Hyundai Kona is a five-door subcompact crossover SUV (B-segment). Several cars of this category have decent towing capacities, but does this one reach the market benchmarks? Can it tow heavy-duty trailers without damaging its engine? Let’s find out.
The Hyundai Kona is known to have a towing capacity of 5000 pounds. However, these are unofficial numbers defined by market researchers. Hyundai does not recommend this car for towing purposes. Therefore, we suggest that you do not test this towing limit as it may terminate the warranty of this car.
In this article, we’ll find out what you can tow with a 5,000 pounds towing capacity SUV. We’ll match it against the weight of several types of small, medium, and large-sized trailers and find if it’s enough to tow them or not. Lastly, we’ll take a look at its competition and analyze its performance.
Maximum Towing Capacity By Year
Hyundai Kona is a newly introduced SUV from Hyundai that has been around for just a few years. The following table mentions the towing capacities of this car since its inception. We can note that there hasn’t been any improvement in the towing capacity of this car, and this will continue to be the case in the future. This is because Hyundai has not shown any intention to change its recommendations regarding the towing capabilities of this car.
| Year | Engine | Towing Capacity(lbs) | Car type | Note |
| 2021 | All | 5,000 | SUV | This vehicle is not recommended for towing. |
| 2020 | All | 5,000 | SUV | This vehicle is not recommended for towing. |
| 2019 | All | 5,000 | SUV | This vehicle is not recommended for towing. |
| 2018 | All | 5,000 | SUV | This vehicle is not recommended for towing. |
Also read: 6 Common Problems Of A Hyundai Kona
Can It Tow a Trailer, Boat, or Jet Ski?
There is a wide variety of trailers used for different purposes and have different weights and sizes. We have done extensive research to identify the weighing limits of different types of trailers. We have then matched these weight limits against the towing capacity Hyundai Kona.
The Hyundai Kona can tow small and medium-sized LOADED trailers with a maximum weight limit of 5000 pounds. These include Canoe/Kayak, Jet Ski, Teardrop, and Small Open Utility, A-frame, and Motorcycle Trailers. It can also tow heavy-duty trailers when they are not loaded to their maximum payload capacities.
Despite this towing capability, we recommend that you do not use this vehicle for daily towing purposes. The manufacturer will not be responsible in the case of accidental damage to your car.
Also read: The Expected Mileage Of A Hyundai Kona
| Trailer Type | Average Empty Weight (lbs.) | Average Total Loaded Weight (lbs.) | Can A Hyundai Kona Tow It?[SK1] |
| Canoe / Kayak Trailer | 200 | 400 | Yes, it can tow both empty and filled trailers. |
| Jet Ski Trailer | 300 | 1,800 | Yes, it can tow both empty and filled trailers. |
| Motorcycle Trailer | 500 | 2,400 | Yes, it can tow both empty and filled trailers. |
| Teardrop Trailer | 1,700 | 2,400 | Yes, it can tow both empty and filled trailers. |
| Small Open Utility Trailer | 700 | 2,500 | Yes, it can tow both empty and filled trailers. |
| A-Frame Camper | 1,700 | 2,900 | Yes, it can tow both empty and filled trailers. |
| Small Enclosed Utility Trailer | 1,000 | 3,200 | Yes, it can tow both empty and filled trailers. |
| Fishing Boat Trailer | 600 | 3,300 | Yes, it can tow both empty and filled trailers. |
| Pop Up Camper | 2,300 | 3,400 | Yes, it can tow both empty and filled trailers. |
| Small Travel Trailer | 2,800 | 3,600 | Yes, it can tow both empty and filled trailers. |
| Tow Dolly | 600 | 4,000 | Yes, it can tow both empty and filled trailers. |
| Large Enclosed Utility Trailer | 2,700 | 7,100 | It can only tow an empty trailer of this category. |
| Small Horse Trailer | 2,900 | 7,200 | It can only tow an empty trailer of this category. |
| Large Travel Trailer | 6,700 | 8,300 | No. |
| Car Trailer | 1,900 | 9,000 | It can only tow an empty trailer of this category. |
| Large Flatbed Trailer | 3,000 | 10,400 | It can only tow an empty trailer of this category. |
| Large Boat Trailer | 2,200 | 13,600 | It can only tow an empty trailer of this category. |
| Dump Trailer | 4,500 | 16,900 | It can only tow an empty trailer of this category. |
| Toy Hauler | 7,600 | 17,900 | No. |
| Large Livestock Trailer | 7,300 | 18,700 | No. |
| 5th Wheel Camper | 12,700 | 18,700 | No. |
| Gooseneck Flatbed Trailer | 7,200 | 23,200 | No. |
- Kayak: All Hyundai Kona models will be able to tow a kayak trailer. On average, an empty kayak trailer will weigh 200 pounds. A loaded kayak trailer will weigh an average of 400 pounds with a maximum of 800 pounds which is well within the range of the Hyundai Kona.
- Jet Ski Trailer: All Hyundai Kona models will be able to tow a jet ski trailer. On average, an empty jet ski trailer will weigh 300 pounds. A loaded jet ski trailer will weigh an average of 1,800 pounds with a maximum of 3,000 pounds which is within the range of the Hyundai Kona.
