The Hyundai Kona is a curious one

The Kona's exterior is a hot mess, but one with a purpose.

The Kona is just unusual enough to turn a head and have a random person quip, "What is that thing?"

The Kona's bottom two trims make do with a 2.0-liter, naturally aspirated I4 putting out an ample-enough 147 horsepower and 132 pound-feet of torque.

But my tester sports the optional 1.6-liter turbocharged engine with 175 hp and 195 pound-feet.

In conjunction with its optional all-wheel drive, this thing scoots.

Cheaper cars tend to have issues handling bad roads, but the Kona's suspension does a commendable job across Michigan's Martian landscape.

But what it lacks in harshness, it more than makes up for in noise. Wind noise easily sneaks into the cabin, as does additional clamor from its 235/45R18 all-season tires.

On the safety front, buyers can pick up automatic braking, forward collision warning, blind-spot monitoring, lane-keep assist and rear parking sensors.

It's a shame, though, that adaptive cruise control is nowhere to be found, and that the most important safety systems are hidden behind expensive trims.

Keep on scrolling to check out even more pictures of Hyundai's newest, smallest SUV!