The market had a surge of compact crossover SUVs not too long ago. But now in 2024, it’s a dribble. The 2024 Hyundai Kona Electric is one of the last few crossover EVs that are still available and at a somewhat reasonable price. This redesigned 2024 Kona EV is roughly $2,000 CAD more expensive than the outgoing model. So what do you get for the extra money?
Performance
Motor – One thing that you won’t get for the extra cost is more power. In fact, you lose some. This 2024 Hyundai Kona Electric is still powered by a single motor which delivers its power to the front wheels only. In the previous generation Kona electric, it produced 201 hp & 290 lb-ft of torque (150 kW & 393 Nm). In this 2024 Kona Electric, it produces the same 201 hp but only 188 lb-ft of torque (150 kW & 255 Nm). That is a huge drop. Furthermore, this new car is approximately 100 kg (220 lbs) heavier at a curb weight of 1,765 kg (3,891 lbs). As a result, the new Kona EV doesn’t have the same pep as the old one did.
Having said that, the new Kona EV can still provide the instantaneous acceleration that EVs are known for. But it does it in different driving situations. When setting off from a stop with the accelerator down to the floor, the car doesn’t provide maximum power immediately. It’s gradually fed to the wheels. This is done even with traction control turned off. It’s almost as though it anticipates the torque and wheel-spin. But when the car is moving and you push the accelerator pedal down, the power is instant and more akin to what everyone expects from an EV.
One thing to note, in the United States, there’s a 133 hp (99 kW) version of the Kona Electric in addition to this 201 hp version.
Battery & Charging – Another area where you won’t get much for the higher cost is with the battery size. The old Kona had a 64 kWh battery pack. The 2024 Hyundai Kona Electric has a 64.8 kWh battery pack. In the United States, the battery can be used to power household items, such as a blender, when you’re out camping for example. This is done using the V2L function. Unfortunately there is no mention of this feature on this Canadian spec Kona Electric.
Charging the 2024 Kona EV takes roughly the same amount of time as before as well with one exception. From a level 3, 100 kW charger, Hyundai says it’ll take approximately 43 minutes from 10% to 80%. From a level 2 charger, 10% to 100% should take around 6 hours according to Hyundai. This is an improvement over the old Kona EV by about 2 or 3 hours. As for that front charge flap, it’s heated so it shouldn’t freeze during really cold winters.
Range & Efficiency – Because the battery size has not increased by much and the car is heavier than before, the estimated driving range has not increased… by much. The old Kona EV had a range of up to 415 km (258 miles). The new Kona EV has an estimated range of up to 420 km (261 miles). A 5 km (3.1 mile) difference if you’re keeping up.
But at least the estimated range is pretty accurate to the real world range. During my week with the 2024 Hyundai Kona Electric, I averaged 17.4 kWh/100km (3.57 miles/kWh). So with some quick math calculations, I could have driven the car for up to 372 km (231 miles). There are some caveats with that. The temperature during my week with the car hovered around 10 degrees Celsius, I used climate control throughout every trip I took with the car, and I live in a part of the world that has a lot of uphills and downhills.
Braking – Braking performance of the 2024 Kona Electric is good. The brakes feel as though they provide enough stopping force. The limiting factor that I ran into was the lack of grip from the winter tires that the demo vehicle had equipped. Brake pedal feel is good without any noticeable difference between regenerative braking and the physical brakes.
Speaking of regen braking, the Kona EV has a few different functions to choose from. There are Levels 0 through to 4, which becomes a one-pedal drive mode (i-Pedal). Level 0 provides no regen braking with i-pedal smoothly bringing the car to a complete stop. There’s also Auto regen braking which uses the car’s various sensors to detect a vehicle in front and adjust the amount of regen braking based on the distance and speed of the vehicle in front. So if the car slows down by a lot, more regen braking is provided. If it just maintains its speed or if there’s no car ahead, the Kona provides very little regen braking.
Handling – Due to the extra weight of the batteries, the Kona Electric isn’t quite as enjoyable to toss through corners as the gasoline version. Which in turn, is not as much fun to drive as the previous generation due to its increased size & weight. This Kona Electric has a lot of body roll through corners and feels very unsettled while hitting big bumps mid-way through a turn. A fun drive, this is not it. But the 2024 Kona EV is going to be primarily used as a city vehicle. In that environment, the instant acceleration and light steering make it a breeze to drive in a downtown core.
Comfort
Ride Comfort – The suspension is quite soft on the 2024 Hyundai Kona Electric. It effectively absorbs bumps but it also allows for quite a lot of body movement after a tire drives over a big bump. It takes a while for the body to settle. The ride doesn’t feel too floaty on highways or road undulations but, again, just an unsettled feeling when hitting big potholes.
