[Hyundai Kona News]

Hyundai just unveiled their new electric sub-compact SUV in Europe and the Kona Electric is going to be the first of its kind offered in that market. What’s more, local will be able to choose from two powertrains.

The basic version will have a battery capacity of 39,2 kWh and combined with a motor delivering 135PS (99 kW) and 395 Nm of torque, it has an estimated driving rage of 300 kilometres or 186 miles on a full charge. This number was based on the latest Worldwide harmonized Light vehicles Test Procedure (WLTP) for electric range.

If that’s not enough, Hyundai will be offering a long-range battery variant that pairs a 204PS electric motor with a 64kWh battery pack. That should provide the long-range Kona Electric with a driving range or around 470km or 292 miles.

Though we can’t seem to find the charge rate in Hyundai’s official press release, their technical data sheets do show that both Kona Electric variants will need around 54 minutes to charge up to 80% of its battery using a 100kW DC fast charger. To fully charge the battery using a standard unit would take approximately 6 h0ours and 10 minutes.

The new Kona Electric could emerge as a segment leader and fans attending the Geneva Motor Show will be able to see it in person at Hyundai’s booth.

 

[HKSKS]

I can see the Kona EV becoming a segment leader due to the fact it has great specs, is the first of its kind in the segment and looks great regardless of the trim you get. Seen some Kona's in person and they look better than rival products from Nissan, Toyota, Chevrolet, etc.

 

[Crona]

Who needs the Chevy Bolt or Tesla Model 3 when you have an electric Kona with 292 miles of range, and it looks better than its competitors too. Even better, the longer range powertrain that Hyundai is offering has some prettyu impressive specs at 201 horsepower along with 291 pound-feet of torque. One would think the increase in performance would cut down on the range but this doesn't seem to be the case.

 

[Gideon]

Never would have though that the Kona would come to market with segment leading range. It’s really hard to believe that they’ve managed to get it to go further than the Bolt, and by a good margin. Hyundai has proven itself capable of bringing products to market that disrupt the status quo.

 

[KonaEVWNY]

After years of driving a Prius, with its, ummm, styling being tied so tightly to aerodynamics above everything else, the Kona (even after a year of driving) feels fresh and is a pleasure to drive. With the 64kwh battery pack, it gets all the range and power I need - even with at least a day or 2 per week with a 200+ mile commute. I very rarely need to charge outside my home. Even in my base model, with nice fabric, heated seats and loads of automated safety features, it does not feel like I had to compromise to own this car.

 

[R P]

The only reason you don't see more on the road is they can't keep up with demand. In Canada, there is now an 8-10 month wait for a Kona EV.