Item: Used Hyundai Kona Electric 2018-present
Rating: 4
Author: What Car? Team

The most obvious alternative to the Kona Electric would be the closely related <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/kia/e-niro/estate/review/n18388">Kia e-Niro</a>. Think of the e-Niro as its larger sibling and you won't be far off because&nbsp;it gets an equally impressive kit list, but it also has a more practical and spacious interior. It's also nicer to drive with a more settled ride.

If you need something with similar range, you'll need to blow the budget and spring for a <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/jaguar/i-pace/estate/used-review/n19606">Jaguar I-Pace</a>. True, some versions are twice the price, but then it is a far larger and faster vehicle, plus it drives quite nicely despite its huge weight.

<h3 dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-cars/hyundai/kona?nearlynew=true&amp;used=true&amp;derivative.fuelType=electric">Find a used Hyundai Kona Electric for sale with&nbsp;What Car? Used Car deals&nbsp;&gt;&gt;</a></h3>

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What is it like?

Ownership cost

Advice for buyers

Our recommendations

Alternatives

<h3>Airbag</h3>

A software issue with some Kona Electric models made between 9 May and 19 December 2018 could prevent one or more of the airbags from deploying in a collision. Find out if your example is affected by this because it'll need to have an update uploaded at a Hyundai dealership&nbsp;to solve the problem.

The news is good here because not only did Hyundai as a brand get a highly impressive sixth-place result in our latest reliability survey, but the Kona Electric secured&nbsp;an excellent second place in the electric car category.

If you would like to see the full reliability list, head to the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/2020-what-car-reliability-survey/n20042">What Car? Reliability Survey</a> pages for more information.

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Hatchback

Hyundai has transformed itself from a maker of oddball hatchbacks that sold in small numbers in the UK, to a major rival to the likes of Ford, Vauxhall and Volkswagen.

The Korean firm’s Ioniq Hybrid is particularly impressive, having beaten the trend-setting Toyota Prius when we tested the cars back to back.

Meanwhile, at the extremes of the Hyundai range you find the tiny i10 city car – a four-time What Car? award winner – and the stylish yet family-friendly Santa Fe SUV.

As a bonus, all of these cars come with the reassurance of a five-year, unlimited-mileage warranty, whereas most of Hyundai’s rivals offer only three years and 60,000 miles of cover.

HYUNDAI

KONA ELECTRIC

The Hyundai Kona Electric has an impressive range but is still a pricey used purchase.&nbsp;

Used Hyundai Kona Electric 2018-present

<h3>Range and charging times</h3>

The 64kWh Kona holds the record for being able to travel the farthest in our <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/what-car-real-range-which-electric-car-can-go-farthest-in-the-real-world/n18162">Real-Range test</a> at 259 miles. The <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/what-car-real-range-which-electric-car-can-go-farthest-in-the-real-world/n18160">39kWh pack car</a> isn't bad either at 158 miles.

Both versions can accept a 50kW rapid charge, and Hyundai quotes that it'll take 57 minutes to charge&nbsp;from 0-80% in the 39kWh Kona, and 75mins to do the same with the 64kWh car.

A wallbox installed at home can fully replenish a 39kWh Kona in six hours and 10 minutes, while a 64kWh car takes nine hours and 35 minutes. Only go for the&nbsp;three-pin socket option if you have to because it takes over 31 hours to fill the bigger battery pack!

Road tax (VED)

Electric car owners enjoy not having to pay any annual car tax (VED), and also escape the surcharge for vehicles that cost over £40,000 when new. To find out more about the current <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/advice/buying/car-tax-changes-in-2019-%E2%80%93-what-do-i-need-to-know/n1153">road tax costs, click here</a>.

<h3>Servicing</h3>

No Kona Electric is quite old enough yet to take advantage of fixed price servicing yet. However, there are service plans available for you to be able to spread the cost, and EV servicing should be less expensive than that of regular petrol and diesel cars because there's no engine oil to change.

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While the rival Kia e-Niro is the better choice for families due to being more practical and providing greater ride comfort, the Hyundai Kona Electric is still a hugely impressive EV in its own right. What's more, it is less expensive to buy than its aforementioned rival and the Kona goes farther on a full charge, too.

Pricing for an early 39kWh example starts at around £25,000, but you'd be better off increasing your budget to £27,000 or more to get the larger capacity 64kWh car instead. While that does sound expensive, keep in mind that the Kona is actually one of the least expensive ways to get an electric car with a genuine 250 or more mile&nbsp;range.

