Hyundai updates Kona electric for 2021

HYUNDAI Motor Company Australia (HMCA) has announced the pricing and specification of its facelifted Kona Electric small SUV range, which now kicks off from an even $62,000 plus on-road costs for the Elite variant.

The new entry price marks a price increase of $1260 for the Elite while the top-spec Highlander has risen $710 to $66,000 plus costs.

In exchange for the increased asking price, HMCA has increased the standard specification of both variants, starting with an expansion of the SmartSense active safety suite.

All new Kona Electrics will now come as standard with lane following assist, blind spot collision avoidance assist, rear cross-traffic collision avoidance assist, safe exit warning and rear occupant alert.

However spec upgrades don’t stop there, with other standard kit now including an eight-speaker Harman Kardon premium audio system, a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster to pair with the existing 8.0-inch infotainment system, wireless phone charging, rear USB power outlet, rear view monitor, and remote start.

The new digital instrument cluster expands the list of available trip computer information and can adapt its theme to the selected drive mode, while the rearview monitor allows the rear camera to remain on constantly while driving.

Highlander variants meanwhile add heated rear outboard seats and ambient lighting.

Hyundai has also applied a light facelift to the Kona Electric, with revised LED daytime running lights and more sharply designed headlights, with the headlight bezel now incorporating reflector technology.

The usually black wheelarches have been changed to match the body colour, while aerodynamics have been improved slightly with the introduction of vertical air inlets in front of the wheelarches that reduce turbulence around the wheels.

New 17-inch machined face alloy wheels add a classy look while at the rear, the tail-lights have also been stretched horizontally and a revised bumper has been included.

As a result of the new exterior refresh, the overall length of the Kona electric has been increased by 25mm.

The all-electric powertrain has been carried over in the facelift however Hyundai has managed to extract an extra 35km of driving range, now up to 484km.

The improvements have been helped by the fitment of Michelin Primacy4 low rolling resistance tyres.

For reference, the Kona Electric uses a 64kWh battery that channels power to the front wheels only via an axle-mounted electric motor.

Outputs are pegged at 150kW/395Nm with the Kona Electric’s V-Max listed at 167km/h.

Options on the revised Kona Electric include premium paint for $595, black/grey interior trim at $295, and a black two-tone roof which is a no-cost option, but requires the deletion of the standard sunroof.

Service intervals are pegged at every 12 months or 15,000km – whichever comes first – while the Kona Electric comes with HMCA’s standard five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty.

Through the first quarter of the year, HMCA sold a combined 1462 examples of the Kona, marking a healthy 31.6 per cent improvement over the same period last year.

Its 1462 sales are enough for second in the highly competitive small SUV segment, behind only the MG ZS (1510) and ahead of the likes of the Mazda CX-30 (1225) and Nissan Qashqai (1003).

2021 Hyundai Kona Electric pricing*

*Excludes on-road costs