Economical and agile

Mannheim. One can argue about the size of the cars. For some it cannot be very luxurious and comfortable, others like slow speed. Basically, only the compact class, formerly known as the Golf class, can please everyone. Long distances can also be comfortably covered here – and in the city, cars fit into almost every gap. If the whole thing is placed a little higher, the so-called crossover runs higher, then it is easier to enter. One of those candidates is the Hyundai Kona. A successor is already on the starting blocks, but “Electro” will continue to exist for the time being.

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One problem with e-mobility is that most structures are too large. Ships with a length of five meters and a weight of more than 2.5 tons are being built, which are ultimately not suitable for long-distance voyages. Substitutes threaten to fall behind. The profit margin is not very attractive with them, while the production is just as difficult as for the big ones.

A good exception is the Kona, although as a base model it already costs 36,400 euros. Although it also weighs around 1.7 tons, it is economical and therefore has a decent range. The driver does not have to say goodbye to the approximately 480 kilometers that are fully charged on display. Unlike many other electric cars, Hyundai delivers what it promises. Here the layer shown – at least to the most pleasant degrees – does not melt together like butter in the sun. No, the Korean dutifully calculates the bottom kilometers per kilometer – and thus also shows the distance covered. In the test, we were even below the factory specifications at 14.5 kWh.

It’s true that we didn’t beat Kona on the highway, but we went through the middle of the city and the whole country, but there were still fast races every now and then. And considering 204 hp, it was also quite agile. Instantly available power is always fun in electric cars, as is seeing the surprised faces of passengers when the lights come on.

Interior air

There is no lack of space in the very neat interior. It looks very airy up front, but the back seat can accommodate at least two people without feeling cramped. The trunk swallows about 330 liters in electricity, the batteries deprive him of space. Unfortunately, it takes about 6.5 hours for an 11 kW wall box to charge. It is faster with direct current through CCS, here Kona Electricity accepts up to 100 kW, charging up to 80 percent then takes about three quarters of an hour.

Driving does not pose much of a challenge to the driver. The 10.25-inch digital instrument behind the steering wheel provides information on speed and battery level, a free monitor and a reversing camera to maintain driver information, DAB radio and navigation system, Bluetooth and smartphone connection are now in good form. The touchscreen menus are also well designed. The free-float center console and transmission control buttons are cool.

As mentioned at the beginning, the successor – also electric – will probably be available from dealers at the end of the year. It’s getting bigger and looking more into the future. Is it worth the wait? What speaks for the current Kona is that it is very mature, it has solid technology and it looks high quality. It’s very economical and agile – and it already looks good.