Hyundai’s first-generation Kona Electric was one thing of a darling. It was environment friendly, regarded good, and made electric motoring slightly extra accessible for these with out Tesla cash to play with. Now 2023’s new Kona Electric (2024 for US punters) goals to maintain the nice occasions rolling with a brand new look, recent tech, and extra luxurious than you’d count on from a B-segment crossover.

Since the primary Kona Electric’s debut in 2018 (in Europe, 2019 within the US), Hyundai’s been working onerous on its EV sport. The launch of the Ioniq 5 and 6 have taught the corporate helpful classes that, it says, knowledgeable the event of its newest electrical child. As a consequence, this guarantees to be a much more full package deal than earlier than, at a eager value level.

In the UK the vary kicks off at £34,995, and beneath $35,000 within the US. That’ll get you a “standard” automobile packing a 48.4-kWh battery with a claimed 234-mile vary, a 154-bhp motor able to getting from 0 to 62 mph in 8.8 seconds, and as much as 101 mph. A Long Range Kona Electric sits above it within the lineup, boasting a 65.4-kWh battery, claimed 319-mile vary, a perkier 215-bhp motor that’ll crack 0-62 mph in a brisker 7.8 seconds, after which on to 107 mph. Both vehicles get the identical 188 lb ft of torque.

Hyundai’s 400-volt structure is unfortunately not the 800 volt you get within the Ioniq 5 or 6, however greater than slightly amusingly it is the identical as that within the Rolls-Royce Spectre EV. It permits the Kona Electric to cost from 10 to 80 % in slightly over 40 minutes. No matter which battery you go for, you get helpful vehicle-to-load tech to energy something you’ll be able to plug right into a family wall socket on the fly.

Forward-Looking Design

Hyundai’s design group has (as soon as once more) performed a blinder with the automobile’s look. It cuts a nice determine and can little question be the darling of grocery store parking heaps everywhere in the world. The agency’s newest design language is delightfully futuristic (if slightly First Order Stormtrooper stylish), and it comes with tech to match. Its body-width mild bar on the entrance attracts the attention neatly, and the automobile’s assorted sensors are hidden unobtrusively within the entrance bumper.

Those sensors are host to a complete suite of lively security expertise to maintain you on the straight and slender. There’s lane-keep assists, freeway driving assists, ahead collision avoidance assists, a blind-spot collision avoidance help, rear cross-traffic assists, a 360-degree parking arrange … and far more. The Kona additionally reads street indicators to test the pace restrict, watches you to verify your eyes are on the street, displays your driving to see in the event you’re drowsy, and checks to verify each of your arms are on the wheel. You’d should work mighty onerous to crash.

Sensory Overload

The security package on board is complete—it must be to stick to numerous laws—nevertheless it’s additionally extremely irritating and in some circumstances flawed. Pull as much as a junction and dare to look away from useless straight down the street for various seconds—to, say, ensure you’re not about to drive into the trail of a lorry—and also you’re handled to an indignant “bong” with a flashing mild telling you that you just’re not paying sufficient consideration.

Rest your arms too frivolously on the wheel and it thinks you’re going hands-free, so that you get one other bong. If it thinks you’re sleepy, it’ll bong at you and let you know to take a break. Indicate to vary lane with a automobile close by? That’s proper, a giant ol’ bong, as a result of it thinks you may hit one thing. Every time the pace restrict modifications, the automobile will bong, exceed the restrict by a single mile per hour … bong.