Hyundai Australia has added blacked-out BLK Edition versions of its two most popular SUVs, the Kona and Tucson. Both are hybrid-only, front-wheel drive and based on the Elite grade, and the Tucson BLK Edition is limited to 750 units.

The Kona BLK Edition is priced from $42,600 and the Tucson BLK Edition from $51,000. Both are Manufacturer's List Prices, before on-road costs.

Price and availability

Hyundai says the Kona BLK Edition arrives in showrooms from October, with the Tucson BLK Edition following in November. Here's the pricing, before on-road costs:

• Kona BLK Edition Hybrid 2WD: $42,600, plus $595 for premium paint
• Tucson BLK Edition Hybrid 2WD: $51,000, plus $750 for premium paint

Hyundai hasn't capped Kona BLK Edition numbers. Only the Tucson is limited, to 750 cars. Both BLK Editions come with a limited choice of exterior colours, picked to set off the black trim.

What the Kona BLK Edition adds

The Kona BLK Edition builds on the Kona Elite Hybrid, which is listed at $39,950 before on-roads. That makes the BLK Edition a $2,650 step up. Over the Elite Hybrid, it adds:

• 18-inch black alloy wheels
• Bose premium audio
• Navigation
• Digital instrument cluster
• Black window beltline, window surrounds and pillars
• Shadow Grey front bumper garnish
• Silver front and rear skid plates
• Black Kona badging

The rest of the Elite equipment carries over, including leather-appointed trim, heated and power-adjustable front seats, a 12.3-inch multimedia screen with DAB+, a wireless phone charger, remote start and Hyundai's SmartSense safety suite with seven airbags.

The Kona Hybrid pairs a naturally aspirated 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with an electric motor for combined outputs of 104kW and 265Nm, driving the front wheels through a six-speed dual-clutch automatic. Its claimed fuel use is 3.9L/100km.

What the Tucson BLK Edition adds

The Tucson BLK Edition is based on the Tucson Elite Hybrid 2WD, which is listed at $48,100 before on-roads, so the BLK Edition costs $2,900 more. Over the Elite Hybrid, it adds:

• 19-inch black alloy wheels
• Bose premium audio
• Black window beltline
• Black front and rear bumper garnish
• Black Tucson badging

Standard equipment includes leather-appointed seats, a 12-inch digital instrument cluster and a 12.3-inch multimedia screen, Digital Key 2, a power tailgate, heated front seats and a long list of SmartSense driver-assist features, including Highway Driving Assist.

The Tucson Hybrid uses a 1.6-litre turbo-petrol hybrid making 172kW and 367Nm, through a six-speed automatic. Its claimed fuel use is 4.9L/100km.

How the BLK Editions compare with their rivals

The Kona BLK Edition's closest hybrid rival is Toyota's Corolla Cross. All prices are before on-road costs, for front-wheel-drive hybrids:

• Hyundai Kona BLK Edition: $42,600, 104kW/265Nm, 3.9L/100km
• Toyota Corolla Cross GXL 2WD: $41,190, 146kW system output, 4.2L/100km
• Toyota Corolla Cross Atmos 2WD: $47,990, 146kW system output, 4.2L/100km

The Kona BLK Edition costs $1,410 more than a Corolla Cross GXL and $5,390 less than an Atmos. The Toyota makes more system power, but the Kona is more economical on paper.

The Tucson BLK Edition goes up against the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid and its Kia Sportage Hybrid cousin:

• Hyundai Tucson BLK Edition: $51,000, 172kW/367Nm, 4.9L/100km
• Toyota RAV4 GXL Hybrid 2WD: $48,990, 143kW system output, 4.5L/100km
• Kia Sportage SX Hybrid FWD: $46,450, 1.6-litre turbo-petrol hybrid, 4.9L/100km
• Kia Sportage GT-Line Hybrid FWD: $57,370, 1.6-litre turbo-petrol hybrid, 4.9L/100km

The Tucson BLK Edition makes more power than the RAV4 Hybrid and sits $2,010 above a RAV4 GXL 2WD. It lands between the Sportage SX and GT-Line Hybrids on price.

Rival prices are manufacturer list prices and fuel figures are claimed combined figures. They don't include current dealer offers.

Warranty and servicing

Both BLK Editions are covered by Hyundai's warranty. It's five years as standard and extends to seven years with unlimited kilometres when all servicing is done at Hyundai. The hybrid battery is warranted for eight years or 160,000km.

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