2021 Hyundai Kona Electric – up to 484 km in range from 64 kWh battery; updated infotainment, safety kit - Latest Car News, Bike news & Reviews, Auto News

Hyundai has unveiled its revised Kona Electric, which has received a host of exterior and interior updates for the 2021 model year.

There continues to be two powertrain versions on offer; a base version with a 39.2 kWh battery, and a 136 PS/395 Nm motor propelling the vehicle from 0-100 km/h in 9.9 seconds, and top speed is 155 km/h. A long-range version packs a 64 kWh battery and a 204 PS/395 Nm motor, enabling the Kona Electric to do the century sprint in 7.9 seconds, and on to a top speed of 167 km/h.

The long-range battery version features a similarly rated battery and drive motor as before, though available range on the WLTP cycle grows to 484 km, with the increase attributed to tyre improvements. Meanwhile, the base 39.2 kWh version offers a WLTP-rated range of 305 km.

Rates of charge for the 2021 Kona Electric are as follows: DC fast charging from 10-80% charge with the 50 kW charger takes 48 minutes for the 39.2 kWh base model, or 64 minutes for the 64 kWh version, while using the 100 kW charger will require 47 minutes for both battery versions, according to Hyundai.

Normal, alternating current (AC) charging with the single-phase 7.2 kW onboard charger from 10-80% will take six hours in the base model (nine hours 15 minutes in the 64 kWh version), while using the optional three-phase 10.5 kW onboard charger for the base model will take four hours 20 minutes (six hours 50 minutes for the 64 kWh version). Using a regular 220V/12 A socket takes 17 hours for the base model, and 28 hours for the 64 kWh battery.

The 2021 Kona Electric with upgraded BlueLink enables users to view the status of the vehicle through a smartphone, displaying information such as range, battery state and charging times. Users can also access a battery management system to select suitable charging times, or according to budget by charging at off-peak rates.

The Remote Climate Control function enables users to schedule a time to pre-heat the vehicle when connected to an external power source, for the comfort of occupants in colder climates and to save battery charge that would otherwise be used for heating the cabin when on the road.

Two interior trim colours are offered with a selection of upholstery materials; the first is a black interior in cloth, cloth and leather mix or leather upholstery, while the second is a grey interior in a cloth-leather mélange or leather. Ambient light in the Kona Electric illuminates the driver and front passenger footwell.

Safety equipment on the Kona Electric gets upgraded as well, the SmartSense suite now including rear cross-traffic collision avoidance assist (RCCA) and blind spot collision avoidance assist (BCA), which can apply the brakes where necessary, in addition to providing warnings. RCCA works to avoid collisions with approaching traffic when reversing, while BCA applies the brakes if the driver attempts a lane change when another vehicle is close by.

Also new to the Kona Electric are features such as Leading Vehicle Departure Alert (LVDA), which alerts the driver if they do not respond quickly enough after the vehicle ahead has started moving. Safe Exit Warning (SEW) alerts passengers to oncoming hazards, while Rear Seat Alert (RSA) detect rear doors that have been opened before departing.

The vehicle will also alert the driver to persons or objects in the rear seats when the driver’s door is opened. The Kona Electric also can include eCall, which automatically contacts emergency services when airbags are deployed or when the eCall button is depressed.

In addition to the new safety features, the Kona Electric also includes forward collision avoidance assist with pedestrian protection, smart cruise control with stop-and-go function, lane following assist, lane keeping assist, intelligent speed limit warning and driver attention warning.

European customers will get to use the Charge MyHyundai pan-European integrated public charging service, which has more than 170,000 charging point in its network. A streamlined one-payment solution through a card or mobile app is used, and users can find available charging stations through the AVN system, says Hyundai.

The Charge MyHyundai network is initially being offered in France, Italy, Spain, Norway, the Czech Republic and Switzerland, while customers in the United Kingdom will gain access in the fourth quarter of this year. There are plans to extend the service to more countries in the future, says Hyundai.