Hyundai is claiming an industry first with the unveiling of the new Kona Electric – the first all-electric SUV to the market.
The new Kona Electric offers a choice of two different powertrains. The long-range 204hp version with a 64 kWh battery provides an electric range of up to 292 miles and an energy consumption of 15.2 kWh/100 km (internal target under WLTP regulations). The electric motor delivers an output of 150 kW, accelerating the Kona Electric to 62mph in 7.6 seconds.
With a battery capacity of 39.2 kWh, the basic 135hp version drives you up to 186 miles on a single charge with the motor delivering 99 kW and an energy consumption as low as 14.8 kWh/100 km (internal target under WLTP regulations). It is capable of covering 186 miles and has an acceleration potential of 9.3 seconds from 0 to 62mph.
Both powertrain versions deliver 395 Nm of immediate torque, with full power available from the first second. The Kona Electric also features an adjustable regenerative braking system.
Charging the lithium-ion polymer battery up to 80% only takes about 54 minutes using a 100 kW direct current (DC) fast charger. With the 7.2 kW on-board-charger, charging with alternating current (AC) takes 9 hours 40 minutes for the long-range battery pack and 6 hours 10 minutes for the shorter-range battery pack.
Drivers also have the option of charging their car at a compatible regular household power socket using the ICCB-cable (in-cable control box). The charging port is located at the front of the vehicle, next to the Hyundai logo.
The Kona Electric is easy to spot compared to the regular Kona thanks to the lack of grille, because electric motors don’t need a radiator like petrol or diesel engines. LED daytime running lights sit on top of the LED headlights, while the battery models also sport a two-tone roof.
Inside, the infotainment system integrates navigation, media and uses Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as offering wireless charging for compatible devices.
The Kona Electric is equipped with the company’s latest active safety and driving assistance technologies, called SmartSense: autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian detection, blind spot detection including rear cross traffic alert, lane departure warning with lane keep assist, driver attention warning and speed limit information.
The new high-resolution seven-inch supervision cluster displays the different gauges, such as the speedometer, battery charge level, energy flow and driving mode to the driver. Depending on the selected drive mode, background colour and gauges are adapted to always provide the most important and useful information.
In addition, the head-up display (HUD) projects the relevant driving information directly to the driver’s line of sight. This allows faster processing of information while keeping attention on the road ahead.
Given that electric cars don’t have the ability to use heat from the engine to warm the cabin, buyers will appreciate three-stage ventilation heating system for the front seats, as well as an optional heated steering wheel.
