What’s the Hyundai Kona Electric like inside?
Other than the cheap silver trim we’ve already mentioned that litters the cabin, the Kona Electric interior is a pleasant place to be.
Apart from the EV-friendly dials, the main difference over the standard Kona on the inside is the increased interior storage space. The absence of a transmission tunnel not only creates more space for rear passengers, but also allows for an area underneath the centre console.
Hyundai also thinks that a traditional gear selector is a bit last century, so four buttons serve as this instead – Drive, Park, Neutral and Reverse. It’s a bit gimmicky, but it serves its purpose.
The standard-fit seven-inch screen is fantastic to use, and seamlessly connects to your smartphone with Android Auto or Apple CarPlay. Premium models benefit from a larger eight-inch screen.
While electrification brings some benefits – further interior space and less interference for rear passengers with no transmission tunnel – the Kona’s battery pack results in a smaller boot. Not significantly, but you notice it when the standard Kona’s boot isn’t the largest in the first place.
What’s under the bonnet?
Hyundai offers the Kona Electric with the option of two battery packs – a 39kWh one and the star-of-the-show 64kWh.
Go for the 39kWh, which produces 135hp, and you can expect unspectacular performance and a range of around 180 miles – not enough to give you any bragging rights.
It’s the 64kWh version that deserves the lion’s share of praise. The electric motors generate a hot hatch-rivalling 204hp, which can propel the Kona Electric from 0-60mph in an admirable 7.3 seconds.
Then there’s the range. Hyundai quotes a range of 279 miles (it’s recently been downgraded from 300), but somewhere around 250 miles is more likely. A recent What Car? investigation found that the Kona Electric could do 259 miles, giving it the best real-world range of any electric car currently on sale (even cars that claimed better).
It’s enough to put the Kona quite ahead of the competition – other than the Kia e-Niro, which it shares its parts with.
Charge it at a rapid charger, and the Kona will be boosted to 80% charge in 75 minutes, using a wall-box (what most EV owners have at home) and it will take a little under 10 hours and with a standard three-pin socket, it will take an ageing 31 hours to get from empty to full.
What’s the Hyundai Kona Electric like to drive?
There’s a great misconception about the way an electric car drives, and if you spend most of your time in stop-start traffic, they’re far better than any petrol and diesel.
In traffic, the adaptive cruise control (when operated) means the car just about drive itself, although as there’s still hesitations about calling something ‘autonomous’ – the car requires you to have your hands on the steering wheel at all times.
Regenerative braking also features, and is controlled by steering wheel-mounted paddles. In its harshest setting, lifting your foot off the accelerator is the equivalent to sharp braking, and can help to recuperate a few miles of charge each time you use it.
But other than that, the Kona is essentially very normal to drive, though it has its own downfalls. Its excessive weight unearths some shortcomings, such as a rather unsettled ride and plenty of lean in the corners.
The ‘eco’ tyres also provide little in the way of grip – meaning unintentional wheelspin is a rather common occurrence if you like to put your toe down every now and again.
Verdict
So, is the Kona Electric the game-changing EV we’ve been waiting for? In short it is, but it’s not faultless.
The realistic range of 250 miles opens the Hyundai up to buyers covering long distances, while the fantastic performance and easy-to-drive nature of the Kona make it an even more compelling option. Little wonder, then, that orders for the Kona Electric are already well oversubscribed.
As an affordable electric car, the Kona Electric is the best yet and is highly commendable. It’s just a shame length waiting lists mean that it’ll be tricky to get hold of one in the first place.
Similar cars
Kia e-Niro
Key specifications
Model as tested: Hyundai Kona Electric Premium SE 64kWh
Price (on-road): £38,645 (£35,145 incl EV grant)
Powertrain: 150 kWh electric motor and 64 kWh Lithium-Ion battery
Power: 204 hp
Torque: 395 Nm
Top speed: 104 mph
0-60mph: 7.3 seconds
Range: 279 miles (claimed)
CO2 emissions: 0g/km