The primary Hyundai Kona was early to the electrical automobile get together in Australia, launching earlier than even the Tesla Mannequin 3.

The brand new one arrives to a really totally different market. Electrical automobile gross sales exploded in 2023, with an enormous crowd of recent fashions from upstarts and established gamers alike combating for consideration – so the brand new Kona must be good to face out.

Hyundai is providing loads of alternative for 2024, and says the brand new Kona Electrical is a extra rounded, trendy product than its predecessor.

It’s additionally a less expensive one, with costs dropping relative to the equal pre-update mannequin regardless of packing more room, extra equipment, and extra vary.

Does the brand new Kona Electrical have what it takes to provide Tesla, BYD, and MG a bloody nostril?

How does the Hyundai Kona fare vs its opponents?

View an in depth breakdown of the Hyundai Kona towards equally sized automobiles.

Hyundai

Kona

How a lot does the Hyundai Kona price?

• 2024 Hyundai Kona Electrical Commonplace Vary: $54,000
• 2024 Hyundai Kona Electrical Prolonged Vary: $58,000
• 2024 Hyundai Kona Electrical Premium Prolonged Vary: $68,000

Costs exclude on-road prices

The Kona Electrical faces off with quite a lot of SUVs, that includes each electrical and petrol energy. To see the way it shapes up, use our comparability instrument.

What’s the Hyundai Kona like on the within?

The final Kona Electrical was fairly closely differentiated from its petrol siblings with a futuristic, button-heavy dashboard.

The brand new one is, for all intents and functions, an identical to the petrol and hybrid. That’s a superb factor; it’s a contemporary and spacious inside, which makes the cramped previous-generation automobile look very, very outdated.

Presentation is spectacular throughout the vary, and the basics are strong. The entrance seats are comfy on lengthy hauls and provide a variety of adjustment permitting tall or brief drivers to get comfy, whereas the view over the bonnet is extra ‘shrunken Tucson‘ than ‘overgrown i30‘ as was beforehand the case.

Credit score to Hyundai for sticking with bodily buttons and dials for the local weather controls and drive mode. It’s straightforward to flick into Sport, for instance, or knock the temperature up by one diploma with out taking your eyes off the highway, as ought to be the case.

The infotainment software program is straightforward sufficient to make use of, and touches such because the transfer to place the shortcut buttons within the backside right-hand nook of the display screen as a substitute of the highest left make life simpler in right-hand drive Australia.

We all know wi-fi Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are coming with a software program replace, however for now vehicles with manufacturing facility satellite tv for pc navigation don’t have it. It stays a irritating omission.

Hyundai’s digital dashboard is clear and practical, nevertheless it’s not significantly feature-rich relative to what you get in a Volkswagen Group product – you’ll be able to’t have maps in your show, for instance.

The flip aspect? There’s nonetheless a lot of low-cost, exhausting plastics, from the perimeters of the dashboard to the highest of the doorways. We referred to as it out within the petrol, and it’s extra pronounced right here given the Electrical is costlier once more – then once more, I’d take exhausting plastics over among the weirdness within the Kona’s rivals from China.

Not like the bottom petrol, which will get a fundamental transmission tunnel with an old-school T-bar shifter, even the most cost effective hybrid and electrical fashions have a extra upscale open centre console. It has acres of cupboard space, and appears suitably clear and trendy.

There’s a significant step up within the transfer from base Kona to Premium, because of the leather-based seat trim and ambient lighting, together with a sunroof that makes the cabin really feel extra open and ethereal.

Rear seat house is miles higher on this Kona than the final, beginning with the wider-opening doorways.

Adults don’t must contort themselves to squeeze in anymore, which is a step ahead, and as soon as again there you get ranges of legroom and headroom corresponding to a Kia Seltos or BYD Atto 3.

The air vents and USB-C ports are family-friendly touches, and the broader rear bench will maintaining warring youngsters at bay extra successfully than earlier than.

You even get a V2L three-pin outlet again there within the rear, permitting passengers to cost a laptop computer on the transfer.

