on a rock with no traction on driver's front or passenger rear. There's no way you were getting over that without turning traction off and gunning it.

Just bought Kona SEL because I needed something with awd to haul dogs, bikes and kayaks. I have been happy with it so far. I am looking at long term ownership so the non-turbo 2.0 and normal 6 speed auto made it an easy choice over most in it's class. I will miss my jeep, but I am moving back into town and it almost doubles my gas mpg.

You need to put the tape on the tires once you are up on the rollers. You also need to choose a different colour of tape, yellow would be fine on black tires. Great test thanks!

Can you do the roller test with the 2019 rav4 hybrid? would love to see how it does.

Dual clutch transmissions are so stupid! Modern automatics like the 9 speed from Mercedes or the 8 speed ZF are almost just as quick and they shift smoother and give far better driveability especially when starting on hills and towing. They're also more reliable. CVT and dual clutch should not exist.

That seems plenty good enough to go up my dirt road when its covered in snow!

Thanks Tommy. Always appreciate your reviews and tests!

Great video and appreciate the real world results. Great looking vehicle and currently shopping for a replacement for my aging SUV. I am not sure if you have already tested it but would love to see the 2.0 N/A AWD trim off road, especially in snowy conditions.

Keep in mind that all reputable analyzers have shown that a 2WD with snow tires handles better in the snow than the same corresponding AWD. You are better off using snow tires.

This video was super interesting. You hear AWD and think it can off road. Cool stuff!

A couple of years ago, Roman took a Mercedes GLA250 to the top of Gold Mine Hill which also has a DCT. I wonder what are the key differences that allowed the GLA to get to the top without getting stuck?

You didn't try a different set of tires. Nice test though. Thanks for sharing. 👍

Great video Tommy, I love these... I'd like to see it on the ramp on diagonal hill start as you used to. Ps. While your tesla is dented can we see it on the ramp on the above test 👍😊please.

Excellent tests. Very well done report.

Kona isn't meant to go off road..though Hyundai won't admit it....it's to get out of snow when parked....and some dirt if you slipped in it.....but yeah, DCT and AWD is a no no...these DCT's are proving to be quite an issue with any type of driving that would heat it up....rather put a tried and true AT and increase power to make up for Drivetrain loss via the tune they nerfed in the first place (1.6t) or an MT in there. Good try with the DCT Hyundai but please try to go after VW's DSG instead of Ford's DCT....

Cool tests! Good result! Fine Urban Assault Vehicle! Emphasis on Urban! My Rant! When you turn off the computer you should be able to thrash your own vehicle as you see fit. None of this corporate America crap, where the wheels just shut down. Corporate America is worried I'm gonna hit a tree an sue...well I want that right back! Where do I sign the waiver? Gold Mine Hill should have been doable! My old two wheeled drive 1973 Datsun 610 would have clobbered that second section...might have bounced a few times .. 😂

Impressive system but smelling the clutches so quickly is scary.

Great presentation on Hyundai KONA awd slip test very helpful thank you. Alan

But you do have a locking rear differential...every 2019 Hyundai with AWD has a locking rear differential .

It will do the repetitive "rev then grab" thing if you don't floor it. If you floor it, it won't disengage the clutch or rev really high. It just goes. It works much better.

I bought a brand new SEL Tech package Kona 2019 it did not have the Dual clutch in it which I'm glad the blind spot system in it went out at 200 miles Hyundai worked and worked on it there was no fix for it Hyundai bought back my 2019 Kona which I have problems with blind-spot so I bought a brand new 2019 Tucson night Edition

Most people buy this vehicle for on-road traction and stability. It excels in this area. I Love mine. If your plan is to do serious off-roading, buy a Jeep.

That’s a pretty vehicle which almost no one will take off roading, but if they did they should use the appropriate tires.

As much as I’m not a fan of Hyundais. I have to say there H trac is very good awd system, magna powertrain helped them make it.

So basically Hyundai is locking the diff. at start. It is the only way you would be able to move instantly when you had two rollers on the front. And I Applaud them for doing this. I don't know why Subaru and other automakers don't do this with awd vehicles. Lock up at ever stopped location and as you hit 5 mph, disengage it. This also proves that if you are going off road a DCT and a Manual transmission are not ideal. Also proves that the DCT is worse off road than the CVT as a CVT still has a torque converter. Engineering Explains talks about the benefits of a torque converter off road if you are reading this and wondering why that is. I don't have the video off hand though.

Tyres are also important. Those tyres are for normal roads not for going off road.

The AWD is no OFF ROADS for rain/snow/slippery. 4X4 is for ALL OFF ROADS/SNOW/RAINS/MUDDY.....with experience drivers!!

