What's all this about?
It's an all-electric version of the Hyundai Kona, which has been called (inventively) the Hyundai Kona Electric. Due to debut at the Geneva Motor Show that looms large on the automotive landscape, this furthers Hyundai's desire to be known as a maker of vehicles powered by alternative fuel sources. Please see the Ioniq in its varied forms for further details.
Ah, so does the Kona Electric just run the drivetrain from the EV version of the Ioniq, then?
No, it's more powerful here. In actual fact, there are going to be two Kona Electrics.
What, one full EV and one hybrid?
Nope again. There's a regular model and a long-range variant. Both use lithium-ion battery packs linked to a permanent magnet synchronous electric motor, and both have maximum torque of 395Nm and a 104mph top speed. However, the regular Kona Electric has 135hp (99kW) and a 39.2kWh battery with a 14.8kWh/100km consumption rate. That results in a 186-mile range on a full charge, with a 0-62mph time of 9.3 seconds. The long-range model, however, rocks up with 204hp (150kW) and a 64kWh lithium battery with a 15.2kWh/100km consumption rate, allowing it to go up to 292 miles before needing to find some form of electricity to recharge itself. It'll also crack 0-62mph in 7.6 seconds. However, while the 204hp Kona Electric might seem a no-brainer, it does take longer to recharge on an AC socket - nine hours and 40 minutes, while the regular crossover will take six hours and 10 minutes.
Do we know if the Kona is front- or four-wheel drive?
No word yet, but we'd guess front-wheel drive. We do also know that the Kona uses a single-speed reduction gear for its transmission, like the Ioniq, so that leads to some visual changes.
Such as?
Inside, there's no gearlever - just a flat transmission tunnel with button pads for the shift-by-wire system. The Kona Electric also boasts a seven-inch digital supervision cluster in front of the driver, plus head-up display, a load of connectivity functions, Qi wireless smartphone charging, a high-power Krell eight-speaker sound system, heated and cooled front seats, and a wealth of driver assist safety systems. Outside, it looks a lot like a Kona with a combustion engine, save for the smoothed-off grille incorporating the hidden recharge socket, revised Composite Light LED front clusters, air curtains to reduce turbulence in the wheel arches, and aerodynamically-optimised 17-inch alloys which are specific to the Kona Electric. It's also ever so slightly larger than a combustion-engined Kona, being 20mm taller (at 1,570mm overall) and 15mm longer (4,180mm overall).
Do you lose a load of boot space for the electrical kit?
No, not really. At 332 litres with its charging cable on board, the Kona Electric is 31 litres down on the 4x4 petrol model, but junk the cable in the trunk and that rises to 373 litres. That's presumably why Hyundai calls the Kona Electric a 'car without compromise'.
Matt Robinson - 27 Feb 2018