- Motorcycle Trailer: All Hyundai Kona models will be able to tow a motorcycle trailer. On average, an empty motorcycle trailer will weigh 500 pounds. A loaded motorcycle trailer will weigh an average of 2,400 pounds with a maximum of 3,500 which is within the range of the Hyundai Kona.
- Teardrop Trailer: All Hyundai Kona models will be able to tow a teardrop trailer. On average, an empty teardrop trailer will weigh 1,700 pounds. A loaded teardrop trailer will weigh an average of 2,400 pounds which is within the range of the Hyundai Kona. Some teardrop trailers will weigh a maximum of 6,000 pounds, outside of the limits of the Hyundai Kona.
- Small Open Utility Trailer: All Hyundai Kona models will be able to tow a small open utility trailer. On average, an empty small open utility trailer will weigh 700 pounds. A loaded small open utility trailer will weigh an average of 2,500 pounds with a maximum of 3,000 pounds which is within the range of the Hyundai Kona.
- A-Frame Camper: All Hyundai Kona models will be able to tow an a-frame camper. On average, an empty a-frame camper weighs 1,700 pounds. A loaded a-frame camper will weigh an average of 2,900 pounds with a maximum of 3,600 pounds which is within the range of the Hyundai Kona.
- Small Enclosed Utility Trailer: All Hyundai Kona models will be able to tow an empty small enclosed utility trailer. On average, an empty small enclosed utility trailer weighs 1,000 pounds. A loaded small enclosed utility trailer will weigh an average of 3,200 pounds with a maximum of 7,000 pounds, outside of the range of the Hyundai Kona.
- Fishing Boat Trailer: All Hyundai Kona models will be able to tow an empty fishing boat trailer. On average, an empty fishing boat trailer weighs 600 pounds. A loaded fishing boat trailer will weigh an average of 3,300 pounds with a maximum of 6,000 pounds, outside of the range of the Hyundai Kona.
Also read: Types Of Gas A Hyundai Kona Takes (All Generations)
- Pop-Up Camper: All Hyundai Kona models will be able to tow a pop-up camper. On average, an empty pop-up camper weighs 2,300 pounds. A loaded pop-up camper will weigh an average of 3,400 pounds with a maximum of 4,000 pounds which is within the range of the Hyundai Kona.
- Small Travel Trailer: All Hyundai Kona models will be able to tow a small travel trailer. On average, an empty small travel trailer weighs 2,800 pounds. A loaded small travel trailer will weigh an average of 3,600 pounds with a maximum of 4,500 pounds which is within the range of the Hyundai Kona.
- Tow Dolly: All Hyundai Kona models will be able to tow a tow dolly. On average, an empty tow dolly weighs 600 pounds. A loaded tow dolly will weigh an average of 4,000 pounds with a maximum of 5,000 pounds which is within the range of the Hyundai Kona.
- Large Enclosed Utility Trailer: All Hyundai Kona models will be able to tow an empty large enclosed utility trailer. On average, an empty large enclosed utility trailer weighs 2,700 pounds. A loaded large enclosed utility trailer weighs an average of 7,100 pounds with a maximum of 10,000 pounds, outside of the range of the Hyundai Kona.
- Small Horse Trailer: All Hyundai Kona models will be able to tow an empty small horse trailer. On average, an empty small horse trailer weighs 2,900 pounds. A loaded small horse trailer weighs an average of 7,200 pounds with a maximum of 8,000 pounds, outside of the range of the Hyundai Kona.
- Car Trailer: All Hyundai Kona models will be able to tow an empty car trailer. On average, an empty car trailer weighs 1,900 pounds. A loaded car trailer weighs an average of 9,000 pounds with a maximum of 15,000 pounds, outside of the range of the Hyundai Kona.
- Large Flatbed Trailer: All Hyundai Kona models will be able to tow an empty large flatbed trailer. On average, an empty large flatbed trailer weighs 3,000 pounds. A loaded large flatbed trailer weighs an average of 10,400 pounds with a maximum of 26,000 pounds, outside of the range of the Hyundai Kona.
- Large Boat Trailer: All Hyundai Kona models will be able to tow an empty large boat trailer. On average, an empty large boat trailer weighs 2,200 pounds. A loaded large boat trailer weighs an average of 13,600 pounds with a maximum of 34,000 pounds, outside of the range of the Hyundai Kona.
How Well Can It Tow Compared to its Competitors?
The following table mentions the towing capacity of several cars competing in the same category as the Hyundai Kona. We can note that this car has the highest towing capacity of 5,000 pounds as no other car in this particular competition has a greater towing capacity.
| Year / Make / Model | Min. Towing Capacity (lbs.) | Max. Towing Capacity (lbs.) |
| 2020 Kia Niro | <2,866 | 2,866 |
| 2021 Nissan Leaf Electric | <2,000 | 2,000 |
| 2020 Chevrolet Bolt EV | <3,500 | 3,500 |
| 2021 Hyundai Ioniq | <3,500 | 3,500 |
| 2020 Tesla Model 3 | <2,000 | 2,000 |
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