Available with good ol’ internal combustion and as the Kona Electric, the subcompact crossover from Hyundai will be available as the Kona Hybrid starting this August. The European Union and United Kingdom will get the model in the first instance, and chances are Hyundai will extend availability in the United States as well.
First things first, the battery has a capacity of 1.56 kWh. That’s not a lot when you think about it, but the purpose of a hybrid, as opposed to a plug-in hybrid, is to be driven in all-electric mode from traffic light to traffic light. The Kappa 1.6 GDI with the Atkinson cycle is also featured, developing 105 PS (104 horsepower) at 5,700 rpm and 147 Nm (108 pound-feet) of torque at 4,000 rpm.
As far as the electric motor is concerned, the Kona Hybrid is a different animal from the Kona Electric. 43.5 PS (43 horsepower) and 170 Nm (125 pound-feet) is everything the e-motor can offer, but who needs more? Just like the Ioniq Hybrid, the subcompact crossover comes as standard with a six-speed DCT developed with an emphasis on efficiency.
Even though drive is sent to the front axle, the rear benefits from a multi-link suspension setup, similar in design to the Kona with all-wheel drive. Tipping the scales at 1,376 kilograms (3,034 pounds), the hybridized model needs 11.2 seconds to hit 100 km/h (62 mph) when equipped with the 16-inch wheels. Level up to 18 inches, and that drops to 11.6 seconds.
Hyundai expects the Kona Hybrid to conume 3.9 liters of gasoline every 100 kilometers when driven like a grandma to Sunday church, and to get the most out of the 38-liter tank, you’d better go for the 16-inch wheels. The tires measure 205/60 R16 from the get-go, which is similar to the Ioniq Hybrid.
Hyundia hasn’t published pricing information at the time of writing, but as far as space is concerned, you’re better off with the Ioniq Hybrid than the Kona Hybrid for obvious reasons. Over in Germany, the Ioniq starts at 24,800 euros while the closest Kona at that price point is the Premium with the 1.0 T-GDI at 24,730 euros.
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. Full profile
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