2024 Hyundai Kona Hybrid Redesign, Release Date – You can’t go wrong with the new Kona Electric. It might be frightening to try anything new, but it is much simpler to adjust to change if there is a familiar element. A sense of familiarity should help ease the shift from gasoline to electric power, and rightly so, as it’s built on an already excellent subcompact crossover.
The Kona Electric looks like any other Hyundai Kona on the road to the untrained eye. Everything is present, from the black paneling on the bottom body to its signature squinting running lights. This does not eliminate the disparities. This may be a good or a negative thing, but I prefer it.
2024 Hyundai’s Kona Hybrid Redesign
In 2024 Hyundai is updating the Kona Electric’s look with new front and rear bumpers, new wheel designs, and a 10.3-inch digital gauge display that is now standard on all models. Consequently, only the SEL and Limited versions remain in the line-up, with the Ultimate model being dropped altogether. This means that only these two versions stay in the line-up.
With the convenience package, we recommend the SEL trim. When it comes to convenience options, the convenience package adds sunroofs, wireless phone chargers, and heated seats to the SEL model.
Interior
Fortunately, the Kona’s ovoid form means plenty of room in the second row for additional storage. At six feet tall, I still have a few inches of space before my head brushes the headliner, and the legroom is adequate for a small SUV. Visibility is sufficient, having pillars that aren’t too thick to obscure vision but not too thin to merit great praise. Seeing out of it won’t be an issue.
The EV powertrain’s unusual packaging necessitates a few minor changes to the cabin. Hyundai altered the center console to provide room for a spacious cubby just above the floor because there is no need for a typical transmission tunnel. A second deep cubby on top of that holds my tester’s optional wireless device charger, which is a nice touch. My old shift lever has been replaced with a push-button system that seems to work OK, but even after a week of weighty use, I still have a hard time remembering to press Reverse when I want to drive.
Engine
The Kona Electric, even though it isn’t marketed as a fun electric vehicle, is a blast to drive. Though it’s still slower to 60 mph than the gas-powered Kona 1.6, the electric Kona has more horsepower and torque than the gas-powered Kona by 26 hp and 96% more torque. This car has no gear changes to slow things down, and placing my foot on the firewall always results in enough torque delivery to urge the show onward.
The Kona Electric’s 64-kilowatt-hour battery provides an EPA-estimated range of 258 miles. The number dropped lower when I used the heat—for most of the time, I survived with seat and steering spin heat because even something as minor as adjusting the HVAC fan speed by a single tick can drop the estimated range by 5 or 10 miles. But in 40-degree weather in Michigan, the topped-off field was never higher than 228 miles.
2024 Hyundai Kona Hybrid Release Date and Price
However, even though Kona Electric appears to be more expensive than its competitors, it is a better value. Prices for the Nissan Leaf Plus range from $37,445 to $43,445 for the base model. When it comes to ProPilot Assist, the base model’s 226-mile range is the greatest, but it drops to 215 miles when the higher trims are selected.
