Against all odds, the new electric Hyundai Kona is actually better than expected

Unveiled a few months ago, the electric Hyundai Kona has a longer range than the manufacturer had initially announced. Thus, the SUV could travel more than 500 kilometers on a single charge, compared to the planned 490 kilometers.

Like all manufacturers, Hyundai is slowly preparing to become a 100% electric brand, in accordance with the will of the European Union. For this, the firm is preparing the launch of five models and already offers several, including the Kona, which offered an electric version in 2018. Last December, a new generation was officially unveiledwith some improvements.

Promise kept

This one, which we had the chance to discover in preview, is available in two electric versions, with 156 and 218 horsepower. Powers up compared to the previous generation, which then had to be satisfied with 204 horses. The torque has also been modified, now displayed at 255 Nm. But these are not the only changes that have been made.

Of course, what interests most buyers of electric cars is above all autonomy. Indeed, this point is still an obstacle for many customers. And good news, it has also been revised upwards. The SUV is equipped with two different batteries, 48.4 and 65.4 kWhcompared to 39 and 64 kWh respectively previously.

Changes for the better, since the SUV is now approved to be able to travel no less than 490 kilometers according to the European cycle WLTP. As a reminder, the previous version peaked at 484 kilometers in a single charge. But if these figures are already very promising, they would in fact be even better than expected. In any case, this is what the journalists ofClean Automotive.

The latter were contacted by a reader who was able to discover the SUV in the Netherlands, where it has already been marketed recently. And looking in detail at the technical specifications, we realize that the Kona Electric actually performs better than advertisedwith increased autonomy compared to the first official communications.

A reasonable consumption

Indeed, the Dutch brochure announces that the SUV can travel up to 377 kilometers in the combined cycle with the “small” battery, against 342 kilometers announced. And it is not a question of the certification cycle that differs, since the WLTP is used everywhere in Europe, in France as well as in the Netherlands. For its part, the variant with the largest pack can finally travel up to 514 kilometers.

A nice development for the new Kona, which also gives some information on its consumption. This remains rather reasonable, since it is displayed at 14.6 kWh/100 kilometers approx.. A figure that varies according to the size of the battery and the power chosen. Be careful, however, because it climbs to 16.6 kWh on the 160 kW version with 19-inch rims.

As we know, wheel size has a significant impact on the range of electric cars. On the Tesla Model Y, one of its main rivals, the 20-inch rims can travel 430 kilometers, while the 19-inch ones bring the range to 455 kilometers WLTP. These are distinguished by a more aerodynamic design and are standard on the electric SUV.

As a reminder, recharging the new Kona electric requires 41 minutes to go from 10 to 80%compared to 47 minutes for the previous version while the maximum charging power is limited to 103 kW direct current. The SUV is also equipped with two-way charging. For now, the French prices have not yet been announced but they should be around 40,000 euros, while it starts at 39,995 euros in the Netherlands according to the brand’s website.

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