Berlin, Germany — While some carmakers are struggling to put to market an actual EV that makes sense, others, like Hyundai, are far ahead of the curve when it comes to selling the right electric car to the right consumer.
The humble little Kona is a great example of this. Up to this day, it’s still the only subcompact crossover (except for its Kia Niro and Soul corporate cousins) to be offered in a fully electric variant.
And to Hyundai’s credit, the last-generation Kona was a sales hit, especially in Canada, where more than 20,000 of the models sold were electric. Understanding the rising popularity of EVs, the South-Korean giant therefore decided that for the Kona’s second generation, it would be wise to kick off the lineup not with the gasoline version, but with the Kona Electric. Here’s a first look at the 2024 Hyundai Kona in Berlin during its world launch.
Still Not Fully Unveiled
It must be said though that Hyundai hasn’t unveiled the full 2024 Kona lineup just yet. In Berlin, we were presented with the electric version first and an N Line later, although Hyundai had no information to share about the latter. As a matter of fact, nobody told us anything about the Kona’s gas-fed models.
The focus was obviously on the one that emits no tailpipe emissions. Visually, the new Kona has a much more striking design than before, with one large LED strip that spans the car’s front fascia from left to right.
More upscale with larger dimensions for 2024
It all looks considerably more upscale and sophisticated. We have soft spot for the Kona’s illusion of extended fender flares, one of the many design cues from Hyundai chief of design SangYup Lee, who recently won the 2023 World Car Person of the Year by the World Car Awards (WCA) jury panel.
Here’s a closer look at the Kona’s 2024 redesign.
This Kona rides on the same platform as before, but with a stretched wheelbase to help it better compete with now larger rivals. This also greatly improves rear legroom, which was one of the old Kona’s main letdowns. And once inside, passengers are greeted by a much more technologically advanced cabin thanks to a large digital tablet that spans the dashboard, like in an IONIQ 5.
Similar Kona Specifications, Perhaps
Hyundai didn’t unveil the Kona Electric’s full specifications, but we do know that its battery capacity has grown from 64 to 65.4 kWh. Horsepower from the front-mounted electric motor was also slightly increased to 160 kW, which translates to 214 horsepower, 13 more than before. EPA range wasn’t confirmed by Hyundai, but it did mention 490 km as per WLTP evaluations. We can therefore a slight bump from 415 to 430 km, but we’ll need to wait for official North American range numbers.
The new Kona is a much sleeker crossover than before, one that sees its drag coefficient drop from 0.29 to 0.27. One area where it unfortunately doesn’t evolve is in its fast-charging capabilities, where it’s still locked in a 100 kW. That’s low compared to more modern offerings, notably Hyundai’s very own IONIQ 5 which can reach up to 350 kW on a level 3 fast charger. But Hyundai did hint at the fact that the new Kona’s over the air update capabilities could allow it to gain more charging power in the future.
Lastly, there’s now V2L technology borrowed from the IONIQ 5. Using the car’s charge port, the Kona can transfer up to 3.5 kW of electricity outbound to power electronic devices, another electric car, a house and even give energy back to the grid if you’re adequately equipped to do so at home.
This is all we know so far about the 2024 Hyundai Kona which should unveil the rest of its information at the New York Auto Show, scheduled in April. Stay tuned for the full picture.
