Hyundai has revealed a special edition Iron Man variant of its Kona crossover. As the name suggests, the variant is inspired by the Marvel Comics superhero.
Upgrades for the comic-book-inspired Kona Iron Man includes a matte-grey paint job with a contrasting red roof painted with a dual-tone full-width Iron Man badge – as well as red bumper and door-sill inserts, and a red-detailed plastic vent on the bonnet. Hyundai also claims that the car's daytime running lights have also been tweaked so as to mimic the glowing eyes of Iron Man’s metal mask.
'Stark Industries'-themed graphics and badging will feature around the Korean crossover, while its 18-inch alloy wheels are finished in two-tone grey and red paint.
Inside, the Iron Man Edition Kona is based on the limited-spec from the US market, albeit with additional red accents, new instrument graphics and a custom designed head-up display. The signature of Tony Stark (Iron Man’s 'real' identity behind the mask) has also been added to the dashboard, while its seat fabric and gear knob feature a custom design.
Production for the limited-run Hyundai Kona Iron Man Edition goes on sale in the US and other markets towards the end of the year, with production beginning in December.
No pricing or specification details have been announced yet either – but as a limited production model of the Seat Arona rival, it is likely to command a small premium over the standard Kona.
The limited edition crossover will be available with a choice between 1.0-litre and 1.6-litre turbo-petrol engines, and two- or four-wheel drive, with an all-electric model on the way. Unfortunately, a drivetrain based on the palladium-derived Arc Reactor used to power Iron Man's suit is unlikely to be offered at this stage.
In the Indian market, Hyundai is gearing up to bring the all-electric version of the Kona to the country by mid-2019. Revealed at the 2018 Geneva motor show, the Kona EV is the second electric model in the Korean brand’s international line-up. The version that will come to India is expected to be the one with a 39.2kWh battery pack that makes 134hp and 395Nm of torque, and has a claimed range of 300km on a single charge. Hyundai is planning to locally assemble the model to keep prices competitive.
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