Hyundai Kona Electric unveiled, first all-electric SUV to go on sale in Europe



Hyundai Motor’s new Global Compact SUV, the Hyundai Kona has just received an all-electric powertrain. The Kona Electric will be the first all-electric compact SUV to go on sale on the European market.

At a glance, the Kona Electric looks no different from the regular petrol variant. Upon closer inspection, the electrified SUV now sits 20 mm taller and is longer by 15 mm compared to the regular Kona. The front also gets a more angular sculpture for better aerodynamic efficiency.

The Kona Electric is available with a two-tone roof as standard – seven exterior colours in combination with three roof colours, giving a total of 21 exterior styling.

Inside, the Kona Electric gets an exclusive seven-inch supervision cluster display with electric specific gauges such as battery charge level, energy flow and drive mode. The only compromise with the electrified Kona is a slightly smaller boot space at 332 litres compared to 360 litres on the petrol variant. This is to accommodate a dedicated storage space for the charging cable. Other than that, interior trims and specifications ditto the petrol version.

The Kona Electric is available in two configurations: a long-range version with 64 kWh battery pack and a basic version with 39.2 kWh battery pack. The long-range Kona’s electric motor delivers 150 kW (201 hp) and has a theoretical range of 470 km. The basic version packs 99 kW (132 hp) and an all-electric range of 299 km.

Both versions of the Kona Electric packs 395 Nm of twisting force and has a rated top speed of 167 km/h. Charging the lithium-ion polymer battery up to 80 percent only takes about 54 minutes using a 100 kW direct current (DC) fast charger. Charging port is located next to the front Hyundai Emblem.

Hyundai SmartSense advanced driving assistance technology comes as standard which bundles Smart Adaptive Cruise Control with Stop & Go function, Autonomous Emergency Braking with Pedestrian Detection, Lane Departure Warning System with Lane Keep Assist, Blind-Spot Detection with Rear Cross-Traffic Alert, Driver Attention Warning and Speed Limit Information Function.


IMAGE GALLERY

Hyundai Kona Electric

Hyundai Kona Turbo Petrol