Hyundai Kona Electric: First impression

Hyundai Philippines has stepped into the electric vehicle segment in the country by launching not one but two fully electric cars - Hyundai Ioniq Electric and Hyundai Kona Electric. Both the cars were launched at the 2019 Manila International Auto Show (MIAS) which was being held at the World Trade Centre in Metro Manila. We already talked about what we think of the Ioniq Electric. In this story, we are going to focus on Kona Electric.

Exterior

Just like the Ioniq Electric, Hyundai hasn’t tampered much with the overall design and style of the Kona Electric, and why should it? The Kona is already a fantastic looking car, right? However, to differentiate between the petrol powered and fully electric model, there are a few highlighting features. First up is the front fascia. Hyundai has covered up the front grille and air intakes on the Kona Electric as there is no engine installed under the hood. A covered body replaces the grille and air intake parts with a unique and beautiful pattern. And for the placement of the brand’s logo, Hyundai cleverly used a matte silver-like thin horizontal slat that runs in between the two headlights and carries the emblem at the centre.

To make sure the new front fascia doesn’t spoil the car’s look, Hyundai also tweaked the front bumper. It is smoother and looks more neatly done. The lower part has an aerodynamic design to channel air to the side of the car.

Another new element that we found quite interesting in the new Hyundai Kona Electric is the alloy wheels. Hyundai changed the design to keep things fresh, and it worked. The new alloy wheels are more stylish than before and somehow goes very well with the overall design of the car. Hyundai is also offering a dual tone color scheme with the Kona Electric.

Interior

Things inside the Kona Electric are expected to be very similar to that of the petrol-powered Kona. We can say this because Hyundai has not done any considerable changes in the interior of the Ioniq Electric. There is an all-black interior theme with a hint of silver at some places. Materials used here are of high quality. The cabin space is also commendable, especially for the rear passengers. There is a sizeable floating-type infotainment screen which is one of the highlighting features of the Kona Electric. Overall, things in the cabin are well put together and would be sufficient to keep you happy.

There is one significant change in the interior of the Kona Electric when compared to that of the regular Kona. Hyundai has removed the gear lever and replaced it with button type shift-by-wire located on the center console. You can switch between forward, neutral, reverse and park by merely using the buttons. The electric parking brake can be found here as well.

Power source and range

Hyundai Kona Electric specs show a 64 kWh Li-ion battery pack and a Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor which produces 204 PS of max power and 394 Nm of torque. This setup pulls the car from 0 to 100 kmph in just 7.6 seconds and gives it a top speed of 167 kmph. Just like in case of any other electric vehicle, we are curious to know about the range of the Kona Electric. Hyundai says that on a full charge, the electric SUV can cover up to 482 km which, of course, depends on various factors. It takes 54 minutes to charge the batteries from dead to 80% by using a fast charger. However, if you’d use a standard charger, then it will take around 9 hours 35 minutes to get the job done.

We appreciate and applaud Hyundai Philippines bold move of introducing its first electric vehicles (Kona Electric and Ioniq Electric) in the country. It’s another step forward in the electric future. However, we doubt the current infrastructure of our country to provide the necessary support to electric vehicles at this moment.

The Hyundai Kona Electric price starts at Php 2,388,000 which is Php 11,88,000 expensive than the petrol-powered model. Hyundai has invested a lot in this vehicle with a hope to give them a better future in the Philippines.