Earlier this month, we had our first alternative to drive the 2024 Hyundai Kona. It’s larger, roomier and higher at hauling cargo than the outgoing mannequin, however the powertrains just about carry over from the previous-generation automobile. That is not the case with the 2024 Hyundai Kona Electrical, which will get a extra vital overhaul of its powertrain lineup.
There are actually two motor and battery mixtures obtainable, roughly paralleling the gasoline choices in the usual automobile. There’s a brand new entry-level, 133-horsepower motor mated to a 48.6 kWh battery with 197 miles of vary after which a bigger, 201-horsepower motor paired to a 64.8 kWh battery, which Hyundai says is sweet for 260 miles. Both method, it’s front-wheel-drive solely.
Should you’re accustomed to the outgoing Kona Electrical, that 201-horsepower determine ought to ring a bell, because it’s the identical output as final 12 months. Nonetheless, the torque output decreased significantly, from 291 pound-feet to simply 188. The bottom motor produces the identical 188 kilos of twist twist, for no matter that’s price. The Kona’s improve motor can also be the identical unit present in its platform mate, the Kia Niro EV, and like that automobile, the brand new Kona Electrical nonetheless makes use of 400-volt structure. The E-GMP platform utilized by the Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 6 packs an 800-volt setup.
Whereas this makes no distinction in any respect in the best way the Kona drives, this can be a cost velocity bottleneck; don’t count on vital enhancements over the outgoing automobile; charging from 10 to 80% on a degree 2 dwelling setup ought to take simply over 5 hours for the smaller battery and 6:15 for the bigger; each can high off on a degree 3 fast-charger in roughly 43 minutes, Hyundai says. A max cost charge is not specified by Hyundai, however the cost time suggests it is just like the Kia Niro EV that tops out at 85 kW.
The brand new Kona Electrical hasn’t launched simply but, however Hyundai shipped a pair of pre-production prototypes in from the mothership for us to pattern throughout a break in our analysis of the usual mannequin. The loop arrange for us was fairly quick, however its meandering route via Baltimore County horse nation was nonetheless informative.
For starters, it’s quiet. Hyundai informed us that lowering wind and street noise was pretty excessive on the corporate’s precedence checklist for the redesigned Kona. It’s apparent that an excessive amount of that effort went into the EV mannequin, which might’t depend on the thrum of a petroleum-burning engine to assist drown out undesirable frequencies. It’s an eerie transition from the gasoline mannequin to the Electrical; the latter is much extra serene.
However let’s get to the half you’re itching to listen to about: the torque. I’m relieved to report that whereas it has misplaced its inclination towards one-tire fires, the Kona Electrical nonetheless has greater than sufficient oomph to do the job. Pulling away from a cease signal simply 100 ft from a blind curve on this a part of the nation usually ends in a rearview mirror filled with pickup truck; even with out the additional grunt, the Kona can flip that speedy closing distance right into a stalemate within the blink of a watch.
For higher or worse, the Kona Electrical was already heavy. One upside to an already-heavy automobile is that it tends to soak up weight achieve a bit extra gracefully. In different phrases, whereas the gasoline mannequin feels clearly heavier than its predecessor, the Electrical actually doesn’t. And as with most EVs, you are feeling it most below braking. The experience is well-controlled and the dealing with surprisingly crisp; simply don’t get too aggressive together with your following distances as a cease signal on the backside of a steep, winding hill can sneak up actually quick.
With a number of months left to bake, the Kona Electrical appears promising. Hyundai hasn’t introduced pricing or closing specs but, however at most, we count on the bottom Electrical to be solely barely costlier than the gasoline-powered Restricted. Count on the 133-horsepower mannequin to checklist for below $35,000, with the 201-horsepower model pushing north towards $40,000.
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