Hyundai Kona Electric coming to Malaysia – COMOS to offer 39 kWh and 64 kWh versions of the EV via leasing

Cohesive Mobility Solution (COMOS), which introduced its electric vehicle car-sharing programme back in 2015, and subsequently offered corporate lease packages for the Renault Zoe, has announced plans to introduce a new leasing programme.

The vehicle is the item of interest, because the car that is being planned for the subscription programme is the Hyundai Kona Electric. Just like its previous arrangement with the Renault Zoe and Twizy, the plan is to bring in the battery-powered Kona Electric in Malaysia through official channels, in this case via Hyundai Sime Darby Motor (HSDM), with full after-sales support from the manufacturer.

According to the company, the plan will entail the purchase a fleet of Kona Electric units for the subscription programme, and negotiations are well underway, so this is no grey import run. To gauge response, the company is inviting the public to register their interest in the programme, which you can do here.

Although the total number of units that will be deployed haven’t been revealed, both market versions of the Kona Electric – which made its debut last year – will be available through the leasing programme. The first is a Standard version with a 39.2 kWh battery, and the 136 PS and 395 Nm model is good for 312 km of operating range. The estimated leasing price for it is RM4,300 a month, with the lease tenure set at 60 months.

The other is the 64 kWh version, tagged as High Spec by COMOS. Maximum output is 204 PS and 395 Nm, with a claimed operating range of up to 482 km (WLTP mode). The leasing price isn’t that much more, at RM4,900 per month (also 60 months lease tenure), making it a better value proposition given the extras it has.

Standard equipment includes all-LED lighting, a seven-inch Supervision cluster colour LCD meter panel, a seven-inch touchscreen head-unit with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support, leather seats, dual-zone automatic air-conditioning and smart keyless entry, among other things.

The 64 kWh High Spec adds on a tyre pressure monitoring system, head-up display, wireless charging, power-adjustable front seats and auto wipers. Additional safety kit comes in the form of blind-spot collision warning and rear cross-traffic collision avoidance assist.

The Kona Electric’s lithium-ion polymer battery takes about about 54 minutes to get to 80% State of Charge (SOC) using a 100 kW DC (CCS) fast charger, and with the 7.2 kW on-board-charger, charging with AC (Type 2) takes about nine hours 40 minutes for the 64 kWh and six hours 10 minutes for the 39.2 kWh.

The cost of the EV subscription package includes a wall charger being provided, although this excludes the charge for its installation. The lease package also covers the annual road tax and insurance renewal, scheduled service and maintenance, as well as the replacement of wear and tear parts. Should it be necessary, a replacement unit will be provided in some cases (terms and conditions apply).

There is an option to purchase the car at the end of its leasing tenure. Depending on when the programme takes flight, the Kona Electric might well debut the nameplate in the country – the regular petrol Kona was supposed to have been the first, slated to have been introduced in Q2 this year, but there has been no sign of it as yet.

The Kona Electric – which was shown as a tech showcase at KLIMS18 last year – is already available in neighbouring Thailand, the car having been launched there in March, at the Bangkok International Motor Show. Both fully-imported 39.2 kWh and 64 kWh versions are on sale in the Kingdom – the former is known as the SE, and costs 1.849 million baht (RM237,285), while the 64 kWh car is tagged as an SEL, and is priced at 2.259 million baht (RM289,916).

What do you think of the Kona Electric subscription programme? Chatter on the ground says that a five-year lease tenure may be too long for many, and the option of a 36-month period would facilitate better take-up, but what’s your view on it and also on the pricing? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section.

GALLERY: Hyundai Kona Electric, KLIMS18

The post Hyundai Kona Electric coming to Malaysia – COMOS to offer 39 kWh and 64 kWh versions of the EV via leasing appeared first on Paul Tan's Automotive News.

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