[Taboleo] Full Change with Stability as Well as Appearance... Forget the Dark Past

Test Drive of Hyundai's New Kona
Bigger than Previous Kona
Interior Space More Spacious than Niro
Replaced with Chinese CATL Battery
Improved Blind Spot Detection
Price Around Mid-30 Million KRW with Tax Benefits and Subsidies

Hyundai's compact sport utility vehicle (SUV), the Kona, is a model that is more recognized overseas than domestically. The first generation, which was launched in Korea in 2017, ranked third in domestic car exports the following year and then held the top export spot for four consecutive years from 2019 to last year. Approximately 200,000 units are loaded onto export ships annually to advanced markets such as Europe and the United States.

The company's expectations for the newly released second-generation Kona, which was recently launched domestically first, are likely similar. Especially considering that the first-generation Kona electric vehicle was an ill-fated model that was discontinued early in Korea due to battery fires, the new Kona electric vehicle must have product competitiveness good enough to make people forget past mistakes. Can the new model fulfill such a role? Recently, I drove for about three hours from Hanam, Gyeonggi Province to Sokcho, Gangwon Province.

[Taboleo] Full Change with Stability as Well as Appearance... Forget the Dark Past

Hyundai Motor's New Kona Electric Vehicle

Kona vs. Niro, which is bigger?

△In a situation where several models have already been made using dedicated electric vehicle platforms, it is reasonable to wonder whether it is appropriate to mix various drivetrain systems as Kona does. Since battery volume and weight are considerable and the power transmission system is completely different from internal combustion engines, it is common for recent electrified models to apply dedicated platforms. The new Kona was designed with the entire structure completed keeping in mind that it would be launched as a pure electric vehicle. This means that the internal combustion engine model was not developed first and then derived into an electric vehicle, but it was assumed from the start that it would be developed and mass-produced as an electric vehicle.

The overall impression of the exterior follows the recent Hyundai design language. The front features horizontal lamps in a straight line shape, giving a futuristic car impression. Unlike the internal combustion engine model, square pixel points are applied in various places on the front grille and front and rear bumpers. The wheels can be 19-inch with an electric vehicle-exclusive design.

Hyundai New Kona Electric Interior

Compared to the existing Kona, the length has increased by 175 mm and the height by 20 mm. Compared to the Kia Niro electric vehicle, which uses the same platform and can be considered a "sibling car," the length and wheelbase are about 60 mm smaller. Nevertheless, the interior space is efficiently arranged, and the legroom and shoulder room are actually more spacious than the Niro. Even adults hardly feel uncomfortable in the rear seats.

While the trunk for luggage is larger in the Niro, the front trunk (frunk) is slightly more spacious in the Kona. The mesh-type headrest is applied for the first time by Hyundai, and despite its rough appearance, it is quite comfortable. For the electric vehicle, when choosing the interior, an eco package can be selected that uses eco-friendly leather or recycled materials.

Hyundai Motor's New Kona Electric Vehicle

The much-discussed Kona battery, is it okay now?

△Compared to the first-generation Kona, the output is the same. Torque has been slightly reduced, but since it is an electric vehicle, there is no feeling of lacking initial acceleration. The driving range per charge has improved by more than 20% for the base model and slightly for the long-range model. This seems to be due to the increased battery capacity and the aerodynamic design. The battery used in the domestically released model is from the Chinese manufacturer CATL. The first-generation Kona, which suffered from fires, used LG batteries.

During this test drive, the initial charge state was 95%, and the driving range was 410 km. After driving about 170 km to Sokcho, the battery capacity dropped to 54%, and the driving range decreased to 212 km. The energy consumption recorded on the trip meter was 6.9 km per kWh, exceeding the official fuel efficiency (combined 4.8 km/kWh, based on 19-inch tires). The air conditioner temperature was set to 22 degrees from start to finish, and the ventilated seats were set to the highest level not only for the driver's seat but also for the empty passenger seat, consuming a considerable amount of battery. Considering that the driving mode was mostly set to sport and I was holding the steering wheel, I got the impression that the power was used quite efficiently.

Although there was no opportunity to charge separately during this test drive, the heat pump system reportedly minimizes driving range loss in winter. The conditioning function that enhances battery charging performance has been improved to be usable not only in winter but also in hot summers. This function was linked to destination settings and operated accordingly, but from now on, it can be easily turned on and off at any time, which seems useful.

Hyundai Motor's New Kona Electric Vehicle

Curious about new features.

△By adding a front-side radar, the ability to recognize blind spots such as bicycles, pedestrians, and motorcycles, as well as vehicles ahead, has improved. The highway driving assist function has evolved to assist lane changes in conjunction with navigation information. The cruise control function, which maintains a constant speed and distance from the vehicle ahead, is also convenient as it is based on navigation road information.

In particular, when entering or exiting the highway, the vehicle judges the road curvature, reduces speed by itself, and increases speed to the set level when merging onto a straight road. A function that prevents the vehicle charging door from freezing due to snow in winter by generating heat from the inside to open easily has also been applied for the first time.

Hyundai New Kona Electric Interior

Is an electric vehicle in the low 30 million won range possible?

△When the new Kona was released earlier this year, there was much discussion about the price increase. Many said it was too high even considering the larger size and added features. The new Kona electric vehicle seems to have set prices with this controversy in mind. When applying the 3.5% individual consumption tax, the long-range base model is about 49.68 million won, and the high-end trim is about 53.24 million won.

The standard model is only available as a base model at about 46.55 million won. With electric vehicle tax benefits of around 2 million won expected to be finalized this month and government subsidies considered, the standard model is expected to be in the low to mid-30 million won range, and the long-range base model in the mid-30 million won range. Compared to the Niro electric vehicle, it is about 1 million won cheaper at most.