The Kona Electric is not the brand’s first electric model in the stable, but the SUV is the company’s first Electric Vehicle in India. Internationally, electric vehicles are categorised into two categories – those that are built from ground up and those that use combustion motor along with an electric unit.
The fully-electric EVs manage to make good use of the room on offer thanks to the comparatively simple layout. These cars also have higher-capacity batteries. On the other hand, hybrid cars miss out on all of the space you would find in either a full-electric car.
With the bigger 64kWh battery, the Kona can cover 483km on a single charge; however, India will likely get the smaller 39kWh battery. In comparison, Tata claims that the Tigor EV is capable of going 142km on a single charge.
This model differentiates itself from the regular car with a grille that is blocked off. The car is more aerodynamic when it comes to the wheels too. Whatever you call it – SUV or crossover, it is still a good-looking car. But the same can’t be said about the insides, they are low on quality.
How does it drive?
The Kona Electric is like a fully-electric vehicle in some ways and even a hybrid. It has quite a bit of torque steer, when you give the car full throttle the car goes from the left to the right. This was the same thing that made performance vehicles of the 80s and 90s difficult to drive.
The handling can’t be called dangerous, but it can be surprising. Interestingly, this happens in all of the modes, including the regular Eco mode. The car also has a considerable amount of wheel spin off the line. The motor sends 395Nm of torque to the front wheels and it does this in an urgent manner.
The Kona’s chassis isn’t the best when it comes to delivering that much torque. Because it wasn’t developed too and in that way it’s like an adapted EV. The car also feels lighter than the 1685kg and below 96kph, it can zip through traffic quite quickly.
The car also has four levels of regenerative braking, which allows you to scroll through with the help of the paddles on the steering. Weirdly, the brake is always a bit inconsistent and so is the steering.
Should I buy one?
When it debuts in India in 2019, this car will be unique in India for sure. That said, it won’t exactly be affordable. Even though the company plans to assemble it in India, the price will be close to Rs 25 lakh. Hyundai is expecting to sell around 50-60 units per month. And if you are planning to go electric, the Kona is an option to consider because it is an electric car with character which is rare.
