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Battery size: 48 - 65kWh
Miles per kWh: 4.9
E-Rating™: A+
Max charge rate: 101 kW
Range: 234-319 miles
Performance & Motors
You get a bit more performance if you go for the Kona 65kWh, which gets 214bhp and will do 0-62mph in 7.8sec, while the 48kWh model gets 154bhp and does the same sprint in 8.8sec. Both are front-wheel drive, and there’s not a four-wheel drive option.
Even the Standard Range model feels quick off the mark and comes into its own around town where it feels peppy, soaking up lumps and bumps in the road well. It does feel a bit breathless by the time you get to motorway speeds, but in everything but the occasional rapid motorway merge, the Kona 49kWh is more than rapid enough.
The Long Range has more power, and it’s also now been tweaked so that it doesn’t spin its wheels when you try to accelerate away from a damp junction – as the old Kona did. Now, a slightly more modest level of torque and clever use of the electronic driver aids mean that the Kona feels energetic but well controlled.
Drive & Handling
Steering in the Kona is light, and the turning circle is tight enough to make this a brilliant car for muddling through the school run traffic as it feels nimble and wieldy. There’s not a huge amount of feedback or feel through the steering wheel, though, even if you increase the weighting by selecting Sport mode, and – together with a fair amount of body roll - means that this isn’t a car that you'd drive for fun.
What we found particularly impressive is how quiet and refined the drive remained at speed. Of course, all electric cars are quiet, but some have more refinement than others and the new Kona excels at this, helping to make the driving experience even more relaxing.
The paddle operated regenerative braking - also controlled from the steering wheel - comes with a feature called I-PEDAL, which enables a one-pedal driving mode that helps you to accelerate, decelerate and stop using the accelerator pedal alone; you won’t need to touch the brake pedal at all. You can also toggle through three lower levels of regen’, all of which can be used in adaptive mode so that the car automatically senses and responds to cars ahead, or in standard mode you get a consistent level of braking when you lift off the accelerator.
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