The Hyundai Kona is a cracking SUV with much to like. The Hyundai's in-car tech is easy, with simple displays and good safety equipment that's not intrusive. The car isn't that exciting to drive, but it's good for families. Contact online >>
The Hyundai Kona is a cracking SUV with much to like. The Hyundai''s in-car tech is easy, with simple displays and good safety equipment that''s not intrusive. The car isn''t that exciting to drive, but it''s good for families.
I''ve had very few issues with the Auto Express 2023 Car of the Year. In fact I''ve struggled to think of things I don't like about it. For the record, contenders included the alert sounds, bings and bongs that might annoy a few drivers, but they only come with overly aggressive driving or speeding. Also, as the car prepares to return to Hyundai, the predicted range still only reads 245 miles after a full charge.
That is some way short of the 319 WLTP figure Hyundai quotes. But the Kona is quite conservative in its estimate, plus I have only been running the car from January to April, so I would expect the figure to be lower now than in the summer. Mind you, the weather doesn''t seem to have had a big affect on the range on our Volkswagen ID.3.
Anyway you can still do a fair bit with 245 miles of range, as I discovered on a recent weekend away in Lincolnshire visiting family with my wife and grandchildren Zack and Hope. Their safe, but very large ISOFIX car seats take up much of the rear bench, so there was no possibility of bringing either of my grown-up sons along as well.
Driving any kind of distance with little ones requires planning and packing. Luckily, with 466 litres of boot space, the Kona took bags, cases, coats and a buggy with ease. I did remember to take the charge cable out from the underfloor space (where I usually keep it) before packing, just in case it was required. We also had plenty of room for in-car snacks and drinks in the deep door bins and cubbies.
Our usual route from South London to North Lincolnshire is around 200 miles, with a fair bit of motorway. Based on my current average return of 3.2kWh, that should have been possible in one hit with careful driving. But I was playing it safe and expected to stop once at services to give the children a break and add a few miles of charge to the Kona.
Even better, when we got back into the car, I set the nav for our destination and it took us a direct route on back roads, well away from motorways. Rather than my usual practice of getting to the nearest ''fast'' road, only to be disappointed by how slowly it actually allows me to drive, we carried on unhindered at a constant 50 or 60mph, which got us to our destination with 124 miles of range left and a healthy 3.9kWh readout for the last 110 miles of our trip.
Was it quick? No, but it was a shorter distance and much more relaxing, with music from the excellent Bose system and crystal-clear directions on both the main infotainment screen and the head-up display. We even opened the sunroof when we got stuck behind some farm traffic. I had to switch to Sport mode, but I could safely and surprisingly quickly overtake it, much to the enjoyment of my passengers.
Arriving at our family stopover with plenty of charge gave us the option to use the car without having to find charge points. I was also able to plug in and top it up using my father-in-law''s outside plug.
Much of that power would have been generated from his solar panels, which was nice for me and generous of him. However, I was a bit disappointed by the charge speed. Topping up overnight, plus for a chunk of the next day, only nudged the range towards 200 miles – not enough to get home in one go. That resulted in a one hour and 15 minute stop at Cambridge services, where we had a snack and let the children run about while topping up at a Gridserve fast charger. Adding 183 miles of range (from 28 to 95 per cent) cost £38.87, based on 79p per kWh.
Again, we arrived at our destination with well over 100 miles of range and enough to easily run the car for a week, based on regular family usage. The Kona once again proved why it won our Car of the Year award and will be missed by me and my family. It was easy, safe, comfortable and trustworthy. I''d happily tackle much longer journeys in the Hyundai, safe in the knowledge that if I take my time, plan ahead and trust the in-car readouts, it''s far more fun than dashing to the nearest motorway traffic jam.
Unsurprisingly, our 2023 Car of the Year, the Hyundai Kona Electric, made a flying start on the Auto Express fleet. And it recently won another road test, beating the Honda e:Ny1 (on name alone, I reckon).
