Hyundai hits 100,000 mark for Kona Electric sales

South Korean car maker Hyundai says it has sold more than 100,000 Kona pure Electric crossovers since it brought the vehicle to market just over two years ago. Sales reached 103,719 units as at June 30.

The $59,900 Hyundai Kona Electric had a successful debut in Australia last year, becoming the country’s favourite electric crossover and second most popular electric vehicle after the Tesla Model 3, and has won an impressive pile of accolades and awards (pricing is before on-road costs).

It swept the automotive category in 2019 at the Good Design Awards, and won the “Green Car of the Year” award from the West Australian, and was also included, somewhat ironically, on Wards Auto’s 10 best engines list, and was named “Affordable Electric Car of the Year” by Auto Express.

Overseas, it was named 2019 North American Utility Vehicle of the Year, and Best Sub Compact SUV by Car and Driver magazine, and it has also won several awards in Europe including the UK’s “Next Green Car Awards” and Spain’s “Best Car the Year” in 2018.

In Australia it was the first EV to earn five stars for safety from safety body ANCAP, and it has proven its worth in the Australian landscape for numerous owners who congratulate the 64kWh Kona Electric for delivering on its stated 449km driving range and towing ability.

Of the global total for the electric Kona, some 745 sales have been made in Australia, well behind the Tesla Model 3, while 620 have come from the New Zealand market, where it ranks a closer second to the Model 3 (888) in total new pure electric car sales, and just ahead of its stablemate, the Hyundai Ioniq (601).

In March, Hyundai also announced it will roll out a range boost for the electric Kona, to take the driving range for new models up to 484km.

Additional specifications for the Hyundai Kona Electric include a maximum 100kW charge rate to recharge to 80% in just 45 minutes, 150kW max power output delivering a hefty 395Nm torque, and a slew of driver assist features such as forward collision avoidance and lane keeping assist, blind spot and rear cross traffic collision avoidance and driver attention warnings, smart cruise control, and tyre pressure monitoring.

Inside, the Hyundai Kona Electric gets a 10.25″ touch screen display, both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, a digital radio, heads up display and wireless charging pad.

Along with the Hyundai Ioniq electric fastback (which is also available in a hybrid and plug-in hybrid drivetrain), both represent key vehicles in Hyundai’s global strategy to sell 560,000 battery electric vehicles by 2025, excluding hydrogen fuel cell (FCEV) vehicles sales targets.