Hyundai Kona Electric review

Wouldn’t it be great if electric cars had the same range as petrols? You know, several hundred miles between charges so that you could drive around for a few days without even the slightest pang of range anxiety.

Well, believe it or not, that day could already be here because Hyundai reckons its Kona Electric can manage up to 300 miles between plug-ins. It’s all down to a whopping great 64kWh battery, like those that, until recently, were found only in astronomically expensive Teslas.

Even the cheaper 39kWh battery version of the Kona Electric promises 194 miles between charges, which should be plenty for most commutes. But this isn’t just a milk float stuffed full of Duracells, the 64kWh version is actually rather rapid. Indeed, it’s quick enough to give junior hot hatches a serious fright.

Reaching once again for our sensible keyboard, the Kona is a fairly conventional small SUV inside. That means room for four (or five at a pinch) and a raised driving position so you can lord it up over Fiesta drivers. What you won’t find are particularly clever rear seats – there’s no slide or recline function, just a 60/40 split folding backrest.

The question is, are such long distances between charges really achievable in normal driving? And does the Kona Electric impress in enough other areas to compete with the best mainstream electric cars, such as the Nissan Leaf, Renault Zoe and Volkswagen e-Golf?

Read on to find out the answers to all of those questions, and to find out which version makes the most sense. And if you decide you want to buy a Kona Electric, or indeed any other new car, make sure you check out our New Car Buying section to see how much you could save without the hassle of haggling.