Hyundai Kona Electric: more range, gear and dollars
The Hyundai Kona Electric has been boosted with more range and more equipment, but now also comes at a higher price.
New Michelin Primacy4 low rolling resistance tyres are the key reason the Kona Electric’s range climbs from a claimed 449km between recharges of the unchanged 64kWh lithium-ion polymer battery pack to 484km.
That’s based on WLTP testing. Australian Design Rules are more generous, estimating the range to now be 557km (the WLTP figure is likely to be closer to the mark).
Based on the WLTP figure, the Kona Electric is the mainstream EV with the longest claimed range sold in Australia at the moment.
Launched here in 2019, the Kona Electric continues to come in two models, the $62,000 Elite and the $66,000 Highlander. Those prices are up from $60,730 and $65,290 respectively before on-road costs.
Standard Elite equipment now includes blind-spot collision avoidance assist, lane following assist, rear cross traffic collision avoidance assist, rear occupant alert, safe exit assist, wireless phone charging and a Harman Kardon premium sound system.
Other additions include a USB port for rear passengers, a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster, front passenger seat height adjuster, body-coloured cladding, an enclosed front grille and an acoustic windscreen.
The only new features for the Highlander are ambient interior lights and heating for the rear outboard seats.
There are styling flourishes to flag this is update, including new daytime running lamps, a new grille, slim-line headlights (LED in Highlander) and machined-face 17-inch alloys.
New vertical air inlets in front of the wheel arches reduce turbulence in the wheelhouse area, while there’s a new air intake in the lower bumper and a new rear bumper and tail-light design.
Overall, the Kona Electric stretches 25mm in length to 4205mm, all of it due to the revised bumpers (the basic body is unchanged).
Key carry-over equipment across the Kona Electric range includes autonomous emergency braking (AEB), adaptive cruise control with the ability to stop and go, a reversing camera, six airbags and a 10.25-inch central touch-screen with Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, digital radio, Bluetooth and navigation.
Unchanged are key Kona Electric tech specs. Along with the familiar battery pack, it continues with a 150kW/395Nm permanent magnet synchronous motor driving the front wheels via a single speed reduction gear.
An onboard 7.2kW AC charger takes approximately nine hours and 15 minutes to recharge the battery using a home wallbox. On a regular 230V powerpoint that charging time is more like 30 hours. The 100kW on-board DC fast-charger can recharge in 47 minutes.
The Kona Electric is covered by a five-year unlimited kilometre warranty, with servicing scheduled every 12 months or 15,000km. No pricing for the capped price plan have been released as yet. The battery is covered by an eight-year/160,000km warranty.
Hyundai announced a recall of the Kona Electric and the Ioniq EV earlier this year here and overseas to replace battery packs and management systems because of a fire risk.
Hyundai is soon to ramp up its Australian EV presence with arrange of new-generation models starting with the recently revealed Ioniq 5.
Hyundai has also promised a hybrid version of the Santa Fe throughout 2021.