Interior Space – Where you’ll get more for the increased cost of this 2024 Kona Electric is on the inside. This new generation crossover provides much more legroom and headroom, particularly in the back seats. It was a nightmare for me to sit in the back of the previous generation but it is much more spacious behind my tall 6’4” driving position. It’s not 100% perfect as my knees still dig a bit into the back of the front seat but it is so much better than before. Headroom in the back is adequate with my hair gently brushing against the headliner. The rear backrests can recline but only by a little bit.
Another area where you’ll get more for the higher cost is in the trunk. The new Kona EV can accommodate 723 L (25.5 cu-ft) of cargo space behind the rear seats. With the seats folded, that number increases to 1,803 L (63.7 cu-ft). Unfortunately the Kona EV does not have a spare wheel but it does appear that there may be enough space for a space saver under the floor. There’s also a little bit of storage under the hood. About 27 liters or almost 1 cu-ft.
Noise, Vibration, & Harshness – Being an electric car, the cabin is quiet… for the most part. On city streets, there’s no wind, tire, or motor noises intruding in the cabin. On highways however, the tire noise is more noticeable. It’s not deafening, but it’s always there and you’ll have to turn up the radio a bit to drown out the noise.
Odds and Ends
Pricing – As I mentioned at the start of the review, this new 2024 Hyundai Kona Electric is more expensive than the old one. It starts at $46,399 CAD ($36,675 USD, SEL) which is $1,800 CAD more than the starting price of the 2023 Kona Electric. This demo vehicle is the Ultimate trim which has a price of $51,199 CAD ($41,045 USD, Limited). In the United States, the 133 hp SE version of the Kona Electric starts at $32,675 USD.
Gadgets – For the higher starting price, the 2024 Hyundai Kona Electric comes well equipped with standard convenience features. It has a 12.3” touchscreen with built-in navigation along with wireless Apple CarPlay & wireless Android Auto connectivity, it has heated front seats, heated steering wheel, dual-zone automatic climate control, 6-way power driver’s seat, keyless entry & push button start.
This Ultimate trim adds a head-up display, ventilated front seats, interior ambient lighting, Bose audio system, sunroof with a power blind, wireless phone charging pad, leatherette upholstery, 8-way power driver’s seat (still manually adjustable passenger seat), and rain sensing wipers which go at full speed when there’s a light drizzle and barely turn on under a heavy downpour. Intermittent & speed sensitive wipers are far superior than these automatic wipers. Change my mind.
The big change to this new generation Kona for convenience is the updated infotainment system. It has a fresh skin with a darker theme graphics but the overall functionality remains the same as the infotainment system that is found in the Ioniq 6 for example. But this updated system allows for the connection and use of wireless CarPlay & wireless Android Auto. No more cables.
Interior Design – The Kona EV now has the same dual-screen layout as most other Hyundai vehicles have. Both screens measure 12.3” diagonally. Underneath the infotainment screen are quick access controls for the map, radio, favorites, and so on. There’s also physical controls for the climate and heated seats which is a plus in my eyes. But I particularly like the large space that is on the center console. You can trade that space for 2 cupholders at the touch of a button. The cup holders spin into place very quickly, almost like magic. However, the center armrest storage is open which allows anyone that is peering through the windows to see what you may have left in the center console.
Exterior Design – The 2024 Hyundai Kona has a bold design language, much like the rest of Hyundai’s current lineup of vehicles. I personally think that the gasoline Kona N-Line looks fabulous with its rear wing and sharp bumper edges. But this Kona Electric looks nowhere near as exciting. Sure it has the pixel LED front and rear light bars but beyond that, it looks bland.
Safety – Like many other Hyundai vehicles, the 2024 Kona Electric is equipped with a lot of standard safety and driver aids. Some of these include automatic emergency braking, lane keep with lane follow assist, safe exit warning, driver attention warning, blind spot sensors, rear cross traffic alert and so on. This Ultimate trim adds surround view cameras, reverse automatic braking, parking distance sensors, and remote smart park assist. This feature allows you to move the car forwards or backwards in or out of a tight parking spot.
Warranty – In Canada, the 2024 Hyundai Kona Electric is covered by a 5 year / 100,000 km new vehicle limited warranty. The battery components warranty is 8 years / 160,000 km. For more information on Canadian warranty, click here. For USA warranty information, click here.
Conclusion – As I said in my Kona N-Line review, I think that Hyundai did a great job in updating this new generation Kona in making it a better overall vehicle. It’s spacious, feature rich, and comfortable. However, it seems like they didn’t really update the electric part of this vehicle. Having said that, it still gets over 400 km and it has that punchy acceleration that consumers expect from an EV. It is more expensive than before, but apart from the Kia Niro EV, this is one of the last few relatively inexpensive crossover EVs left on the market.
Thank you to Hyundai Canada for providing the vehicle. www.HyundaiCanada.com
2024 Hyundai Kona Electric Gallery
