I dislike the extent to which Hyundai customizes feature sets for different countries. I constantly miss the forward proximity warning my old Volt had. How annoying that it is standard in some places outside the U.S. Yes, for some features (e.g. heat pumps), regionalization makes sense. But are parking spots that much smaller in Canada?
Well, I'm originally from Germany and I remember how often I had to squeeze myself in-between cars to get into our out of my car. Here in the US I never have that problem, so yes! Parking spaces are different in different countries.
You can turn off the leading car departure warning in the settings menu from the steering wheel. At least you can on my Canadian Ultimate.
I would assume regional managers are given a menu and a budget and invited to select whatever options they think will appeal in their markets. You do have to wonder about some of the choices, though. Why roof rails in Canada but not (as of 2019 anyhow) the US? Are we more outdoorsy?
I guess I could by some wild stretch of the imagination rationalize saving the cost of the roof rails to meet some tax incentive threshold in some markets, but what I don’t understand is why the U.S. Kona Electrics don’t even have the mounting bolts so you could add them later. Somewhere on the production line someone has to make a decision to not install the mounts on vehicles destined for the U.S. market. That I can’t rationalize. It would seem more reasonable to provide the mounts, but have the dealer/distributor make the mounting decision for their market.
While shopping, I thought the color choices were terrible, and still do. (Black or dark gray lovers will disagree.) I prefer a light metallic color, but will settle for a white or light silver, both for visibility and not to show dirt as much. The Kona white is flat and dull. (The Niro's white glows.) The silver is too dark. That leaves a bright red, and a darkish blue that can't quite decide if it wants to be teal. I went with the blue.
Kind of funny how that is the only color made available on Essential model, you would think black would be the probable choice. At least if one is encountered on the road, we will know what the trim level is.
A teeny tiny "irk" is that heated seats aren't balanced well between butt and back. Back on mine is much hotter than Butt. I do like how quickly they warm up so I will happily live with this little "irk"
On the 10.25" display, the touch screen is too sensitive to slight movement. If I jab at the screen, I need to be really careful not to slide my finger, or it will not register. This is not easy in a moving vehicle when the driver's attention needs to be on the road.
I know posting a "like" in a "dislike thread" (irk included) may seem adverse but with chronic back issues over many years, I find it quite relieving (much like a heat pad). The ventilation in the warmer months provide an equally satisfying pleasure. The comfortable seats and adjustable lumbar support is also a great benefit.