The new Hyundai Kona won’t disappoint anyone, but who is it for?

Of all the cars I get to test drive, I always find midsize cars the hardest to judge. You can forgive a very cheap car in its segment for small flaws, you punish an expensive car mercilessly, but a mid-range car has to be good enough all around. What exactly can you ask a car in this segment? Fortunately, the answer to that question varies widely among car buyers. One person just wants more luxury for their money, another person wants more interior space and another person wants a Volvo, because his father always drove a Volvo.

After fourteen days in the Hyundai Kona, I’m still having trouble deciding who this car is a dream car for. Let’s be clear: there is nothing about this car that is so bad that you can leave it there. The most annoying thing is that you have to turn off the speed limit warning and the Driver Attention Warning every time you drive, because you don’t want to hear the ping sound at 31 km / h in the 30 zone, or if you yawn. you immediately feel nauseous. Turning it off takes a total of 6 clicks and that can be a bit much. A total of 3 is technically possible, but Koreans would rather be safe than sorry: the biggest criticism of this car.

Subtract the pros and cons: what’s left?

What’s left: a Korean car with a 5-year warranty that some people like and others don’t, with lots of luxury on board and a long electric driving range, but average fast charging speeds. What you’d expect from a solid mid-range car. The nature and design of the car does not immediately make it clear who the ideal customer is, because the average Hyundai driver is difficult to catch and there are people who like it and people who find it scary. It is not a modern design, but it has a very stubborn face. The 5-year warranty is two years less than what sister company Kia offers. And while 514 km of WLTP driving range is very good in this segment, the 100 kW fast charging has been at a minimum.

The Kona is priced the same as the Tesla Model Y. It’ll get you a little farther, but it can charge faster and has nearly all the options you’d expect in an entry-level model. But many people don’t want a Tesla because they don’t trust the dealer network, think Musk is a loser or don’t want to drive a best-selling car to differentiate themselves. The only question is: Is Kona different enough for the target group?

Rutger Middendorp makes Bright a new electric car every month. Follow his updates in Endurance Test.