Driven
If you find a 100kW
fast charger it
will juice up to 80
per cent charge in
54 minutes
To p : The Kona's stance is that of an SUV but it isn't
too brashly styled and neither does it have AWD.
The cabin is airy but but for the expected price you'd
want more premium materialsLike most modern electric cars, the Kona
has a ‘skateboard’ architecture and the
lithium-ion battery pack is offered in two
sizes, 39kWh with a range of 300km and
64kWh with a range of 480km. The former
is coming to India, the latter is what we are
testing and it delivers a startling turn of pace,
packing in 198bhp and 400Nm — the torque
available almost instantaneously. 0-100kmph
takes under eight seconds and the mid-
range acceleration, what we’d call in-gear
acceleration in ‘normal’ cars, is immediate
and rapid. You can tone it down in Comfort
and Eco modes but Sport mode is quick and it
gets the front tyres squirming (it’s only FWD),
steering wheel to wriggle in your palms and the
passenger’s head smashing into the headrest.
It’s super easy to keep ahead of city traffic.
The obvious question: charging time. Using
the 7.2kW on-board charger and a wall box(that Hyundai will provide Kona EV customers
in India) a full charge will take nine hours and
35 minutes. The charge port is conveniently
located in the nose and on a 240V AC three-pin
socket at home it will take you 31 hours. And if
you find a 100kW fast charger (I believe Delhi
has a couple) it will juice up to 80 per cent
charge in 54 minutes (75 minutes on a 50kW
charger).
Like all EVs, the Kona has regenerative
braking and the level of regen can be adjusted
via paddles behind the steering wheel. Three
levels are offered, the most aggressive
delivering one pedal driving, the retardation
being so aggressive when you step off the gas
(though we're not really burning any gas!), that
you don’t need to brake unless you want to
come to a complete stop. It is easy enough to
adapt to but if you don’t like it you can remove
regeneration altogether. The regen cuts out
below 10kmph so you have to use the brakes to
come to a complete halt.
The handling is rather flat, thanks to the
(heavy) batteries mounted low and spreadout evenly, but the limitation are the low rolling
resistance tyres that start to squeal and
understeer early. The steering is notable for its
absence of any feel. And the ride is rather stiff,
too stiff for Indian roads in this setup, with
body movements being quite pronounced over
sharp cuts and ruts.
What the Kona is, though, is a very easy SUV
to drive. Electric cars are inherently easier to
drive and the Kona is very much in that mould,
making for a really excellent, stress-free, zero-
hassle commuter. It is actually quite a pleasant
little thing to drive, if not very engaging or
emotional.
Now with EVs being very silent, the Kona
has what is called a ‘Virtual Engine Sound
System’ that creates an artificial noise to warn
pedestrians at low speeds and shuts off after