on a long journey, and will take longer to
refuel on the way (though we predict that
ever speedier fast charge times will soon
enough minimize the recharge/refuel
time difference).
We set out with our two Konas to
answer two questions: All things being
equal, is gas or electric better to drive?
And can the average American house-
hold get by with an EV as its only car?
When it comes to driving these two
Konas, we prefer the electric one. “Just
about every minute you drive the EV is
better than that minute in the gas car,
except for braking to a stop,” Reynolds
said. The Kona Electric is silky smooth,
powerful, and refined. The Kona 1.6T is
good, but the Kona Electric is better.
The latter question has a more compli-
cated answer, but we think the answer is
yes, with some obvious caveats.
With more than 250 miles of range,
electric cars like the Kona Electric
are easier than ever to daily drive. For
those lucky enough to have room for a
charger in a garage or driveway, charging
nightly couldn’t be more painless. Some
forward-thinking office complexes
are stocked with chargers for their
employees. Apartment dwellers might
have to rely on public chargers, which in
our experience is becoming far less of a
hassle than it sounds. Chargers are found
in places where you’re spending time
anyway, like malls, grocery stores, and
movie theaters.
As for long-distance travel, a change
in your way of thinking is necessary. Fast
charging availability and capability are
improving rapidly, but “fuel” stops still
aren’t the splash-and-dash affairs of
gasoline. A little bit of planning will go
a long way in saving you both time and
money (prices differ at gas stations, too).
But above all, long-distance electric
travel is no longer a Tesla monopoly.
With expanding charging networks
across the country, especially from
Electrify America, the democratization
of the electric car is finally here. Q
DRIVETRAIN LAYOUT Front-motor, FWD Front-engine, FWD
MOTOR/ENGINE TYPE Permanent-magnet AC
synchronous electricTurbocharged I-4, alum
block/head
VALVETRAIN N/A DOHC, 4 valves/cyl
DISPLACEMENT N/A 96.6 cu in/1,583cc
COMPRESSION RATIO N/A 10.0:1
POWER (SAE NET) 201 hp @ 3,800 rpm 175 hp @ 5,500 rpm
TORQUE (SAE NET) 291 lb-ft @ 0 rpm 195 lb-ft @ 1,500 rpm
REDLINE Not indicated (11,200-rpm max) 6,500 rpm
WEIGHT TO POWER 18.7 lb/hp 17.6 lb/hp
TRANSMISSION 1-speed automatic 7-speed twin-clutch auto
AXLE/FINAL DRIVE RATIO 7.98:1/7.98:1 4.29:1 (1, 2, 4, 5),
3.17:1 (3, 6, 7, R)/2.29:1
SUSPENSION, FRONT; REAR Struts, coil springs, anti-roll bar;
multilink, coil springs, anti-roll barStruts, coil springs, anti-roll bar;
multilink, coil springs, anti-roll bar
STEERING RATIO 13.2:1 13.8:1
TURNS LOCK TO LOCK 2.5 2.5
BRAKES, F; R 12.0-in vented disc;
11.8-in disc, ABS12.0-in vented disc;
11.2-in disc, ABS
WHEELS, F; R 7.0 x 17-in cast aluminum 7.0 x 17-in cast aluminum
TIRES, F; R 215/55R17 94V (M+S) Nexen
NPriz AH8235/45R18 98V (M+S) Goodyear
Eagle Touring
DIMENSIONS
WHEELBASE 102.4 in 102.4 in
TRACK, F/R 61.2/61.6 in 61.4/61.7 in
LENGTH X WIDTH X HEIGHT 164.6 x 70.9 x 61.2 in 164.0 x 70.9 x 61.0 in
GROUND CLEARANCE 6.2 in 6.7 in
APPROACH/DEPART ANGLE 16.6/14.6 deg 17.5/16.7 deg
TURNING CIRCLE 34.8 ft 34.8 ft
CURB WEIGHT 3,763 lb 3,073 lb
WEIGHT DIST, F/R 54/46% 62/38%
TOWING CAPACITY Not recommended Not recommended
SEATING CAPACITY 55
HEADROOM, F/R 38.0/37.7 in 38.0/37.8 in
LEGROOM, F/R 41.5/33.4 in 41.5/34.6 in
SHOULDER ROOM, F/R 55.5/54.5 in 55.5/54.5 in
CARGO VOLUME, BEH F/R 45.8/19.2 cu ft 45.8/19.2 cu ft
TEST DATA
ACCELERATION TO MPH
0-30/0-40 2.9/3.9 sec 2.5/3.5 sec
0-50/0-60 5.1/6.6 4.9/6.4
0-70/0-80 8.4/10.6 8.6/11.2
0-90/0-100 13.2/16.5 14.5/18.7
PASSING, 45-65 MPH 3.0 3.3
QUARTER MILE 15.1 sec @ 95.9 mph 15.1 sec @ 91.7 mph
BRAKING, 60-0 MPH 138 ft 119 ft
LATERAL ACCELERATION 0.79 g (avg) 0.85 g (avg)
MT FIGURE EIGHT 27.8 sec @ 0.65 g (avg) 26.9 sec @ 0.65 g (avg)
TOP-GEAR REVS @ 60 MPH 6,400 rpm 1,800 rpm
CONSUMER INFO
BASE/AS TESTED PRICE $38,285/$46,630 $26,995/$28,980
STABILITY/TRACTION CONTROL Yes/Yes Yes/Yes
AIRBAGS 6: Dual front, front side, f/r curtain 6: Dual front, front side, f/r curtain
BASIC WARRANTY 5 years/60,000 miles 5 years/60,000 miles
POWERTRAIN WARRANTY 10 years/100,000 miles (battery included) 10 years/100,000 miles
ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE 5 years/Unlimited miles 5 years/Unlimited miles
BATTERY/FUEL CAPACITY 64.0 kW-hr (1.9 gal gasoline equiv) 13.2 gal
REAL MPG, CITY/HWY/COMB Not tested 26.4/38.7/30.8 mpg
EPA CITY/HWY/COMB ECON 132/108/120 mpg-e (258-mi range) 28/32/30 mpg (396-mi range)
ENERGY CONS, CITY/HWY 26/31 kW-hr/100 miles 120/105 kW-hr/100 miles
CO2 EMISSIONS, COMB 0.00 lb/mile (at vehicle) 0.65 lb/mile
RECOMMENDED FUEL 110-220V AC/400V DC electricity Unleaded regularPOWERTRAIN/CHASSIS 2020 Hyundai Kona Electric 2020 Hyundai Kona 1 .6TAPRIL 2020 MOTORTREND.COM 59