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2019 Hyundai Kona Electric Confirmed With Two Battery Options, Pricing Announced

The Kona, which is called Kauai in Portugal for an amusing reason, is Hyundai’s answer to the increasing demand for small crossover. The subcompact brother of the Tucson excels in design and the packaging isn’t too bad either, but the automaker has bigger plans for the outlandish CUV.
2018 Hyundai Kona Electric pre-order announcement 13 photos
Photo: Hyundai
2019 Hyundai Kona Electric SUV2019 Hyundai Kona Electric SUV2019 Hyundai Kona Electric SUV2019 Hyundai Kona Electric SUV2019 Hyundai Kona Electric SUV2019 Hyundai Kona Electric SUV2019 Hyundai Kona Electric SUV2019 Hyundai Kona Electric SUV2019 Hyundai Kona Electric SUV2019 Hyundai Kona Electric SUV2019 Hyundai Kona Electric SUV2019 Hyundai Kona Electric SUV
In addition to the ICE-only lineup consisting of engines that vary from the 1.0 T-GDI to the 2.0 MPI, the Kona is confirmed to add an all-electric powertrain in the first half of 2018. What that means is, the 2018 Geneva Motor Show might be the perfect place to take the veils off the newcomer.

The carparazzi caught the Hyundai Kona Electric with various levels of camouflage on more than one occasion, but the wait won’t be long until the electric crossover goes official. The first step in this regard is the start of pre-orders in the automaker's domestic market.

First things first, pricing. The cheapest trim level starts at 43 million won, a sum that converts to $39,990 at today’s exchange rates. What that means is, the electrified Kona is more expensive than the regular Kona. For reference, the 1.6 T-GDI Smart costs 18,950,000 won ($17,625) and the range-topping Kona Flux Premium Special is 26,800,000 won ($24,924).

Described as the largest in its class, the Kona EV is gifted with a wheelbase that measures 2,600 millimeters. To the point, it’s 15 mm longer (4,180 millimeters) and 5 mm higher (1,555 millimeters) than the internal combustion-engined Kona. What else is there worth highlighting?

The Kona Electric “is expected to achieve a maximum of 390 kilometers or more.” That’s 242 miles, with the electric juice coming from a 64 kWh battery. Bear in mind that the standard battery has a capacity of 39.2 kWh and an estimated range of 240 kilometers (150 miles) or more.

Therefore, Hyundai describes the Kona Electric 39.2 kWh as the “urban model” of the lineup. Opting for the long-range pack comes at a premium of 2 million won added to the starting price, which converts to $41,850.

Performance specifications? 150 kW or 204 horsepower from an electric motor driving the front wheels, which is more than what the Ioniq Electric offers. And finally, the Kona Electric is confirmed to come with an “electronic speed-change button” and a 7.0-inch TFT-LCD instrument cluster.

Expect Hyundai to launch the electrified crossover in Europe and the United States of America in the latter half of 2018 for the 2019 model year.
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About the author: Mircea Panait
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After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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