Second-gen Hyundai Kona electric makes global debut with 490km range

By Anagh BhaskarHyundai has revealed the new second-gen Kona SUV. Details for the electric-powered car have been revealed, but the Kona currently will arrive with a hybrid, internal combustion engine and sporty N Line variants as well.

The new Hyundai Kona measures 4,355mm which is 150mm longer than the older car. The width and the wheelbase have also been increased by 25mm and 60mm respectively. The car has taken inspiration from Hyundai’s Ioniq family with a clean and aerodynamic appearance. The front gets a full-width LED light strip for all models with the headlamp incorporated lower down. The Kona Electric gets a closed-off grille, with the LED strip featuring a pixelated look and pixel graphic on the grille.

Hyundai has updated the Kona with a new cabin, which looks quite similar to the Ioniq 5 electric SUV. There is a 12.3-inch infotainment display and a 12.3-inch instrument display, both set inside a single panel on the dash. The electric architecture means that the cabin is spacious, much more than ICE-based platforms. The features include a HUD with a 12-inch projection on the windshield, Digital Key 2 Touch, Surround View Monitor, LED lighting, an eight-speaker Bose Premium sound system with Subwoofer, USB-C ports and much more.

The new Hyundai Kona comes armed with ADAS features. This includes the Driver Status Monitor which uses an internal camera to analyze the driver’s face and alert the driver or even intervene if drowsiness is detected. The Smart Parking Assist allows the user to park the vehicle in tight places, moving it forwards or backwards with the simple press of a button. It also gets forward collision avoidance, highway driving assist, lane keep assist, blind-spot collision avoidance, speed limit assist to name a few.

Hyundai is offering a Standard Range battery and a Long Range battery with the Kona. The Standard range uses a 48.4kWh battery pack which powers a single electric motor with 153bhp and 255Nm of torque. The Long Range battery uses a 68.4kWh pack paired with a 215bhp electric motor. Hyundai claims a single charge WLTP certified range of over 490km.

The new Hyundai Kona is capable of Vehicle to Load function and also comes with the i-Pedal (single-pedal) driving mode.

Hyundai currently sells the previous-gen Kona in India only as an EV, and also recently launched the Ioniq 5 electric SUV. It will be some time before Hyundai can provide clarity on the launch of the second-gen Kona here in India.