Hyundai unveils Kona pricing, as first compact electric SUV launched in Australia

Australians now officially have another electric vehicle to choose from thanks to South Korean carmaker Hyundai.

The all-electric long-range Kona compact SUV, with a 64kWh battery and a 449km “real” range, has been officially launched, joining its stablemate, the all-electric Ioniq that hit the market in late 2018.

The Ioniq became the first battery electric vehicle in Australia with a decent range to be priced under $50,000.

The Kona EV will be more expensive, given the bigger battery, and will start from $59,990 before on road costs for the Elite version and $64,990 for the Highlander.

It is another landmark development for the Australian EV market, where customers have been starved of available options because of the lack of models.

Until the Ioniq, the range has been limited to Tesla Model S and X, the electric BMW, and the new Jaguar I-Pace. More models, including the Tesla Model 3 and the new Nissan Leaf, are expected to arrive in July and August.

Overall passenger car sales in Australia have fallen 21 per cent, with speculation that customers are holding off on new purchases while they wait for their favourite EV option.

A recent Roy Morgan survey confirmed this, and the Kona is significant because compact SUVs are one of the few bright spots in the market, although most ICE (internal combustion engine) versions are much cheaper than the Kona electric.

Both the Hyundai electric cars features a max power output of 150kW, acceleration from 0-100km/hr in 7.6 seconds, a maximum speed of 167km.hr and the ability to recharge at a top rate of 100kW using a DC fast charger. Alternatively, customers can buy a 7.2kW charging adaptor for use at home or work .

This means that drivers will be able to charge the li-ion battery from 0-80% in under an hour (54 minutes to be precise) with the fast charger, and 9 hours 35 minutes at home or work using Hyundai’s optional home charger.

Drivers who don’t opt for the home charger can use instead ICCB-cable (in-cable control box) that Hyundai provides with the vehicle.

The 150kW power from the motor is more than any current Kona offers, delivering 375Nm peak torque for a fun a quick drive.

The release for the Kona Electric has been slightly delayed, although Hyundai remains tight-lipped about the real reason for this. Reportedly, one factor holding its release on the Australian market until early April is the tuning of special suspension for Australia’s “uniquely challenging situations”.

A team of specialist engineers fine-tuned the Kona EV’s MacPherson Strut front and independent multi-link rear suspension after testing on local roads, ensuring its calibration for the low-riding centre of gravity of the electric vehicle.

Hyundai Australia’s senior manager for product planning Andrew Tuitahi said in a statement that “the low centre of mass brings lots of benefits that seem obvious, but also many challenges that were new to us.”

“This demanded different damper design and spring choices, to the end that Kona Electric shares very little in its ride and handling package with its petrol-powered sibling.”

“The Kona Electric powertrain and weight distribution required a very different approach to tuning compared with the conventionally engined Kona, and naturally defined a different brief,” Tuitahi said.

With a choice of 3 different driving modes – Normal, Eco and Eco+ the all-electric Kona is driven with a shift-by-wire system that adjusts the electric powertrain to suit everyday driving needs.

Paddles just behind the steering wheel allow the driver to control the amount of regenerative braking – the left paddle will halt the car completely. This allows for what is becoming known in the EV-world as “one-pedal” driving.

Smart sensors in the front of the vehicle combine with the regen system to assist with maximum energy recuperation in heavy traffic.

The Kona has an ICE equivalent, but does not have the same grille. It is available in five colours (Galactic Grey, Phantom Black, Ceramic Blue, Pulse Red, Lake Silver and Chalk White), with metallic options costing an extra $595.

Talking of extras – while electric cars do have considerably less maintenance costs compared to ICE vehicles, Hyundai still provides a service plan that costs $165 per service over five years.

It also comes with a battery warranty that is valid for 8 years or 160,000 kilometres.

Both versions of the all-electric Kona come with a decent array of driver assist features and other specifications (see below), with the Highlander offering an additional front park assist features, as well as neat inclusions like heated seats and sunroof.

It also has a nifty “heads up display” which is a clear display above the driver’s side dash that allows the driver to view basic information like speed and battery status.

The Driven will deliver its own driving review next week when we test out the all-electric Kona SUV.