• Auto123 gets in a first drive of the 2024 Hyundai Kona Electric.
Victoria, BC – The pace of progress is such in the electric vehicle segments these days that the Kona EV – with us since way, way back in 2019 – is already a young veteran of the scene. It popped up to very warm reception one year after the gas-powered Kona debuted. And at that time, the electric version grew out of the ICE version. This time around it’s the reverse: the revised new 2024 Kona was conceived first as an EV. Which means, the carmaker says, the elimination of compromises in the adaptation of an ICE model to an EV.
Here's the other thing to understand about the Kona Electric, and particularly its place of honour in the brand’s Canadian lineup. Hyundai Canada currently sells almost as many Kona Electrics here as the automaker sells in the U.S. – this despite a population roughly 10 times smaller. And within Canada, the Kona model currently accounts for almost 20 percent of Hyundai’s sales.
2024 Hyundai Kona Electric – What’s new
The revision for the new model-year is substantial in certain areas, starting with size. This Kona is bigger, simply put. It gains 150 mm in length, 25 mm in width and height and 60 mm for the wheelbase. Most of the gains are devoted to the rear legroom (77 mm more) and the cargo area behind, which is up a very substantial 33 percent to 723 litres. Right away this addresses one common complaint with the first-generation Kona, which is that families were growing out of it too quickly. The differences in back and in back of the back are noticeable.
There are design updates to the model as well, and most crucially, some upgrades to the powertrain for 2024. In the first case, the addition of certain cuts to the body panels and more pixelated lighting bring the model closer in its signature to the Ioniq 5. There are a few touches to differentiate the EV from the ICE Kona, but most of that work is done in front, there being no need for a traditional front grille and more need for aerodynamic gains.
The big gain, Hyundai says, comes in terms of charging times, down significantly when using a Level 2 charger (what most owners will have installed at home). Where charging from 10-100 percent previously took 9h 15m, it now takes just 6h 14m. Quite an improvement.
Hyundai has also integrated an improved battery pre-conditioning system to prepare the battery prior to charging when temperatures get particularly hot or cold. The system didn’t cool the battery before, now it does. There’s also a manual operation switch, and you can see the data on it on the infotainment screen.
One other new feature worth mentioning is that the charging port door located on the front end of the vehicle is now heated, which addresses another issue reported by some owners of the previous Kona Electric.
The interior
Aside from the increased space, the other evident change has to do with the large curved display on the dash, which seamlessly integrates the drive data cluster and the multimedia screen. Each of those spans 12.3 inches diagonally. Hyundai’s promise is that users will find the new interface more engaging and efficient to use but especially, faster in response times than before. Users can also make use of a digital key negating the need for a fob at hand.
MyHyundai with Bluelink provides all the connectivity you might want so you can use devices to do stuff like find the vehicle in a big, busyparking lot, stop/start the climate system and the charging process, check on battery range, find charging stations and so on.
Otherwise we noted a good level of comfort from the seats (which are thinner thus allowing for some of the space gain in back. it’s a pleasant, user-friendly environment and that dashboard design won me over - I think I like it better than the interior environment of the Ioniq 5, which is the car I happen to be driving otherwise this week.
Note that the top Ultimate trim now has a wider power sunroof than before, and integrates a few more drive-assist functions.
Driving the 2024 Hyundai Kona Electric
For all the changes though, is the new 2024 Kona Electric all that different on the road itself than the 2023 edition? Well, no. Like before, this handles decently and provides inspiring initial acceleration and fairly good grip on corners. However, it is once again available only in FWD configuration. When pressed, the folks at Hyundai acknowledged the challenges of fitting it with an AWD drivetrain would be considerable, and made mention of a possible move on that front with the next generation, without much enthusiasm.
And on this day, we encountered our share of wet pavement, and road grip did seem to become an issue when the car was pushed on sharper curves. Come winter, this lack of a four-wheel-drive option may cause hesitation in some buyers.
Pricing of the 2024 Hyundai Kona Electric
Probably not too much hesitation, mind you. Canadians, especially in Quebec but also in B.C. and elsewhere, have a taken a strong liking to the Kona, and they’ll be cheered by the fact that Hyundai largely held the line on pricing with this edition of the Kona Electric. The base Preferred thus goes for $46,399 or more, while the feature-packed Ultimate, the version we drove on this day, sells for $51,199 or more. This easily keeps the model eligible for the federal and provincial EV discounts (where applicable).
The final word
There is currently a gaping hole in the market where “affordable” EVs should be. That’s likely a temporary situation, but for now, models like this are extremely welcome for EV-ready buyers not willing/able to fork over an arm, a leg and another arm for a green vehicle.
The size increase is also welcome, though you do have to hope that’s not a pattern that repeats itself in the coming years. This go-around seems the right size for a vehicle that wants to remain city-practical as it delivers family practicality.
Strong points
- - Interior gains in space
- - Cargo area much bigger
- - Price point
- - User-friendly, premium-feeling interior
- - Heated charging port door = great addition
Weak points
- - Still no AWD, and none in sight
- - Loss of some torque with this edition
- - Not a big step forward in range
Competitors of the 2024 Hyundai Kona Electric
- - Kia Niro EV
- - Mazda MX-30
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