Hyundai Unveils Kona Electric

Hyundai has taken the wraps off its second fully electric vehicle and its first fully electric SUV, the Kona Electric. In profile, it looks almost identical to its ICE-powered sibling but what sets it apart is the closed grille and the 17-inch alloys that are specific to the Kona Electric.

The all-electric SUV comes with two battery options and two states of tune. The 39.2kWh battery option makes 135PS of max power and provides a maximum range of 300km on a single charge whereas the version with the 64kWh battery pack makes 204PS of max power and has a maximum range of 470km on a full charge. Both versions, though, employ the same motor that makes a peak torque of 395Nm and has a top speed of 167kmph.

The 39.3kWh battery pack has a charging time of 6 hours and 10 minutes via a standard AC outlet but can be charged up to 80 per cent via a 100kW DC fast charger in just 54 minutes. The fast-charging times remain identical for the larger battery pack; however, it takes 8 hours and 40 minutes for it to charge fully from a standard AC outlet.

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Hyundai claims to have optimized the use of space in the Kona by integrating the battery packs into the platform itself rather than placing them separately inside the vehicle. This means the cabin and boot space should be more or less identical in the standard and electric models.

Inside, the Kona gets a fully digital dashboard, heads-up display and a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment display that supports Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and Bluetooth connectivity. An option of an 8-inch navigation screen is also available, which includes a year-long subscription to LIVE services that offers real time information regarding traffic, weather and speed cameras (if legally allowed). Other features in the cabin include wireless inductive charging and a high-end sound system by Krell.

It also features a host of active safety features like Smart Cruise Control with stop and go assist (that makes use of radar sensors and works up to speeds of 180kmph), Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist with pedestrian detection, lane keeping assist and lane follow assist along with blind-spot detection, rear cross traffic collision warning and driver attention warning. It also gets six airbags in total which includes curtain airbags on either side.

The Kona EV is expected to arrive in India by 2019 as hinted by Hyundai (click here to watch our video). We expect some if not all of the active safety systems to make it to our shores as the Indian government has relaxed the restrictions on usage of radar-guided systems by cars in the past couple of years. When launched it will help Hyundai cement its position as a serious EV carmaker in one of its biggest markets. Plus, the fact that the Kona is an SUV should help it find some willing buyers.