So what better model to use for our Car Care Special photoshoot than our award winner? Its white-leather interior and trim were ideal for our pictures. To be fair, one of the only criticisms I could pin on the Kona in my first report was the interior material quality. The hard, scratchy plastics felt a little cheaper than I''d expected, but they''ve emerged unscathed from everyday life, so they barely needed a clean.
Likewise the seats remain unmarked, despite two very messy grandchildren and some recent trips to garden centres and even a builder''s yard. White steering wheel and interior? No problem (so far, at least).
It isn''t that exciting a car on the road, but it''s not really supposed to be. And although I''m trying to drive economically, I can''t get on with the Eco setting. It''s just too dull, so I drive with the car in its Normal mode.
I have, however, been using the paddle shifts on the steering wheel to adjust the regenerative braking levels, which helps to claw back some range. I find the set-up too harsh in its maximum setting, but using it on the first or second steps helps to extend the range without feeling like I''m fighting to move. On motorways I switch the system off and coast, unless I''m heading downhill.
I''ve found the Kona more fun on country roads and have returned up to 4.0 miles per kWh on some 50-mile runs over a mix of roads. It''s fun – and a challenge – to see what efficiency you can return with a little effort.
However my urban-Grandpa taxi runs sap the range. The eight-mile round trip to my son''s house is equal parts up and downhill, and it doesn''t take a physics degree to work out that, however much power I save going downhill, it takes far more to get the heavy EV back up the same slope on the way back.
Still, the Kona''s projected range is slowly rising with the outside temperature. The latest home charge predicted 256 miles of range (up from 232 miles), so at 3.1 miles per kWh, that''s around 200 miles per charge.
I feel comfortable with the readings and have no range anxiety. Indeed, I''ve driven the car to within 10 miles of its predicted range several times, by which point the Kona has become anxious and started directing me to a choice of charging stations.
I''m lucky enough to have a 150kW fast-change station within a mile of my house (plus a home wallbox). A recent charge at the MFG station boosted the battery from 10 to 80 per cent in 41 minutes, at a cost of £39.61, based on 79p per kWh. A home charge would have been considerably less than half that amount, but I was able to walk to the nearby supermarket and do a family shop while the car was plugged in, which was a good use of the time.
Over the winter months I''ve been able to mostly ignore the climate control and use the heated seats and steering wheel, which are the hottest I''ve ever experienced. This helped boost range. The Kona also has a button to just heat the driver''s side if the windows mist up when I''m driving alone. Other useful buttons include the memory settings for driver''s seat position – ideal for my little and large wife-and-husband combo.
In fact, the Kona is packed with brilliant in-car tech. The head-up display is excellent, with clear info for navigation. This shows two steps ahead, but in arrow or roundabout icon form, with distance readings. It also gives proximity warnings for vehicles approaching, and red lights come on if you are being overtaken or undertaken.
The reversing camera is excellent too, helped by an overhead view and sensors that warn of any obstacles. Even the steering wheel vibrates if I get too close to the tree outside my house, before the brakes kick in to prevent a knock. The same tech stops me reversing into passing traffic in car parks, while cameras in the door mirrors show a view of my blind spot when I indicate.
It all sounds like the Kona is virtually impossible to dent, but sadly I managed it. Being a bit old school and a bit of a know-it-all, I quickly reversed out of a supermarket car park space and hit a rogue shopping trolley in no man''s land. I was looking over my shoulder, not at the reversing screen or overhead view. I can''t remember any beeps, but there must have been some. Maybe I just ignored them because the coast looked clear. Big lesson learned: always use the tech!
As well as these gadgets, I love the Kona''s practicality. There''s loads of room in the back, and the boot is a vast 466 litres, with deep under-floor storage. This is ideal for chucking in charge cables when you want a quick getaway, and sums up the Kona in general. Who doesn''t want an easy life?
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