The future seems to be an electric-vehicle driven world. A lot of manufacturers are still busy researching their products, before launching them for the masses. However, Hyundai appears to be leading from the front. The company had launched its Kona EV in India, in 2019. It’s been more than a year and the carmaker is now ready with the new 2021 Kona EV, which will come with several upgrades and design changes, over the current spec model.
Exterior
Speaking about the exterior, the new Hyundai Kona EV is completely different from modern cars with huge front grilles. The EV gets a clean and simple look on the front, with a closed grill. The Kona gets a full LED light setup with DRLs. The headlamps have become slightly sharper, and extend to the sides of the car. Hyundai also claims that the new headlamps will come with multifaceted reflector (MFR) technology. To improve efficiency, Hyundai has focused a lot on Kona’s aerodynamics. The front wheel arch and the lower bumper gets vertical air intakes, which not only improve the aerodynamics but also gives a sporty look to the Kona EV.
Features
Inside the cabin, the new Hyundai Kona EV will get a large 10.25-inch digital cluster, which can be seen for the first time. Apart from this, there is also an optional 10.25-inch AVN screen with Hyundai’s connected car tech- Bluelink Technology, Hyundai LIVE Services, and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, to name a few. Speaking about the Bluelink technology, it allows customers to control a lot of actions of their car, through the comfort of their smartphone or via their voice.
Additionally, Hyundai’s app can also display the EV’s range, battery status, and charging time. Hyundai has also added some EV special Bluelink features, like- Remote Charging, Remote Climate Control, Last Mile Navigation, Connected Routing, Live Parking Information, and Free Text Search.
The new Hyundai Kona Electric will come with 16 different exterior color schemes, including a few dual-tone roof options. Customers can also select from two interior color packages to further customize the EV. On the safety front, the new Hyundai Kona Electric will be equipped with an upgraded Hyundai SmartSense package, which includes some handy features like- Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist, Blind-Spot Collision-Avoidance Assist, Safe Exit Warning, and Rear Seat Alert. Another important safety feature is the Leading Vehicle Departure Alert function, which will alert the driver if the vehicle ahead, starts moving.
Updated powertrain
Lastly, speaking about the power and performance, the new Hyundai Kona EV will be equipped with two separate zero-emissions battery-electric powertrains, which will be borrowed from the current spec model. The long-range model will be equipped with a 64 kWh battery, that is capable of delivering a maximum power output of 204bhp. While the base model will be equipped with a 39.2 kWh battery, which can generate a maximum power output of 136bhp. The long-range battery version has a top speed of 167 kmph, with which, it can reach from standstill to 100kmph in 7.9 seconds and it also offers a class-leading range of 484kms on a single charge. On the other hand, the standard-range version claims 155 km/h of top speed. This model can reach from 0to 100kmph in 9.9 seconds and offers a range of up to 305kms.