Brace For The Weirdness Of Hyundai's Kona 'Iron Man Edition'

Hyundai has unmasked a superhero-inspired special edition Kona mini-SUV, and it’s all a bit odd.

The Kona Iron Man Edition’s identity has gone public on the first day of the 2018 San Diego Comic-Con. Featuring graphics directly inspired by the Iron Man suit, it’s set to be offered worldwide on a ‘limited production run’ starting in December and reaching customers in the first few months of 2019.

Although the timing seems a bit random, arriving months after Avengers: Infinity War opened, the quirky comic-based-movie-inspired crossover should hit the streets just as the hype for ‘Avengers 4’ starts to ramp up.

Up front the special Kona gets a daytime running light signature altered to look a tiny bit more like Iron Man’s illuminated eyes. There’s an Iron Man graphic on the red roof, while the hero’s trademark deep red shade extends down the A-pillars to the door mirrors, lower side trim and details all around the matt grey bodywork.

On the inside Tony Stark’s signature sits on the instrument panel, the head-up display has new software and there’s a liberal explosion of Iron Man motifs and colours. The seat trim is bespoke to this car, too.

Hyundai has a product-placement deal with Marvel, but the company insists it’s more than that. Company vice president and head of marketing, Minsoo Kim, said:

“Our relationship [with Marvel] is more than just product placement as we aim to create custom experiences that resonate with the Marvel audience. The Kona Iron Man Edition is a perfect example of blending our two worlds together into one special vehicle that we hope will excite fans of both brands all around the globe.”

With one senior Hyundai figure quoted as saying the chunky Kona’s strong lines drew immediate in-house comparisons to the Iron Man suit (apply pinch of salt here), Marvel is clearly having a bit of fun with the spin-off. Mindy Hamilton, Marvel’s senior vice president of global partnerships and marketing, said:

“When you grow up reading comics, you dream of seeing that technology and those inventions become reality. We hope that everyone has just as much fun jumping into this one-of-a-kind vehicle as they would putting on the actual Iron Man suit of armour!”

In other Marvel news, late last year it was revealed that many of the spaceships in Thor: Ragnarok were deliberately named after Holden cars.