increasingly relevant as more buyers
ditch cars for crossovers. Most essential
for our purposes, though, is that Hyundai
effectively treats the electric version like
either of the Kona’s two gas four-cylinder
powertrains, so we could spec two Konas
as identically as possible.
Although the Kona Electric SEL’s
base prices starts at $38,285 before the
$7,500 federal (and any applicable state)
tax credit(s), our Kona Electric included
the top-level Ultimate trim, ringing in at
$46,630 , which would allow us to best
mimic the equipment level of a gas-
powered Kona. The front-drive Kona
Electric (the EV’s only driveline) fits an
electric motor making 201 hp and 291
lb-ft of torque mated to a one-speed auto-
matic, with a 64-kW-hr battery pancaked
underneath the floor and rear seat. The
EPA rates the 2020 Kona Electric’s range
at an impressive 258 miles per charge, and
its 132/108/120 city/highway/combined
mpg-e score also ranks it among the most
efficient vehicles on the road today.
The gas-powered Kona is impressive in
its own right, especially when you spring
for the optional 1.6-liter turbocharged I-4
instead of the standard 147-hp 2.0-liter
I-4. Our tester makes a healthy 175 hp
and 195 lb-ft of torque, and it drives
either the front (as in our Kona tester)
or all four wheels through a seven-speed
twin-clutch automatic. Our loaded 1.6T
stickers for $28,980. (That puts the price
premium for a hypothetical base Electric
SEL, minus incentives, and this Kona gas
model at a mere $2,495.)
The gas model scores 28/32/30 mpg
city/highway/combined in EPA tests,
and a 13.2-gallon fuel tank helps give it a
396-mile range on regular fuel.
Despite its modest power output, the
gas-powered Kona drives much like a
high-riding hot hatch. Its four-pot is
pretty laggy off the line, and impatience
with the throttle will only result in
torque steer and tire squeal. Once the
Kona hooks up, though, it can be pretty
entertaining, has plenty of character, and
offers a good amount of power up high in
its powerband.
When pushed, the Kona’s seven-speed
dual-clutch bangs off quick upshifts,
doing its best to help the hard-working
1.6-liter engine stay in its powerband. “It’s
spritely to drive, with no significant flaws,
and has a happy demeanor,” Reynolds
said. “It’s weird how some cars similar to
this feel like penalty boxes, whereas the
Kona gas feels like a treat.”
“No significant flaws” is true, but it
doesn’t mean the gas-powered Kona
is flawless. Its biggest issue, its lack of
transmission refinement, rears its head
during our daily commutes. Although
the “dry” type dual-clutch shifts smartly
when pressed, it tends to stutter at low
speeds, especially in stop-and-go traffic.
(“Wet” clutches, such as those used by
Audi and Porsche, tend not to suffer
this stuttering problem but are more
expensive and less efficient.) What’s
more, the throttle is difficult to modulate
smoothly, as the transmission haltinglyslips its clutches while determining the
best gear to get the car moving. The end
result is a near-constant motion sickness–
inducing seesawing in stop-and-go traffic.
Whereas you’re always working around
the gas Kona’s laggy turbo and lurchy
transmission, the Kona Electric couldn’t
be smoother. Its power—and critically, its
torque—is available the instant you dip
into the accelerator, allowing you to zip off
the line or plug a gap in traffic. “The EV is
almost continuously better to drive than
the gas,” Reynolds said. “Its silky acceler-
ation and right-foot response are akin to a
Rolls-Royce.”
Unlike a lot of EVs, the Kona Electric
doesn’t slow down as speeds pick up;
Hyundai appears to have tuned its littleWithout a traditional shifter,
the Kona Electric has a more
spacious center console.
The button shifter affords
space for extra storage.While the electric Kona charges,
Kim Reynolds enjoys a leisurely lunch.56 MOTORTREND.COM APRIL 2020