Hyundai Kona EV - The First Electric Car From Hyundai In India

The carmaker Hyundai revealed the Kona Electric SUV to the public prior to its public debut at the 2018 Geneva Motor Show in March 2018. The car is expected to be launched in India on July 9, 2019. It is the second all-electric car from the automaker after the Ioniq Electric. While on the one hand, you can get all-electric, hybrid as well as plug-in hybrid versions of the Ioniq, Kona is offered in regular and all-electric versions.

How has the Kona Electric affected the Indian market?

Kona Electric would become the first all-electric offering in India once the car launches. The car would enter the country through the CKD (or completely knocked down) route. Kona would be one of the first all-electric SUVs on sale in the country. Even though Mahindra has prepared an electric version of the KUV100, it is mostly referred to as a micro SUV.

How much can the Kona Electric carry you in a single charge?

The manufacturer has declared that the Hyundai Kona EV would be available in 2 powertrain options - the long-range version would have a 64 kWh battery and the short range one has a 39.2 kWh battery pack. In short, the short-range would be able to carry you as much as 300 km. On the other hand, the long range is equipped to get you to distances of 470 km. However, the charging time is about 9.67 hours compared to 6.17 hours of the short-range variant.

The car gets a design upgrade

The Kona Electric looks quite similar to the regular compact SUV, though it sports subtle changes. The most noticeable difference is that of the closed grille. The car would be a very stylish electric car in India after its launch. Though the matter can be subjective, the closed grille offers a cleaner look and makes it seem more mature than the regular one. The footprint would also be a little larger. While the Kona is wider than the Creta and a little longer, the Kona EV falls below the Creta in dimensions.

The interior is definitely stylish

The interior of Kona Electric has been derived from the regular model apart from the totally digital instrument cluster. The upholstery is also a little different. The EV version gets powered front seats that have 8-way adjustment. They even have heating and ventilation functions. Hyundai is definitely trying to justify the high cost of the electric powertrain with better comforts as the features in Kona are not a part of the usual features in Creta's list.

The Indian government has decided not to push the manufacturers towards electric vehicles and let the automakers find the best solutions for vehicular transmissions. The results are some interesting cars on the lines of the Kona Electric. Other technologies like fuel cell vehicles and plug-in hybrids are popping in. With premium features, the Hyundai Kona EV price would be in the upwards of Rs 30 lakh, an entry-level SUV.

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Shaheen Shaikh http://www.adrclinic.co.uk Joined: April 29th, 2018