The final Kona EV felt very compromised, with a better ground than the petrol equal forcing passengers into a clumsy knees-up place. The brand new mannequin has extra toe-room underneath the entrance seats, and gained’t make long-legged passengers really feel almost as cramped.

ISOFIX on the outboard seats and a trio of top-tether factors are current, as is a fold-down central armrest.

Claimed boot house is a claimed 407 litres (up 75L on the outdated automobile, down 132L on the petrol Kona), increasing to 1241 litres with the rear seats folded. There’s house for charging cables underneath the bonnet in a 27L cupboard space.

Rural consumers may even be completely happy to know there’s an area saver spare wheel beneath the boot ground, which is uncommon in electrical vehicles.

What’s underneath the bonnet?

It is a uncommon instance of a automobile with decrease outputs than its predecessor.

The place the final Kona Electrical had 395Nm of torque, the brand new one has 255Nm. Hyundai says that’s nonetheless greater than sufficient, and the change was made to enhance drivability.

Having lived with a previous-generation Kona Electrical for some time, that’s no dangerous factor. It was vulnerable to torque steer, and will by no means actually put all that torque down with out feeling a bit wild.

How does the Hyundai Kona drive?

The Kona Electrical isn’t focused on the form of one who needs their electrical automobile to really feel like a spaceship. It’s remarkably unremarkable, with a flat studying curve for anybody hopping out of a petroleum or diesel automobile.

Though its outputs are fairly low on paper, even the bottom Commonplace Vary is a clean and punchy automobile to drive at low speeds.

There’s no neck-snapping surge of acceleration, however the way in which it performs is extra consistent with the higher-end petrol 1.6-litre turbo than the bottom 2.0-litre engine at metropolis speeds.

It’s a world away from the final Kona Electrical, which was surprisingly quick however vulnerable to torque steer – the place the steering wheel tugs in your arms should you speed up exhausting on uneven surfaces.

No matter which mannequin you go for, the heavier EV feels extra relaxed and cozy than the petrol and hybrid Kona. Its suspension is softer, which suggests it floats properly over bumps within the metropolis, and has a grown-up and splendid feeling on the freeway.

Throw in spectacular suppression of highway noise, and it’s a pleasant automobile to spend time in on the freeway. With that mentioned, we’d be wanting on the extra highly effective Prolonged Vary in case you are doing greater than city commuting.

Not solely does it have an additional 135km of vary should you keep on with the 17-inch wheels, it has a bit extra energy than the bottom mannequin which makes it really feel extra relaxed whenever you put your foot down at freeway speeds.

With the identical quantity of torque as the bottom automobile although, you don’t want to fret about torque steer at decrease speeds even within the costlier Prolonged Vary.

No matter which mannequin you go for, Hyundai’s regenerative braking has been improved within the transition from the first- to the second-generation Kona Electrical. It’s smoother to interact whenever you carry off at pace, and also you’re now in a position to make use of Hyundai’s iPedal to keep away from needing the brake pedal round city.

It’s foolish that you simply nonetheless must activate one-pedal driving each time you begin the automobile although; the best degree it’ll default to nonetheless requires the motive force places their foot on the brake pedal to cease.

Whereas we’re whinging… The adaptive cruise management does a superb job sustaining a niche to the automobile in entrance, and the lane-keeping help decisively nudges you again between the white strains should you stray.

Hyundai’s lane-centring system, which extra actively controls the automobile’s place within the lane reasonably than intervening whenever you stray, is a bit too hands-on for my liking, although.

The driving force consideration monitoring can be vulnerable to false positives, flashing whenever you really are wanting on the highway… which makes you look away. Extra refinement is required.

What do you get?

