In this week’s Ask Nathan:
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- What’s up with the Hyundai Kona?
- Will Acura make a new Integra/RSX?
- A diesel for the Hyundai Santa Cruz & a 5th-wheel for a midsize truck?
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This first question comes from a fan who wants to know about the upcoming Hyundai Kona subcompact crossover.
Q:Hi Nathan, I saw your Ask Nathan post from last week. You didn’t say much about the Hyundai Kona!
What is this car? Can you give me some general details on it?
I loved your coverage of the Hyundai Ioniq, but I especially like it when you and Roman do videos together.
Anyway, thanks for all of your hard work!
Makeda
A: Hi Makeda!
Information on the new Hyundai Kona is just beginning to hit the net. The 2018 Hyundai Kona will compete in the rapidly growing sub-compact crossover segment. It will compete with the Jeep Renegade, Ford EcoSport, Fiat 500X, Chevrolet Trax and Nissan Juke (among others). I expect to see a base price well under $20,000.
According to Hyundai, the base model 2018 Hyundai Kona will have a 147 horsepower 2-liter, 4-cylinder engine that makes 132 las-feet of torque – connected to a 6-speed automatic transmission. The one to look for is the turbocharged GDI that makes 175 hp and 195 lb-ft of torque. That engine comes with a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission. Sadly, there’s no mention of a manual transmission for our market.
The Europeans will get a tiny 1-liter turbo or a 1.6-liter turbo-diesel along with an optional manual transmission.
Hyundai will build an electric version that may come to the United States. It has a (rumored) range of over 240 miles.
The 2018 Hyundai Kona goes on sale later this month in Korea with international sale beginning soon after.
We WILL be driving one of these soon.
Stay tuned!
N
This next question comes from a longtime fan who wants to know if there will be a return of the Acura Integra/RSX or Nissan Sentra SER.
Q:I’m always asking questions in relation to fast fours.
Will Acura ever replace the Integra or RSX with a car that can compete in the U.S. market? Will Nissan bringing back the Sentra SER Spec V back? The Sentra Nismo misses the mark by a mile.
Mast question is if you said the (Chevrolet) Cobalt SS may be a future classic, witch I agree with. What about the (Dodge) Neon SRT4 as it set more records then the Cobalt SS in SCCA, rally and it also broke all of Chryslers records. At the time, it was only the second car in the line up to hit 155 mph. Sorry for the long questioning thanx TFL!
Brandon
A: Hi Brandon, thanks for writing in again!
Sadly, there are no positive answers to your questions.
Acura is looking to compete with higher-end brands and its entry level car, the Acura ILX, is as close as they will get to an Integra for the foreseeable future. Remember: Honda is now selling the Civic SI and Type-R in the United States, selling a more expensive “Acura” version makes little sense.
Nissan isn’t moving as many Nismo Sentras as they would like. Having them invest on an SER-version of the Sentra is doubtful. People are simply not buying that many performance 4-cylinder cars like they did in the past.
As for collectability of the Dodge Neon SRT4: if (and that’s a big “IF”) there is one that’s not abused or modified, I suspect it will increase in value in the future. They are extremely quick, but I have yet to see one that hasn’t lived a hard life. It may take another decade before they truly appreciate in value.
Thanks again for the questions!
N
The last question comes from a viewer who wants to know about the Hyundai Santa Cruz diesel and if there is a way to get a 5th-wheel setup for a midsize pickup truck.
Q: Hello Truck Aficionados, I just read that the Santa Cruz may be looking at using a 2.0L turbo diesel.!
That would be way cool! Also, I was reading Nathan’s prediction that this truck would have a towing capacity of aprox. 3000 lbs. However, the Santa Fe has a towing capacity of 5000lbs. Why would Hyundai build a truck with a lower towing capacity than its SUV?
Also, I have seen horse trailers with 5000 lbs ratings (even fifth wheel trailers). Does anyone build a fifth wheel accessory for the Chevy Colorado and does this fit in a short bed?
Very Respectfully,
Jeremy
A: Hi Jeremy!
Great questions. My (towing) guesstimation was based on the possibility that the Hyundai Santa Cruz would be based on the smaller platform of the Tucson. It is, by no means, based on any information I received over the past few years. Not only that, there has been very little activity by Hyundai on the Santa Cruz. I fear it may never happen at this rate.
According to Andre, our towing-guru, he doesn’t know of any 5th-wheel mid-sized setup that’s available in our market; however, there is overseas. Click (here) to read the Fast Lane Truck’s story on an overseas Ford Ranger towing with a 5th-wheel setup.
I can’t think of too many practical applications for midsize trucks in the United States, except for – possibly towing dirt-bikes or side-by-side vehicles. You would still lose bed space and visibility might become an issue. Still, if you come across a company that helps you with your Colorado – drop us a line!
N
Speaking of off-roading…
Nathan and The Fast Lane Car team are here to answer your (reasonable) questions. Interesting and/or entertaining emails will be posted to this column. If it’s relevant in the automotive universe, there’s a chance we may know something about it. The author’s email address and name will be omitted – leaving your initials or nickname, your preference.
From day one, The Fast Lane Car has made it our policy to answer as many questions and comments as we can. We get thousands of emails and comments and feel that, as part of a tight-knit automotive community, having an open dialogue with you keeps things fresh and exciting.
Got a question for Nathan? Drop him a line at: asknathan@tflcar.com.
