NEW CAR DEBRIEF
HYUNDAI KONA EV
1 That’s a bit blander than I remember…
It certainly is, particularly at the front, where the grille has nearly disappeared. It’s all about maximum aero, rather than toning down the styling of a quirky looking compact SUV – that’s just a side eect of the need to keep this plug-in electric version as sleek as possible.
2 Give me some electric specs
Called Kona Electric, it comes in two versions, using dierent batteries and electric motors. One, with a 39.2kWh battery, makes 133bhp and does 062mph in 9.3sec, with a range of up to 186 miles. The 64kWh version gets to 62mph in 7.6sec thanks to its 201bhp, and is claimed to manage up to 292 miles.
3 What about charging?
The Kona EV has fast-charging capability, so if you use a 100kW DC charger it’ll take around 54 minutes to gain an 80 per cent charge from empty. Using the on-board 7.2kW charger, the estimate is pinned at around 6h 10m for the shorterrange battery pack and 9h 40m for the long-range version.
4 Anything else I should know?
Due on sale this summer, it comes with loads of kit including an 8-inch nav system with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and seven years of live tra¦ic updates. There’s active safety kit aplenty, and options include a beefy audio system from Krell. Rivals will include the all-electric Volvo XC40 due in 2020.