The all-new Hyundai Kona is here and it comes to our shore in the electric guise. Launched at an introductory price of Rs 25.30 lakhs (ex-showroom pan-India), the Kona EV is one of the many pure electric vehicles coming our way. Here is everything you need to know about the Hyundai Kona EV.
Available only in the ‘Premium’ trim, the Kona EV can be had with a single powertrain option. The high-voltage 39.2 kWh lithium-ion polymer battery pack supplies the juice to a single permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) mounted on the front axle. The power figures of 134bhp and 395Nm might seem mediocre, but instant torque right from the word go means the Kona can accelerate to a 100kmph from standstill in just 9.7 seconds.
Then there is the electric range and charging times. Hyundai claims that the Kona Electric will go 452 kilometres between two charges. The onboard charger is capable of a 7.2kW rate of charge and it comes with a quick charging facility as well. Under quick charging through the CCS Type II charging port, 80 per cent of the charge is achieved in just 57 minutes with DC quick charger (at 50kW). Meanwhile, normal charging takes six hours and 10 minutes.
The charging port is located in the grille which is significantly different from the conventional Kona. The design of the Kona is radical with Harrier-like sleek LED DRLs on top with headlamps moving further down. There are air-vents placed on the bumpers though, but they are there to cool the powertrain. The Kona sits on the aerodynamic wheels wrapped with 215/55 R17 profile tyres. At the rear, there is the raked windscreen with sleek tail lamps complete with contrasting finish bumper. There are five colour options to choose from while Hyundai is also offering a dual-tone paint scheme as well. In terms of dimensions, the Kona EV measures 4180x1800x1570 mm with a wheelbase of 2600mm.
On the inside, there is an all-digital instrument cluster giving out all the information about the powertrain and the three drive modes – Eco/Eco+, Comfort and Sport. On the centre console, there’s a floating seven-inch infotainment system which comes with mobile telephony like Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. In terms of features, the Kona comes loaded with HUD (heads-up display), sunroof, leather upholstery, leather-wrapped steering, ventilated and heated seats, dual-zone climate control, reverse parking camera, 10-way electrically adjustable seats, navigation, six-speakers, and split 60:40 rear seats. In terms of safety, there are six airbags including side curtain airbags, ABS with EBD and hill hold control, TPMS, all four disc brakes, high-speed alert, and seat-belt pretensioners for front seats.
The Kona EV is one of the few pure electric vehicles in the country. At Rs 25.30 lakhs, there’s no direct competition for this zero-emission crossover. The only other alternatives are hybrids like Honda Accord, Toyota Camry or the Prius. But the Kona comes for a price that makes other capable SUVs and sedans like the Jeep Compass Trailhawk, Honda Civic, Skoda Superb and Volkswagen Tiguan more viable buys. And for a little extra cash, one may even consider full-size SUVs like the Toyota Fortuner, Ford Endeavour, Mahindra Alturas G4 and Isuzu MU-X as well. But the Hyundai Kona is a novel car in India at the moment. It does offer conventionality besides boasting of a decent driving range. It also gets extra brownie points for contributing towards the electrification of the automotive sector in India.
