The B-segment SUV market in Malaysia is heating up quite a bit. Hot on the heels of the Proton X50 is the Hyundai Kona, which is currently available for public preview at Sunway Pyramid. We went there to check out the SUV for ourselves, and we got some interesting details.

For one, we got the Malaysian price range for the Kona. At the public preview, we were told that the B-segment SUV – CBU from South Korea – will retail from RM115k to RM140k locally. Three variants will be offered: 2.0 Standard, 2.0 Mid, and the range-topping 1.6 T-GDI High.

The Standard and Mid variants of the Kona are powered by a 2.0L naturally aspirated Nu MPI engine that outputs 149PS and 179Nm of torque, which is paired with a six-speed automatic gearbox. The highest-end T-GDI High trim, on the other hand, is equipped with a more powerful 1.6L direct-injected turbocharged engine that puts out 177PS and 265Nm of torque.

Unlike the first two models, the T-GDI High Kona features a more responsive seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. Together with the 1.6L turbo engine, this model can sprint from 0 to 100 km/h in only 7.7 seconds. In fact, this makes the Kona even faster than the Flagship Proton X50, which takes 7.9 seconds to get to the same speed.

Speed isn’t the only thing that’s impressive about the range-topping Kona. Safety wise, the T-GDI model is packed with Hyundai’s SmartSense suite of active safety features. These include automatic emergency braking (AEB), lane keeping assist (LKA), adaptive cruise control, and even high beam assist. Naturally, the Standard and Mid models are not equipped with SmartSense.

Aside from that, the Standard Kona gets 17-inch wheels, six airbags, manual air-conditioning, and halogen lights. As for the Mid and High models, they come with 18-inch wheels, LED lights, automatic climate control, driver power seat, and a head-up display.

Standard equipment across all variants of the Kona include a seven-inch touchscreen head unit, six speakers, and support for both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

As for when the Malaysian launch of the Hyundai Kona is happening, we were told it’s likely to take place towards the end of next month in October. If you’d like to see the B-segment SUV for yourself, you can do so until this weekend (27 September) at Sunway Pyramid. You can also place a booking for the Kona right here.