If you’d like to join the electric car revolution but are not so excited to lose the benefits that a traditional SUV brings - such as a practical interior and a high driving position - you could do much worse than take a look at the Hyundai Kona Electric.
A bit like a recycled fashionable backpack, Hyundai Kona manages to be at the same time a sporty-looking SUV car and an eco-friendly electric car, with only a few compromises.
OK, so it costs more than the Hyundai Konas supplied with more conventional petrol and diesel engines, but it is in the same playing field as other electric vehicles (EV) like Nissan Leaf, Volkswagen e-Golf and BMW i3.
The Hyundai Kona Electric range is relatively simple with only the version on offer: a 64 kWh model with 204 hp and up to 279 miles of range. You can charge 80% of Kona Electric in just 54 minutes using a 100 kW charger if you find one. In fact, most public chargers are 50kw, so you’ll have to double that time.
The most common is the 7kw charger, which is probably what you would end up with if you had a wall charger installed at home. At this rate of charge, the wait is much longer: the 64kWh car takes almost 10 hours to recharge at maximum. This will not be a problem if you plan to connect it before going to bed, like your cell phone.
However, a full "tank" on the 64kWh Kona will cost you about £9, about £20 less than refueling a gasoline car to cover the same distance, so you’ll be rewarded for your patience.
You get different and raised center console than the one you’ll find in a "normal" Kona, and it looks more premium. Its standard infotainment system is easy to use and comes with mirroring the Android Auto and Apple Carplay smartphones, so you can effortlessly use the satellite navigation and music apps on your smartphone on Kona’s screen.
While the Konas gasoline and diesel do not stand out among the small SUVs, the pure electric Kona manages to catch the attention: it offers something unique and does it well.
The space inside the Hyundai Kona Electric is a mixture. You should fit in the front seats: you will have a lot of seat adjustments while the steering wheel also has a wide range of movements. The space around the front seats is also impressive.
However, adults in the rear seats will not be so comfortable and both a Leaf and an e-Golf will be more comfortable for those rear seats if that’s important to you.
The normal Kona boot is rather disappointing and is no better on the electric version - the boot of Kia Niro is much larger. At least 60:40 tilting rear seats are still standing to open the space to 1,114 liters in case you need to run to the landfill.
Like all-electric vehicles, Hyundai Kona Electric is exceptional to drive in the city. The performance is incisive, immediate, and quiet, which means you will dart easily in traffic. However, a Nissan Leaf is even more fun, while a Volkswagen e-Golf is more comfortable.
However, none of these alternatives can boast such an impressive range as the Kona, nor can it offer its own chunky SUV style, which means it is able to do the work of a couple of cars in one. If this sounds good, be sure to check out our Hyundai Kona Electric deals for the best prices.
What's it like to drive?
Like all-electric vehicles, Hyundai Kona Electric is exceptional to drive in the city. The performance is incisive, immediate, and quiet, which means you will dart easily in traffic. In fact, the 64 kWh car runs 62 miles per hour in a 7.6-second hot hatch. It is faster than both the Nissan Leaf and the Volkswagen e-Golf, though slower than a BMW i3.
While the Nissan Leaf has its own E-pedal - where the car starts to slow down gently when you take your foot off the accelerator pedal and thus recharges the batteries - Hyundai Kona Electric has a similar function but you have to press a button on the steering wheel and it takes some time to get used to it.
In other respects, Hyundai Kona Electric is good rather than exceptional: its steering is well thought out, handles in an orderly manner, manages all roads except the worst, and keeps most of the wind and road noise out at speed. However, a Nissan Leaf feels even more agile, while a Volkswagen e-Golf drives even more comfortably along bumpy roads, which means that the Kona Electric is by no means the best guide for money.
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