The 2024 Hyundai Kona has been in circulation for several months now, but the electric version is just now heading to showrooms, which means Hyundai needed to figure out just how much money this little battery-powered, high-riding hatch should cost. The answer? Pretty much what we expected when we had the (brief) opportunity to sample it earlier this year. The SE (base) model will start at $34,010 (including $1,335 for destination), with the loaded-up Limited model checking in at $42,380.
Built overseas, the Kona Electric is not eligible for the U.S. federal EV tax credit.
As we expected, the Electric model picks up right about where the gasoline-powered Kona maxes out ($33,000, give or take), but trades the standard model’s internal-combustion engine and all-wheel drive for a 133-horsepower electric motor with 188 pound-feet of torque going to just two driven wheels. This gets you the standard 48.6 kWh battery with 197 miles of range; you have to step up to the SEL or Limited (the ICE model’s sporty N-Line trim is not available here) to get your hands on the upgraded powertrain — a 201-horsepower motor paired to a 64.8 kWh battery — which Hyundai says is good for 260 miles. For those keeping track at home, that’s the same drive system found in the Kona’s platform mate, the Kia Niro EV, and like that car, the Kona Electric still uses 400-volt architecture. The E-GMP platform utilized by the Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 6 packs an 800-volt setup.
All Kona Electric models come with Hyundai’s 12.3-inch infotainment system with standard (wired) Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, adaptive cruise control, LED headlamps and over-the-air update capability. Jumping up to the SEL ($38,010) replaces the standard cloth seats with heated faux leather; Limited models get power adjustment and ventilation. Like many of Hyundai and Kia’s current models, the Kona Electric will ship without wireless smartphone integration, but an over-the-air update will add that functionality at no extra cost, and Hyundai says it should be available, well, basically now.
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