Kona Electrical (Base) highlights:

• 17-inch alloy wheels
• Area-saver spare wheel
• Satin chrome belt line/roof spoiler garnish
• Physique-colour painted cladding
• Heated exterior mirrors
• MFR-type automated LED headlights
• Computerized high-beam
• LED daytime operating lights
• LED mixture tail lights
• Rain-sensing window wipers
• 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster
• 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system
• Over-the-air software program replace functionality
• Wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• Satellite tv for pc navigation
• 6-speaker sound system
• Wi-fi cellphone charger
• Twin-zone local weather management
• Proximity entry and push-button begin
• Distant begin
• Leather-based-wrapped steering wheel
• Shift-by-wire column-mounted gear selector
• LED inside lighting
• Auto-dimming rear-view mirror
• Baggage internet
• Warmth pump
• Battery conditioning system
• Inside V2L port
• Premium material upholstery

Kona Electrical Premium provides:

• AEB in Reverse
• Blind-Spot View Monitor
• Encompass-view digital camera
• Entrance, aspect, rear parking sensors
• Distant Good Parking Help
• 19-inch alloy wheels
• Acoustic laminated windscreen
• Photo voltaic management entrance door glass
• Privateness rear glass
• Sunrooof
• Quad projector LED headlights
• ‘Seamless Horizon’ entrance parking gentle
• LED indicators
• Handsfree powered tailgate
• Head-up show
• Bose 8-speaker premium sound system
• Ambient inside lighting
• Heated steering wheel
• Material knit headliner
• Leather-based-appointed upholstery
• 10-way energy driver’s seat with reminiscence
• 8-way energy entrance passenger’s seat
• Premium rest entrance seats
• Heated and ventilated entrance seats
• Heated rear outboard seats

All Hyundai Kona Electrical variants additionally come customary with a five-year subscription to Bluelink linked automobile providers. Out there features embody

• Linked satellite tv for pc navigation
• Focal point ship to automobile (inc. charging station)
• Voice management system
• Distant local weather management, charging and charging port
• Charging schedule
• Scheduled local weather management
• DC/AC charging limits
• Vitality consumption monitoring
• Charging alarm
• Distance-to-empty monitor
• Charging standing

Is the Hyundai Kona protected?

The brand new Kona lately obtained a four-star ANCAP security ranking, primarily based on checks carried out by Euro NCAP.

It obtained 80 per cent for grownup occupant safety, 83 per cent for youngster occupant safety, 64 per cent for susceptible highway consumer safety, and 60 per cent for security help.

To get a five-star ranking general, a automobile must obtain scores of above 80 per cent in grownup and youngster occupant safety and above 70 per cent for susceptible highway consumer safety and security help.

Commonplace security options embody:

• 7 airbags
• Autonomous emergency braking (AEB)
  • Pedestrian detection
  • Bike owner detection
  • Motorbike detection
  • Junction help
• Evasive steering help
• Blind-spot help
• Protected Exit Warning
• Rear cross-traffic alert
• Driver consideration warning
• Clever Pace Restrict Help
• Lane preserve help
• Lane Following Help
• Adaptive cruise management with cease and go
• Rear occupant alert
• Entrance, rear parking sensors
• Tyre stress monitoring

Kona Electrical Premium provides:

• Rear AEB
• Blind-Spot View Monitor
• Encompass-view digital camera
• Entrance, aspect and rear parking sensors
• Distant Good Parking Help

How a lot does the Hyundai Kona price to run?

The Hyundai Kona Electrical is roofed by a five-year, unlimited-kilometre guarantee, whereas it’s high-voltage battery pack is roofed by an eight-year, 160,000km guarantee.

Logbook servicing is required each 24 months or 30,000km, whichever comes first. The primary three providers are additionally capped at $520.

CarExpert’s Tackle the Hyundai Kona

The brand new Kona Electrical matches neatly into Hyundai’s rising vary of electrical vehicles.

It’s not as on the market as the larger, costlier Ioniq vary, sitting neatly alongside the hybrid Kona as an choice for somebody who’s able to go electrical… however doesn’t must shout fairly so loudly about it.

The Prolonged Vary base mannequin specifically neatly balances worth, vary, and efficiency, undercutting a base Tesla Mannequin Y by $7000.

We’ll must put it side-by-side with its massive rivals to seek out out the place it stands, however the brand new Kona Electrical makes a powerful first impression.

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