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Is the Hyundai Kona Being Discontinued?

hyundai kona

These days, it is harder than ever to find an affordable automobile. Like virtually everything else, the price keeps going up while most paychecks stay the same. This effectively makes some of the more basic automobiles out of reach for a lot of people. Those who can afford them often find themselves in a situation where they are afraid that they won't be able to continue to make the payments if something should happen to their income, largely because things are a lot tighter than they used to be from a financial perspective, at least for most people. When an SUV that costs less than $20,000 comes along, it only stands to reason that it's going to get the attention of anybody who is genuinely in the market for a car like this, yet worried that they won't be able to afford it. That's precisely why the Hyundai Kona has become so popular in recent years. Unfortunately, there's been a lot of rumors lately that the car is actually being discontinued. If you're wondering whether or not those rumors are true, you’ve come to the right place.

Popularity at a Fair Price

The thing that truly sets this car apart from practically everything else out there is that it's reasonably priced. At a time when a lot of compact sedans are selling for at least $5,000 more than this SUV is selling for, the economical selling price definitely makes it a plus. However, it also brings into question whether or not the quality of this particular vehicle can truly be trusted. That is one reason that the rumors about it potentially being discontinued got started in the first place. People seem to be worried about whether or not something that can be purchased for such an economical price could genuinely be of any quality and that brought into question its overall safety. As it turns out, it seems like there is some bit of truth to the concerns that some individuals have had about potential safety issues related to this car. Furthermore, there is also some truth to the idea that the car itself isn't going to continue to be produced in some areas, although there doesn't seem to be a situation where it will be discontinued across the board. If you're concerned about the issues, don't worry because it will all be broken down for you right here.

Problems With Safety

The rumors about the car being discontinued started because it is indeed being discontinued in Korea as a direct result of a series of battery fires that have resulted in massive recalls. As a matter of fact, the automaker, which only started manufacturing this particular vehicle in 2018, has endured so many recalls for battery fires that they feel it would be more economical to discontinue production in Korea than it would be to try and fix the problem and continue on. It's worth noting that they had just taken the time to completely overhaul the design of the vehicle for the upcoming 2022 model year. While Hyundai says that they will be discontinuing the car in Korea, they also say that they are equally committed to making sure that its production in the United States continues and that any potential issues with safety are dealt with accordingly. On the one hand, that has some people who are seriously interested in purchasing this affordable SUV happy that they're not planning to discontinue it in its entirety. On the other hand, it brings to light questions about potential safety issues and whether or not the car is truly safe. After all, a lot of people would probably not be comfortable driving a vehicle that could potentially catch on fire. It remains to be seen how this will eventually affect sales of the vehicle in the United States.

Clearing Up the Confusion

If you're like most people, you're probably thoroughly confused at this point. Why would the automaker decide to discontinue production in one country because they don't feel that the car is safe enough to continue with, yet keep producing it for both the US and European markets, even while knowing that there is a potential problem with the battery? It's also worth noting that the Kona is an all-electric vehicle. It's not like you're talking about your typical car battery that an internal combustion vehicle uses. As it turns out, a lot of it has to do with the fact that the car was completely refurbished for the 2022 model year. Upon closer inspection, it becomes apparent that the car was only refurbished for those vehicles being sold either in the European market or in the United States. It is believed that the battery issue was successfully dealt with in that particular overhaul, hence the reason that Hyundai continues to produce the vehicles for these particular markets.

If that is indeed the case, then there is every chance that Hyundai is producing a safe SUV that is accessible to people who simply don't have the money to pay $35,000 for a comparable vehicle. In all likelihood, the sales in Korea are simply not good enough for the company to overhaul the vehicle and then continue to market it there while simultaneously dealing with the recalled previous models. Things are a little bit different for those vehicles being sold in Europe and in the US. As a result, the Kona has a chance to live another day and anyone who is interested has an opportunity to get their hands on a nice-looking, relatively well made SUV that doesn't cost them a fortune in the process. For anyone who needs an SUV because of a large family or a need to transport a large amount of material goods at any one given time, this is definitely good news. The Kona is one of the very few SUVs on the market available for sale for less than $20,000. It would have been a real shame if the vehicle would have been discontinued across all markets considering the fact that it's one of the few affordable vehicles of its type.

Benjamin Smith

Written by Benjamin Smith

Benjamin Smith is one of the managing editors of Moneyinc. Ben's been focusing on the auto and motorcycle sector since 2005. He's written over 1000 articles in the space and continues to learn about it each day. His favorite car is "any Bugatti" and he's a die hard Harley Davidson fan.

Read more posts by Benjamin Smith

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