Does the car need to be stopped before pushing the awd lock button? I have a 2022 Kona SEL with AWD. I live on a short steep private road that turns into a muddy mess (think mud bog) when it rains. Wondering if I should leave it in automatic mode or use the lock button?

Why would you ever get a dual clutch instead of a normal Auto? It doesn't seem like it has any advantages whatsoever

What about the 2.0 liter AWD? Since that one has a standard transmission?

Ok, I have driven/owned real trucks with 4x4, 4x2 as well as SUV's [jeep Cherokee/Grand Cherokee's] IF you are buying this Kona AWD [like I did last week in N Line trim] you should NOT be purposely off-roading! I got the AWD to assist with our irregular northern IL winters, constant freeze/thaw/slush/rain and other unpredictable road conditions. If you do purposely take this off roading on a trail you fit into one of two [2] camps: Idiots OR folks who need to double their med's..I guess a third would be a mixture of both previously mentioned. This is a passenger car = compact crossover! It has minimal clearances and a DCT.

Same Issue with Ford Escape 2.0 Turbo 4W?, greetings from Colombia.

You need to do TWO "three roller ramp test" : first test with a rear wheel on the ground and do a second test with a front wheel on the ground. That way you will most probably show the apportioning of torque front-to-back axles.

Took a Kona on a test drive and when I got back the smell of burnt clutch was in the air. I was not beating on the car at all. Off the shopping list it came because if it was going to do that on a test drive imagine what it would do during ownership. Reminds me of the 1993 RX7 I test drove years ago. It was a spirited test drive and when I returned to the dealer it was belching coolant.

People who are off-roading don't drive Hyundai Kona. 99.9 percent of drivers will drive be city and Suburban AWD is only necessary for places that get a lot of snow.

The Kona handles Alaskan Winter just fine I don't need it to go on offroad trails offroad rated cars struggle on.

Im guessing it did so well because it starts off powering all 4 wheels all the time. Not front wheels only. My 2016 explorer is like that.

My 2021 Hyundai Kona has been at Reliable Hyundai (Springfield MO) for 10 months now! 8,000 miles and it has had 2 failed transmissions and they are putting in the third one! This has been a nightmare. Dealership is a joke. Hyundai corporate is a joke. Go see for your self. It’s next to the service car wash. It’s the dark grey color. They have lied and lied about the repair or lack there of. I regret getting a Hyundai.

The Kona will likely be the next SUV for the wife...no plans to ever go off road so not an issue.

Can you do manual or paddle shifting on the hill climb? Besides shifting at 4,500 rpms for safety, it should hold first or second solid for steady pressure. They do not make it very simple to recalibrate the clutches after wear on these new dct's. Once it senses excess slip, it goes into limp, cutting throttle and holding 3rd or 4th.

Thank you. That was the type of review I have been looking for on Hyundai's AWD.

If torque transfer is slow with a dual clutch, how will this save me driving on a mountain road at 80 kmph ?

Great video but what was the "big issue"? It seemed like it did quite well.

Who was stupid to think this was meant for off-roading. It’s a city car (to work and back) and deal with ice, rain, or snow in city as well. Wasn’t meant for pure off-roadingz. Might as well treat the Honda CR-V like a wrangler

Kona reminds me of a simple 90s design...good job Audi designer

The dual clutch putting power to the wheels in off road simulated conditions is similar to the Subaru Outback with its CVT. With traction on, the wheels barely slip at all, especially on Subaru’s CVT. At least the Kona spun its wheels and squealed off the rollers.

The first Nissan X-Trail supposedly partly engaged 4wd from stop regardles of 2WD or 4WD was selected. Then disengaged rear wheels with some speed. It may be the same for this as it did so well with fronts on the rollers.

So do you recommend AWD or FWD? I live in Michigan but really my FWD vehicle has served me well. The AWD costs $1,000 more and decreases mpg by 2.

I would like to see the off-road test with just the 2.0 litre and the 6 speed auto with AWD. I am sure the first 2 stages will be relatively simple. The 3rd stage, well, it is just a Kona. Dual clutch is awesome on the road, but not off-road or towing. Maybe with a 2020 model? A Preferred? Try not to get the fully loaded model and NO dual clutch. There are two transmissions and I think that needs to be clarified to those that are not very aware of this model.

Your are in a small suv, off road , you’re not in a Jeep. You also stated the Kona had lots of room, wrong again back seats are a little tight for adults, apart from that it’s a good vehicle with the 1.6 Turbo.

I see the "transmission temperature high" warning quite often in the Kona. I ignore it because of the 100K warranty.

Mercedes Benz GLA 250 AWD is a dual clutch as well, but as far as I know that dual clutch transmission has a torque converter. If that is the case, why wouldn't have Hyundai done that for their DCTs?