Hyundai has unveiled more details of its all-new Kona Electric for 2023 and it aims to provide the most comprehensive EV in the B-SUV segment. The new Kona has upscaled not just in size but also in tech features, power output and also battery range.
Kona has grown up and it’s more aerodynamic
In terms of dimensions, the new Kona Electric is overall bigger at 4,355mm long (Current Kona: 4,205mm), 1,825mm wide (Current Kona:1,800mm) and 1,575mm tall (Current Kona: 1,570mm). Even the wheelbase is longer at 2,660mm (Current Kona: 2,600mm).
As a result, the new compact Hyundai EV is more spacious for rear occupants with 77mm extra legroom and 11mm extra headroom compared to the previous Kona. Even the boot capacity has increased by 40% from the current measly 332 litres to 466 litres. There’s also a front trunk (frunk) but it looks quite tiny. Despite being a larger SUV, the new Kona is more aerodynamic boasting a coefficient of drag of 0.27 which is a significant improvement from 0.29 of its predecessor.
All-new Kona boasts up to 490km of driving range
The EV drivetrain of the new Kona has been upgraded as well. The standard range model has an electric motor that pushes 114.6kW (about 154hp) of power and 255Nm of torque, and it’s paired with a 48.4kWh battery. Meanwhile, the long-range option gets a more powerful 160kW (about 215hp) motor that also has the same 255Nm of torque, but it gets a bigger 65.4kWh battery which boasts up to 490km of driving range based on the WLTP cycle.
As a comparison, the current Kona Electric e-Max has a single motor pushing 201hp and 395Nm of torque. Meanwhile, the battery is a slightly smaller 64kW unit with a rated electric range of 484km on the WLTP cycle. Unlike the E-GMP-based Hyundai EVs like the Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 6, the all-new Kona still uses a 400V architecture.
Although Hyundai didn’t provide any AC and DC charging rates, it revealed that a 10-80% charge takes 41 minutes with a “fast charger”. As a comparison, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 which uses an 800V architecture can push 10-80% charge in just 18 minutes when connected to a 350kW DC fast charger.
New tech features carried over from the Ioniq family
Being an all-new model for 2023, the Kona is packed with almost everything you want from a modern EV. The dashboard features two 12.3″ panoramic displays similar to the Ioniq 5 which also supports Blind-Spot View Monitor. For a more practical interior, Hyundai has used physical push-buttons and knobs for most of the vehicle’s vital controls. The new Kona is also equipped with Hyundai’s SmartSense Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) which include forward collision-avoidance assist, remote smart parking assist, lane keeping assist, lane following assist and highway driving assist. Like the previous Kona, it also supports i-Pedal mode and the new Kona now gets a twisty stalk gear selector behind the steering wheel similar to the newer Ioniq EVs. Depending on the region, the Kona also comes with a heads-up display which is great for navigation without taking your eyes off the road.
Similar to the Ioniq series, the new Kona also supports Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) function which allows you to power up your home appliances from the EV’s battery. There’s an adapter that can be plugged into the charging port at the front of the vehicle and a power socket located below the rear aircon vents. To charge your devices, the new Kona Electric has two USB-C ports along with a 12V socket and a wireless charging pad up front.
For an upmarket-looking interior, the new Kona also gets ambient lighting and there’s also a relaxation comfort seat option which is great for taking a short break while charging the EV. Also included is an eight-speaker Bose Premium Sound System and a subwoofer. To maximise space for rear occupants, it also gets a flat floor and the reclining rear seat gets a “curveless bench”. The rear boot has a power tailgate and the new Kona also has a Digital Key 2 Touch option which lets you unlock your car via NFC using your smartphone or smartwatch.
The current Kona Electric is one of the best EV options you can buy in Malaysia for less than RM200,000. With the new improvements, it would be interesting to see if Hyundai Sime Darby Motors would maintain the sub-RM200,00 price tag for the latest Kona 2023, considering that the base model of the much larger Ioniq 5 is currently priced at RM207,808.
You can check out the all-new Kona electric promo video below:
Related reading
- All-new Kona 2023: Hyundai’s compact EV has grown up
- Hyundai Ioniq 5 Max in Malaysia loses solar roof but gains a head-up display for 2023
- Hyundai Ioniq 5 will be the first EV assembled in Singapore, first 100 units released as special edition
- Ioniq 6: Hyundai’s most efficient EV is coming soon to Malaysia, up to 614km range on a single charge
