Hyundai Kona Electric review
Hyundai Kona Electric in the flagship model, the premium extended range.
With an EV-led design, this small SUV is big on space and luxury features, which makes it a hot contender against its rivals, the Renault Mégane E-Tech, and the Kia Niro EV.
There are eight variants for the Kona Range, and you have the choice of four powertrains, petrol, turbo petrol, hybrid, or fully electric.
Hyundai Kona Electric Price
Priced Is from $68,000 before on-road costs, and that positions it right in the middle of its rivals, but it is a hefty $20,000 jump from the equally-equipped top petrol version. Hyundai Kona Electric review
Features In Hyundai Kona Electric
The top EV gets a stack of features like a sunroof, heated and ventilated front seats, heated rear outboard seats, a heated steering wheel, as well as a premium bow sound system with eight speakers, just to name a few.
Hyundai Kona Electric Design
I’m rather fond of the Kona styling, it’s cute but functional. Hyundai designed the EV Kona first and then based the fuel-based versions around it.
You get some cool things that sets it apart, like the extended body paneling in front, as well as the pixel-like garnish underneath the grill and the long LED strip light at the front.
Interior In Hyundai Kona
The dashboard has been redesigned to feature 12.3-inch dual technology screens, and that’s standard across all variants now, not just on the top model.
The cabin is as delightful as its petrol sibling, with the light-colored leather upholstery, making the area feel very bright and cheery.
The center console is still the hero for storage, but the accent trims has changed up a little bit to a brush metal look rather than a gray insert panel, and I prefer the brush metal look. Hyundai Kona Electric review
The overall size for the Kona for the second generation has been increased, and that means more occupant and storage space. Up front, I would describe it as downright roomy.
Front Seat
The electric front seats aren’t as comfortable as the previous generation. They’re firmer, narrower, and just sit a little bit higher than I remember them being.
That being said, I do like the added comfort functions as well as the full relaxation mode that you can do on them. Individual storage is really good for the class.
The center console has lots of different spots for your gear, and I really like the dedicated shelf in front of your copilot.
Storage & Ports
The storage bins also have a 1.5 liter storage capacity for a bottle, and you get two cup holders up front, too. Hyundai Kona Electric review
The charging options are good throughout the car. You get two USB-C ports in each row, and the front also gets a wireless charging and a 12 V port.
This vehicle also has vehicle to load capability now for the 2024 model year.
Touchscreen
The touch screen multimedia system looks great and is easy to use once you get used to it.
I also think it’s great that you get built-in satellite navigation and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, too.
The back seat have plenty of room. The leg room in particular is very good for this class.
I also love that it’s an easy car to get in and out of, and the fact that the seats are very comfortable. Hyundai Kona Electric review
Back Seat
Also, middle-seaters will be very comfortable because of the flat floor. Amenities and storage is pretty good.
I like that for any families out there, you get ISOFIX child seat amounts on the outboard seats, plus three top tethers.
Two seats are definitely going to fit best, though.
Hyundai Kona Electric Boot Space
For the 2024 version, you get an extra 33 liters of boot capacity, which boosts it to 407 liters in total.
You also get 27 liters of storage capacity, and the boot space is mostly level.
Interestingly for an EV, you get a temporary spare tire in this.
Hyundai Kona Electric Engine Specs
The premium extended range is a front-wheel drive and has an electric motor with outputs of 150 kilowatts and 255 newton-minute of torque.
It’s not as brightly as some of its rivals, but it still holds its own on the open road.
Power delivery is smooth in most instances, but sometimes you can lose traction if you accelerate too quickly from a standstill. Hyundai Kona Electric review
The ride comfort is really good in terms of suspension. You don’t get a lot of road noise in this.
Occasionally, you do get a little bit of wind noise when you hit higher speeds, but it’s not enough to bother you.
Parking this has been a breeze, the 360-degree view camera system is super clear, and it’s great that it’s a small car because it’s honestly your best friend in the city or a small car park.
Efficiency
The official energy consumption figure is 16.7 kilowatt hour per 100 kilometers. The official driving range from the 64.8 kilowatt hour lithium-ion battery is up to 444 kilometers, which is good. Hyundai Kona Electric review
This can only accept up to 100 kilowatts on DC charging, which is a bit lower than its rivals.
You can go from 10 to in just over an hour on a 50 kilowatts system, but that drops to 45 minutes on a 100 kilowatts system, which is a bit slower than its rivals, but not totally inconvenient.
The Kona has a Type 2 CCS charging port, which means that you can benefit from faster DC charging speeds, but it can accept up to 10.4 kilowatts on AC charging power.
That means that on an 11-kilowatt AC charger, you’ll go from zero to 100% in just six and a half hours. Hyundai Kona Electric review
Safety In Hyundai Kona Electric
The electric Kona has a long list of safety items, but surprisingly, the previous generation models, 5 Star NCAP safety score hasn’t been matched, with the new version only receiving four stars from testing done in 2023.
Penalty points have been applied across a few items, and individual scores for vulnerable road users and the safety assistance systems are at a low 64% and 62% respectively.
The Kona comes with seven airbags, including a front-center airbag.
But a real highlight is the blind spot view monitor, which pops a camera feed of your blind spot onto your dashboard. Hyundai Kona Electric review
Hyundai Kona Electric Warranty
The Kona is covered by a five-year unlimited kilometer warranty, and the battery is covered by an eight-year or up to 160,000 kilometer warranty term.
You can pre-purchase one, two, or three services, and the three-service option costs a flat $1,560, or an average of $520 per service, which is quite expensive for the class.
Servicing intervals are at every two years or 30,000 kilometers, whichever occurs first.
The Hyundai Kona premium extended range offers great passenger comfort and space, but its ongoing costs are a bit more expensive than its rivals, and its lower safety score is surprising.