Is Hyundai's Kona EV the Best Electric Car on the Market?

Kona Electric Highlander, Our New Favourite Car?

When Kona first came out, we liked it for it cheeky looks, good price, and great comfort. Since then, the men in white coats have gotten at it. They’ve ripped out the old fashioned petrol engine and given her a shiny new electric motor, and smart set of batteries, welcome the Kona Electric.

Not only that, but there is a smart new face.

The EV version is not the cheapest Kona, not by a long chalk. You’d need to keep it for many moons in order to recoup your dosh, but that’s not what an EV is about. It is about being able to run all your usual trips, powered by gentle waves, cool breezes, and the gorgeous summer sun. All charging can be offset by renewables.

That will make the pro-coal campaign gnash their crumbling teeth in angst, so another big win for the rest of us.

Above: 2021 Hyundai Kona EV – Highlander Extended Range

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ABOVE: 2021 Hyundai Kona EV – Highlander Extender Range

Soon enough, the rest of the world will have transitioned to green power, leaving coal, oil and even nuclear, behind in a wake of cancer-inducing dust. And that’s where burning stuff should be left, in the past, and the rest, in the ground.

The updates for clever little Kona also brought a new, thriftier driveline option. The shorter-range version costing fewer shekels. The original 150kw/64kwh engine/battery combo is now grandiosely known as the Extended Range. The short-range version is called the Standard Range, for reasons which completely escape us.

Kona will take 100kw charging, so not the fastest in the biz, but more than adequate. It will take around 47minutes per charge. That would add a fair whack to a Sydney-Melbourne drive, but that’s not really what most cars will ever doo, despite their owner’s best intentions.

The cabin

Inside, the look is pure Kona. The only thing that gives away its 12st century propulsion type, are a couple of buttons unique to the EV, and a gear shifter comprising 4 buttons, D, R, N and P.

The 4 outboard seats have heating, and the front seats will also give you cooling wafts of air on a summer day. Winter days are aided by a heated steering wheel.

Driving:

There is almost 500km of range depending on how often you plant your loafer into the Axminster. 1743kg is hefty for such a small car, with the long-range batteries adding a shade over 200kg to the lightest short range Kona EV. It also adds $6,000 to the sticker price. While were talking about price, the Highlander Extended Range had a reduction of $1,500 (Elite) and $2,000 (Highlander) when the short-range models arrived.

Some states get a grant, so that’s worth asking about.

Steering is extremely light, with drive modes adding a bit of pep to performance. On a road trip, you might want to consider Eco, to get a little more pork on your fork. In the bends, the batteries kept Kona firmly on the ground, but there was no doubting that extra weight over the ICE versions, when cornering briskly.

150kw is frisky at the best of times, but 395Nm gets Kona off the mark faster than most of those rather limp petrol engines. It is accompanied by a pleasing whine from within the nether regions.

Charging:

There is a lot of planning that comes with owning an EV, not the least being charging. Car retailers usually sidestep the issue, giving buyers the Pollyanna view. It usually goes something like this: most people only do 30-40kms a day blah blah blah. If you have an outlet at home, charging times are huge, and are 47minutes on the fastest stations. Plan to do a spot of shopping while you’re tethered, and you probably won’t even notice.

Conclusion:

Kona was a ton of fun.

Smart buyers will get surprisingly cheap charging deals, but the thing that surprised me most was that a couple of dudes in slammed classics gave Kona EV the thumbs up.

Price: Highlander EV Extended Range

Engine: 150kw electric motor

Power: 150kw/395Nm

Trans: Single Speed Reduction Gear

Battery: 64kWh

Range: 557km (484km wtlp – we achieved 496km approx.)

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