Hyundai Kona electric

This is the electric car I liked. The reason was simply the long range and the versatile equipment. The minuses, however, are the high price and the long delivery time.

This is the Hyundai Kona electric, which the manufacturer promises an operating range of around 450 kilometres. This distance is easily achievable, as long as you drive sparingly in summer.

However, with this car you don’t have to drive sparingly, because it doesn’t matter if the driving distance is reduced by, say, 50 kilometres. You’ll still have 400 kilometres to go – and that’s quite a lot for a day trip.

Driving the electric version of the Kona is very carefree. The car accelerates well and is equipped with almost all modern assistance systems.

I sometimes kept the lane-keeper on, sometimes off, because it’s not always pleasant to have “someone else” turning the wheel.

The cruise control was perhaps a little tired itself, as the only time it pointed out the need for a break was almost immediately after a half-hour charging break.

The Hyundai Kona electric is a compact SUV. The boot capacity is 332 litres including the charging cable (373 litres without the charging cable).

The Kona electric is distinguished from the internal combustion engine-powered Kona by its closed front grille. Another feature of the front styling is the combination of LED daytime running lights and LED headlights.

Two power versions

The Hyundai Kona electric comes in two power versions. The basic version has a battery capacity of 39.2 kWh, a power output of 135 hp (99 kW) and an operating range of around 300 km on a single charge. The base version has an energy consumption of less than 14.8 kWh/100 km.

The more powerful version has a battery capacity of 64 kWh and a power output of 204 hp (150 kW), with an energy consumption of 15.2 kWh/100 km and an acceleration from 0-100 km/h in 7.6 seconds.

Both versions have a torque of 395 Nm and a top speed of 167 km/h. Hyundai uses lithium-ion polymer batteries in the Hyundai Kona electric.

The more powerful version was test driven.

It takes 9 hours 40 minutes to charge the battery with the 7.2 kW charger in the power version.

The new Hyundai Kona electric also has the capability to recharge the battery to 80 per cent in about 54 minutes using a 100 kWh charging station. With a 50 kWh charging station, the battery can be charged to 80 percent in 75 minutes.

The car comes standard with a charging cable that fits a standard grounded plug.

The Kona electric’s charging socket is located at the front of the car, next to the Hyundai logo.

The car also benefits from brake energy regeneration, the intensity of which can be adjusted via controls located behind the steering wheel.

Slow home charging is enough for many things

I charged the car both at 50-kilowatt charging stations and at home from a standard earthed socket. At home, the charging rate was less than 2 kilowatts per hour, so it would have taken more than 30 hours to fully charge the entire battery.

However, I often charged for shorter periods at home, but an overnight charge, for example, added almost 20 kilowatt hours to the battery. It already covered well over 100 kilometres, so that’s enough charge power for most daily trips.

On longer journeys, the question arose – where should I charge?

For a few hundred kilometres, aim for charging points with 50kW of charge. Then you can get a good deal more power for your battery during your half-hour coffee break.

Adaptive cruise control

The new Hyundai Kona electric has a digital instrument cluster similar to the Ioniq. The dashboard displays speedometer, battery charge level and energy consumption, among other things.

The Kona has a seven-inch multimedia screen. The windscreen display also provides relevant driving information directly in the driver’s field of vision.

One of the advanced features is adaptive cruise control.

The system automatically accelerates and brakes the car. When traffic stops, the Stop & Go system applies the car’s brakes to a standstill. The system operates in the speed range 0-180 km/h.

The Hyundai Kona electric also offers a wide range of connectivity features, including an infotainment system that combines navigation, media and capabilities such as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as wireless charging for mobile phones.

Safety features on the Kona Electric include collision warning, lane departure warning, blind spot detection and lane departure warning, cross-traffic alert, driver alertness monitoring and automatic headlamp start.

The Hyundai Kona electric is available in Finland in Comfort and Style trim levels.

Comfort equipment includes smart key, 7-inch colour touchscreen, 7-inch digital instrument cluster, rear parking sensors, intelligent cruise control and battery heater.

With the Style trim level, you can further enhance the comfort of your journey with an 8-inch colour touchscreen, Krell audio system, LED high and low beam headlights with remote headlight control, electrically adjustable heated and cooled front seats, windscreen display and a comprehensive range of safety features.

In Finland, Hyundai offers a seven-year unlimited mileage warranty on its entire new model range. In addition, the high-voltage battery is covered by an eight-year/200,000 km warranty.

For whom?

The Hyundai Kona electric is a viable option if you want an electric car with long range performance. Although the price is too high for many, the car seems to be selling well around the world. Perhaps even too much, given the problems of availability worldwide.

According to the importer, the delivery time for the car is currently around a year. However, the 375 cars ordered this year will be delivered to customers later this year.

The car is suitable for a small family car, as long as charging is easy. The charging power of a standard home socket is sufficient for most people, as long as the car can be plugged in whenever they are at home. However, it’s a good idea to have your home’s electrical network checked by a professional before connecting your car for long-term charging.

If you install a slightly more powerful charging station in your home, you will get a full battery more quickly.

The Kona electric 64 kWh Comfort costs €43 390 and the Style-equipped model €47 390.