Fully electric Kona EV is back with upgrades after 2-year break

Industry

Published: 07 Mar. 2023, 12:53

Fully electric Kona EV is back with upgrades after 2-year break

Kona Electric [HYUNDAI MOTOR]

The Kona EV is making a comeback after two years with a futuristic exterior design and more sophisticated features.

Hyundai Motor world-premiered the Kona Electric Tuesday, a fully electric version of the latest Kona SUV that was introduced in Korea earlier in January.

It's the revival of the electric SUV, two years after it was discontinued in April 2021 after a series of fire incidents.

Equipped with a 64.8-kilowatt-hour battery, the SUV can run 410 kilometers (255 miles) on a single charge, according to the Ministry of Environment.

That is the best mileage out of any small-size SUV available in Korea, Hyundai said.

The horizontal LED headlamp and the sculpted wheel arch armor and parametric surfaces offer a sharp, futuristic look.

The interior of the Kona Electric [HYUNDAI MOTOR]

The new Kona hits the ground running with Highway Driving Assist 2 (HDA 2), which helps drivers maintain a safe distance from the vehicle ahead and assists in passing slower vehicles.

The system is only available in the Kona Electric, not in the gasoline or hybrid versions.

The SUV also comes with a vehicle-to-load (V2L) function that allows the car to provide electricity to other devices without additional equipment, with both interior and exterior outlets for convenience. Inside, devices can be plugged into a standard outlet on the rear center console when the EV itself is on. Outside, devices and home appliances can be plugged in using a V2L adapter to use battery power when the car is parked.

“Kona Electric will play a major role alongside our Ioniq models in reinforcing Hyundai’s EV leadership," said Hyundai Motor CEO Chang Jae-hoon.

Kona Electric will be exhibited at the Seoul Mobility Show, which kicks off on March 31 at Kintex in Gyeonggi.

The sticker price and other details will be announced later.

It will start sales in Korea in April, in Europe in the third quarter and in the United States in the fourth quarter.