The All-Electric Future in the Hyundai Kona Series II
If Hyundai’s future business road map Strategy 2025 is anything to go by, the auto giant is on quite the mission to redefine “the electric mobility lifestyle” and with the recent arrival of a fresh new iteration of their game-changing Kona Electric in the Series II, their case for electrification has never been stronger. Amid some now pretty stiff competition in the rapidly expanding electric car landscape, the comprehensively facelifted and electric-in-every-sense Series II packs the tried-and-true small SUV format with seamlessly integrated, cutting-edge technology that includes a mightily efficient electric powertrain. What really sets the new Hyundai Kona Electric apart from all its rivals is its impressive real world battery charge. Thanks to a 64kWh battery pack and with the aid of a set of Michelin Primacy4 low-rolling resistance tyres, the Kona Electric now boasts a staggering real world driving range – on a single charge – of 484 kilometres. The Kona Electric’s high capacity battery also has a 7.2kW onboard charger and a CCS Type 2 connector to enable a fast charge on a public setup, seeing a commonly available 50kW DC rapid charger charge a Kona Electric that doesn’t have a lot of range in it to 80 percent in around 65 minutes.
From the curb, the Kona Electric, which continues to be available in two trim grades, Entry and Elite, exudes a strong, coherent design aesthetic. It is 25 millimetres longer than its predecessor, sporting chiselled shoulder lines that flow into a stylish new smooth front-end in place of a traditional front grille, featuring a concealed asymmetric charging port. Its distinctive headlight treatment incorporates sharper forms that wrap around the side of the car to emphasise its wide stance, while the rear sports a reprofiled bumper design and horizontally-stretched tail lights, which again emphasise the car’s stance. The exterior makeover is finished nicely with new machined 17-inch alloy wheels that make the Kona Electric more aerodynamic than the standard car.
Drawing on a 150kW electric motor, the Hyundai Kona Electric is a comfortable, relaxed ride excellently suited for daily commutes and weekend adventures away, which while erring on the firmer side, still manages to absorb bumps with aplomb thanks to its 17-inch wheels. Faster driving also handles well, influenced by a low centre of gravity, thanks to the batteries being neatly packaged under the car’s floor, lending the drive a nice sense of balance when cornering. The steering is also accurate, offering more than adequate feedback while not feeling excessively weighty.
Perhaps the most distinctive aspects of the Kona Electric’s drive experience are the way it accelerates and its smart regenerative braking. Being all-electric, the Kona’s power – and critically its torque – is on tap more or less the second you press the accelerator. With a crisp burst of power off the line, especially in Sport mode, gathering speed on on-ramps and motorway passing is a breeze. Navigating bends and coming out of corners or roundabouts, the Kona feels powerful enough in its Normal drive mode. Though for most city driving, the Eco mode is a perfect fit, offering a decidedly more moderate feed of torque.
The Hyundai Kona Electric‘s smart regenerative braking feels super-compliant with sudden slowing the first time you take your foot off the accelerator, which brings us to a particularly fun aspect of the drive experience with the easy use of paddle shifters behind the steering wheel. These allow you to adjust the intensity of the regenerative braking over four levels to allow maximum energy efficiency and extend your driving range. However, there is also a smart automatic setting, which will decide on your behalf, the ultimate brake regeneration setting for the situation. The smart system is great for slowing down for corners and roundabouts without touching the brake pedal and is maximised if the vehicle can be brought to a full stop without use of the brakes.
The interior cabin of the Kona Electric, replete with Hyundai’s newest infotainment system, is very much in keeping with its exterior in terms of an affinity to an uncluttered, minimalistic aesthetic, which ultimately complements the clean, silent running experience of an all-electric vehicle. A special feature that is very much a part of this language is the Kona Electric’s exclusive Shift By Wire gear control with Drive, Reverse, Neutral and Park, alongside Driving Mode, all navigated by the simple press of a button. These are nestled in a conveniently located cluster in the central console.
A premium eight-speaker Harman Kardon sound system holds court in the Elite model alongside a 10.25-inch multimedia touchscreen with satellite navigation, while the Entry model offers an eight-inch touchscreen display. The Elite model also enjoys a wireless charger in a dedicated recess of the front console for compatible Qi-standard devices, as well as heated rear outboard seats and ambient lighting in the front footwells completing the interior with a soft, luxe ambience. The Elite specification further offers additional comfort and convenience features including LED headlights and tail lights, driver and passenger power seats, heated front and rear outboard seats, ventilated front seats and a heated steering wheel.
Cutting-edge technology is built into every nook and cranny of the Kona Electric to enhance the driving experience, including several feature upgrades to Hyundai’s standard SmartSense safety suite. These driver safety technologies include Lane Following Assist (LFA), which supplements the Lane Keeping Assist system to detect lane markers and preceding traffic on the road, as well as offering steering assistance to ensure the vehicle stays on the centre of the lane; Blind-Spot Collision-Avoidance Assist (BCA) uses radar sensors on the rear bumper to detect vehicles next to and diagonally behind the Kona Electric at speeds of 20km/h or more; and Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist (RCCA) monitors for traffic on either side of the Kona Electric when reversing out of perpendicular parking spaces at speeds of up to 8km/h.
Not one to do things by halves, a further new feature of the Kona Electric is Leading Vehicle Departure Alert (LVDA), which alerts the driver if they pause a little too long when the vehicle ahead of them starts to move away. There is also Safe Exit Warning (SEW), which warns passengers intending to exit the vehicle if it is not yet safe to do so, and Rear Occupant Alert (ROA), a door-checker feature that registers if the rear doors have been opened prior to departing. At the end of the drive, the car alerts the driver if someone or something is in the back seat when they open the doors.
At $79,990 drive-away for the Entry model and $87,990 for the Elite, when you consider the Kona Electric’s mightily efficient pure electric powertrain and driving range, the cutting-edge design, charging capabilities that were the stuff of dreams when the first generation EVs first came on the scene, and it being very highly specified as standard with its suite of state-of-the-art connectivity, technology and safety, the Series II makes for a very enticing prospect for those on the hunt for a practical and stylish EV. There is also value to be found in the government’s new Clean Car Discount, which provides rebates for electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles registered between the 1st July and the 31st December of this year in a bid to make it more affordable for Kiwis to own an Electric Vehicle. For the Kona Electric Series II, rebates would include up to $8,625 for new vehicles and $3,450 for used.
The Hyundai Kona Electric Series II looks and feels futuristic. Brimming with zippy performance, agile handling and offering state-of-the-art specs that go head-to-head more with the likes of upper segment models, this is the EV to look at. It epitomises the exciting potential of the all-electric era alongside SUV style, and is a worthy new headliner for Hyundai’s quest to make EVs mainstream. In fact, we would go so far as to say, with this clean, efficient and cost-effective beauty, the future feels very much now.
Find out more about the Hyundai Kona Electric Series II.
