Late last year, the new Hyundai Kona was teased. Today we have a full reveal.
Hyundai has been at the forefront of electrification and the Kona was one of the first of their models to be designed to help the brand transition from ICE to electric smoothly. The first generation Kona started life off with naturally-aspirated and turbocharged engines and then later was adapted to run an electric vehicle powertrain.
Now, there’s a second generation Kona on the horizon and it looks to be led by an electric vehicle variant, though there WILL be ICE and HEV models on the horizon. We wrote about the 2nd generation Kona late last year when Hyundai first teased it but today we have specifications and more detailed photos to share.
For now, Hyundai is pushing the new Kona as an electric vehicle. They’re offering two battery options – Standard (48.4kWh, 342km) and Long Range (65.4kWh, 490km). Both models are only available as front-wheel drive vehicles with an output of either 154hp or 214hp depending on battery size. The torque output of this front motor is fixed at 255Nm.
Charging the bigger of these two batteries from 10% to 80% state-of-charge takes just 41 minutes. EV-specific appointments include Vehicle-To-Load (V2L) outlets on the inside and outside of the new Kona Electric. There’s also frunk storage, active air flaps, an i-Pedal driving mode, Smart Regenerative System, electronic-Active Sound Design and an Eco Package. Kona buyers can option in dual 12.3″ panoramic display screens, a Digital Key 2 Touch, full Over-The-Air update capabilities and Connected Car Navigation Cockpit. An EV-led design change was to move the gear selector behind the steering wheel for a more open centre console area.
The new Kona also features the latest Level 2 autonomous driving SmartSense suite which includes Forward Collision Avoidance Assist, Blind-spot View Monitor, Remote Start Parking Assist and Driver Status Monitor. It’s also a little bigger than the last Kona with the measurements now at 4355mm long (+175mm), 1825mm wide (+25mm) and 1575mm tall (+20mm). The wheelbase has also been increased from 2600mm to 2660mm. Aerodynamics has been improved so now the drag coefficient is just 0.27Cd.
What do you think of the new Kona? Does it still lack the appeal of the IONIQ 5 or does this new EV-led design improve its chances of being a sales hit?
