The all-new Hyundai Kona Electric has a spacious, high-tech interior, up to 261 miles range, and a class-leading warranty. Pricing starts at $32,675.
The Hyundai
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Kona Electric is the entry-level EV in a brand that’s been quickly expanding its electric offerings. Slotted below the Ioniq 5 SUV and Ioniq 6 sedan, the Hyundai Kona Electric is fully redesigned for 2024 with a roomier interior, updated technology, and two electric powertrain offerings. The class-leading warranty of this SUV should give drivers peace of mind about going electric.
The Hyundai Kona Electric competes on the more affordable side of small electric SUVs with the Kia
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Niro EV, Volkswagen ID.4
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and Chevrolet Equinox EV.
The standard, gasoline-powered 2024 Hyundai Kona is reviewed separately.
2024 Hyundai Kona Electric pricing
The 2024 Hyundai Kona
Hyundai
The 2024 Hyundai Kona Electric starts at $32,675. That’s for the base SE trim with 133 horsepower and 200 miles of range. The stronger motor and bigger battery (good for 201 horsepower and 261 miles of range) costs $36,675 in the SEL trim and $41,045 in the top Limited trim.
The Kona Electric is on the more affordable side of electric SUVs. Other options at a similar price point include the Kia Niro EV, Chevrolet Equinox EV, and Volkswagen ID.4.
| 2024 Hyundai Kona Electric | MSRP |
| Kona Electric SE | $32,675 |
| Kona Electric SEL | $36,675 |
| Kona Electric Limited | $41,045 |
These are manufacturer’s suggested retail prices and don’t include the $1,335 factory-to-dealer delivery fee (destination charge).
Before buying a Kona Electric, check the Kelley Blue Book Fair Purchase Price to know what you should really pay. Hyundai Kona Electric resale value is about average for an electric SUV.
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Power, ride, and handling
The 2024 Hyundai Kona
Hyundai
The Hyundai Kona Electric is powered by a 133-horsepower electric motor matched with a 46.8-kilowatt-hour (kWh) battery pack and front-wheel drive. A 64.8-kWh battery is available, upgrading the performance to 201 horsepower. Both powertrain setups are front-wheel drive and generate 188 lb-ft of torque.
Despite the somewhat low horsepower rating of the base model, we still expect reasonably quick acceleration, which is typical with EVs. The more powerful 201-horsepower variant will likely move around town with more confidence and have an easier time passing on the highway.
In our testing of the gas-powered version of the new Hyundai Kona, we enjoyed its pleasant ride, responsive steering, and agile handling that often comes with small SUVs. We expect a similar ride and handling with the electric version, albeit with extra weight.
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Range and charging
A significant difference in range, plus the improved performance, makes the bigger battery pack easy for us to recommend. Hyundai estimates a range of 200 miles with the standard battery and 261 miles with the optional bigger battery. For comparison, the estimated range for the Kia Niro Electric is 253 miles, and the range of the Volkswagen ID.4 ranges from 209 to 275 miles.
Hyundai’s estimated charging time for the bigger battery to go from 10% to 80% capacity with DC fast charging is approximately 43 minutes.
Check out: Four valuable lessons I learned taking a road trip in an electric car
Roomy interior
We love the high-tech design of the new Hyundai Kona Electric interior. We appreciated the minimalistic design and user-friendly tech features when we tested the new gas-powered Kona. Like the exterior design, we find the interior design to be unique without being too showy about being an EV.
The Hyundai Kona Electric has grown with its 2024 redesign, which yields significantly more interior room than its predecessor. The outgoing Kona Electric was low on cargo space, and rear-seat legroom was just OK. That’s been remedied with 25.5 cubic feet of cargo room behind the rear seats, plus a little front trunk with just under one cubic foot of volume. That trunk space is a 32% increase over the 2023 Kona Electric. It also boasts 38.3 inches of rear legroom, a 14% increase over the 2023 model.
Sleek exterior
The stylish new exterior of the Hyundai Kona Electric has bold body lines, a sharp light signature, and what Hyundai calls “parametric pixels.” It certainly stands out in a segment not typically known for daring design. The extra 5.7 inches of length compared to the previous model gives the Kona Electric a slightly bigger footprint, but it’s still pleasantly compact.
: The 2024 Kia Niro EV vs. the Nissan Leaf
Our favorite features and tech
Up to 261 miles of range
The optional battery pack in the Hyundai Kona Electric gives this SUV an impressive 261-mile range and 201 horsepower. It’s easy to recommend if your budget allows it.
Fast-charging capability
Hyundai estimates that the battery in the Kona Electric can go from 10% to 80% in just 43 minutes with DC fast charging.
Dual panoramic displays
Dual 12.3-inch panoramic displays have gorgeous graphics and a user-friendly interface. Connectivity features like Android Auto and Apple CarPlay come standard.
i-Pedal
The i-Pedal is a new feature in the all-new Kona Electric. It allows for one-pedal driving, so you can accelerate, decelerate, and even come to a complete stop while only using the accelerator pedal.
SmartSense safety features
A long list of safety tech features available in the Kona Electric include automatic emergency braking, lane-keeping assistant, adaptive cruise control, Blind-Spot View Monitor, and the Highway Driving Assist semi-autonomous driving system.
Bi-directional charging
A Vehicle-to-Load function in the Kona Electric lets you use this EV like a generator. Use it to charge devices or even power the necessities in your home in an emergency.
Battery and efficiency
According to Hyundai’s testing, the standard 48.6-kWh battery has a 200-mile range and makes 133 horsepower, while the bigger 64.8-kWh battery gets 261 miles of range and produces 201 horsepower. With either battery pack, the Kona Electric makes 188 lb-ft of torque.
The specs of the Hyundai Kona Electric with the optional high-capacity battery are similar to the Kia Niro EV. According to EPA estimates, the Niro EV gets 113 MPGe combined and has a monthly fuel cost of only $50. We expect a similar efficiency rating for the Kona Electric with the big battery.
Be sure to read: The electric car vs. plug-in hybrid debate: Which should you buy?
5-year/60,000-mile warranty
The Hyundai Kona Electric has a class-leading warranty. It’s backed by a 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty and a 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty. It also comes with a 3-year/36,000-mile complimentary maintenance plan.
Safety
We expect the Hyundai Kona Electric to have modern safety tech features like automatic emergency braking, lane-keeping assist, and blind-spot monitoring. The outgoing generation of the Hyundai Kona received favorable crash-test scores from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
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This story originally ran on KBB.com.