The EV revolution in India was on halt two years ago until Hyundai announced the Kona EV. Hyundai was appreciated to take this bold step and introduce the first long-range EV in India. Everyone knew that a crossover smaller than the Creta and at price over 25 lakh won't be an easy sell. But Hyundai, unintentionally, sparked the crossover EV segment and it led to many new electric vehicles. Today we will be telling you everything about the Hyundai Kona EV in its first look review.
Hyundai Kona EV First Look Review - Exteriors
Hyundai Kona EV is a distinctive looking crossover - largely thanks to the flat pseudo grille at the front. The Kona EV measures 4180mm in length, 1800mm in width, 1570mm in height and offer a wheelbase of 2600mm. The dimensions of the Kona EV are compact and not comparable to other crossovers and SUVs of its segment. The design of the Hyundai Kona is very EV-esque. A flat faux grille sits on the front and is flanked by split headlights. Hyundai Kona EV was the crosser which stared the spilt headlight set up as the main LED headlight sits on the bumper.
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The side profile of the Kona gets beefy wheel arches along with rather large black cladding. The cladding and presence of roof rails improve its crossover appeal. The Kona EV rides on aero wheels which have low rolling resistance and helps to increase the driving range. The rear of the Kona EV gets split taillamps design and the rear tyres' cladding goes all the way to the back merges with the taillights.
Hyundai Kona EV First Look Review - Interiors and Features
The interiors of the Hyundai Kona EV are conventional but some elements are EV specific. The dashboard sports a flowing design and it also offers a lot of features. Thanks to the electric propulsion, there is no gear lever and it gets a ride by wire technology. Talking about the interior space, there isn't much to brag for. As the battery is placed underneath the floor, the seating is quite high and you sit in a knee-up position. The rear legroom is quite low and cars at this price offer much better rear-seat experience.
Hyundai Kona EV doesn't lack any comfort features and offers in plenty. The Kona EV offers features like supervision digital instrument cluster, 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment with Android Auto and Apple Car Play, wireless charging, ventilated seats, electric sunroof, cruise control, tilt & telescopic steering, electric driver's seat and many more features. Safety features include six airbags, ABS, EBD, VSM, ESP, hill assist, ISOFIX seats, virtual engine sound etc.
Hyundai Kona EV First Look Review - Powertrain and performance
Hyundai Kona EV is offered in two battery pack options but in India, we get the smaller one. The Kona EV is powered by a 39.2kWh battery pack which powers the electric motor. The power output of the Kona EV is 136PS and 395 Nm of torque whereas the claimed range is 452 km. To save energy, Kona also offers three-level regenerative braking and Eco, City and Sport modes. If you have access to a DC fast charger, the Kona EV can be juiced up to 80% in less than an hour. If charged with the AC wall box charger, it will take around 6 odd hours to get fully charged.
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Hyundai Kona EV First Look Review - Price and Rivals
Hyundai Kona EV is not a mass-market car that reflects its price. Hyundai brought the Kona EV through the CKD route and that did help to take the price down considerably. Hyundai Kona EV is priced at Rs 23,75,900 for the single tone variant whereas the dual-tone trim is priced at Rs 23,94,649. Hyundai offers the Kona EV in five colour options - Polar White, Typhoon Silver, Marina Blue, Phantom Black and Polar White dual-tone.
