Test Drive: The 2019 Hyundai Kona Electric

If your in the market for an electric vechile, you may want to take a look at the new 2019 Huyndai Kona Electric. Its counterpart, the Kona gasoline version is among the best subcompact crossovers on the market, with adventurous styling, a powerful available turbocharged engine, and excellent driving dynamics. The battery-powered version doubles down on each of these traits. It is more beguiling to look at, its design a bit less extroverted than that of the standard Kona. The electric motor produces more power and much more torque than the internal-combustion engine in even the top-of-the-line turbocharged Kona. And a lower center of gravity gives the Kona Electric an athleticism that’s rare in this class of vehicle.

Hyundai has deployed a driver-selectable regenerative-braking setup similar to the one in its Ioniq EV. Paddles behind the steering wheel allow the Kona Electric’s pilot to cycle through four levels of regen. This allows for true “one-pedal” driving that could be more engaging than Tesla’s, if not for Hyundai’s use of blended braking. Under the Kona Electric’s hood sits its 201-hp permanent-magnet synchronous AC motor, which is coupled to a single-speed, front-wheel-drive transaxle. Compared with the turbocharged 1.6-liter inline-four available in the standard Kona, the electric version’s 201 horsepower and 290 lb-ft of torque represent increases of 26 ponies and 95 lb-ft. 

The Kona Electric has three other driving modes: Normal, Eco, and Eco+. This last one is for use when range anxiety turns to range desperation, shutting off the climate-control system to maximize miles. It seems unlikely that this feature will have much utility, given that the Kona Electric boasts a 258-mile EPA range estimate.

Although the Kona Electric’s 6.2 inches of ground clearance (0.8 inch less than the standard version) won’t make it much of a rock crawler, more of its mass sits lower, making it feel better connected to the road. Hidden beneath the floor, the 64.0-kWh lithium-ion battery pack shifts the Kona Electric’s center of gravity 3.6 inches closer to the pavement, to 20.3 inches, according to Hyundai. That’s sports-car territory. While this doesn’t turn the Kona into a sports car, it does make the little crossover fun to hustle down canyon roads, especially in its Sport driving mode, which adds some weight to the steering and perks up the motor response.

The Kona Electric carries few caveats. None of the technological corner-cutting other manufacturers have employed to reduce costs is present here—its battery pack has a liquid heating and cooling circuit to improve efficiency and carries what Hyundai is calling a lifetime warranty. All Kona Electrics are equipped with a 7.2-kW onboard charger, and they all support DC fast charging as well, although the SAE Combo Charging System that Hyundai uses is nowhere near as common as Tesla’s proprietary Supercharger network, and few CCS stations today can charge at the highest, 100-kW rate. The Kona Electric is well equipped, including standard proximity entry, heated seats, two USB ports, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, and Hyundai’s BlueLink connected-car system that allows owners to remotely control charging and climate-control settings with a smartphone.

When the Kona Electric goes on sale in early 2019, we expect it will start at about $37,000—before the $7500 federal tax credit. Hyundai says it will sell the Kona Electric in California first and then expand sales to the other CARB states.