To keep up to date with used Kona Electric&nbsp;prices, use our free valuation tool to make sure you are getting the best deal. 

Check the value of a used Hyundai Kona&nbsp;with <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/car-valuation/">What Car? Valuations</a>

<h3>Battery capacity</h3>

While there is a choice here, you're unlikely to find many Konas with the smaller 39kWh pack. Most will be of the larger capacity battery (64kWh), which is fine because that's always been our favourite.

<h3>Specification</h3>

Likewise with the battery pack, most examples seem to be of the high-spec Premium SE. Again, this is fine so long as you're not spending an awful lot more than you would for an equivalent mid-range Premium version because&nbsp;you still get an awful lot of safety assistance tech with that version.

Our favourite Hyundai Kona Electric&nbsp;64kWh Premium or Premium SE

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<h2>What we're looking for:</h2><ul><li>Sufficient range between charges to fit in with most people’s lifestyles – and in the real world, not on some far-fetched official test </li> <li>Quick charging times and compatibility with the most ubiquitous types of public charging points </li> <li>Priced to be within the grasp of more than just the privileged few </li> <li>As with any car, ride comfort, practicality and ownership costs can’t be ignored</li></ul>

We define an electric car as one that runs purely on battery power and has no tailpipe to puff out nasty chemicals. These cars qualify for the maximum plug-in car grant (PICG) of £3500.

The Renault Zoe is one of the most affordable options and has a surprisingly long range of between 120 and 180 miles (depending on the weather and the road type). However, the Nissan Leaf and Volkswagen e-Golf are more practical and more accomplished to drive, even if the latter doesn't have a particularly long range between charges.

At the other end of the scale, Tesla’s ground-up EV philosophy – and the American brand’s own network of super-fast chargers – makes the Model S a tempting choice. It has seating for up to seven, an classy interior and a long enough real-world range to make inter-city travel a real possibility.

Electric

Most Kona Electrics&nbsp;listed for sale will still be within the Hyundai&nbsp;franchised dealer network and will have been reconditioned to look like new before resale.

One thing to think&nbsp;about is when it comes time to replace&nbsp;worn-out tyres is perhaps changing the standard-fit&nbsp;rubber for an alternative recommendation. These tyres came in for some criticism <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/new-kia-e-niro-vs-hyundai-kona-electric/n18764">in the test we conducted</a> between the Kona and its closely related sibling, the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/kia/e-niro/estate/review/n18388">Kia e-Niro</a>. You may sacrifice a little bit of overall range by having grippier tyres, but it might go some way to reducing the handling differences&nbsp;between the Kona and the more surefooted feeling e-Niro.

It used to be accepted wisdom that in order to get an electric car with&nbsp;a petrol-equivalent driving range, you'd need to buy an expensive new <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/make/tesla">Tesla</a> or <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/jaguar/i-pace/estate/used-review/n19606">Jaguar I-Pace</a>. Then along came the Hyundai Kona Electric to blitz our&nbsp;Real-Range record, and thanks to the passage of time, you can buy a used example for less than a <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/nissan/leaf/hatchback/110kw-acenta-40kwh-5dr-auto-66kw-charger/90456">new Nissan Leaf</a>, yet the Kona will go twice as far.&nbsp;

There are two different power outputs and battery pack sizes with the Kona Electric: a 134bhp, 39kWh version or&nbsp;a more potent 201bhp, 64kWh model.

Search for the entry-level SE Kona and get the smaller battery pack along with 17in alloys, rear parking sensors and reversing camera, a 7in touchscreen with <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/advice/owning/what-is-apple-carplay/n1193">Apple CarPlay</a> and <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/advice/owning/what-is-android-auto/n1194">Android Auto</a>, plus&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/what-is-aeb-and-how-does-it-work/n3283">automatic emergency braking (AEB)</a> and lane-keep assistance. Premium cars go one stage further with blindspot monitoring and rear cross traffic&nbsp;alert, along with a premium Krell audio system, sat-nav,&nbsp;an 8in touchscreen (enlarged to 10.3in from 2020 onwards), and front parking sensors.&nbsp;

Premium SE ups the ante with LED headlights, a head-up display, plus there are leather seats that are heated,&nbsp;cooled, and electrically adjustable&nbsp;in the front, and also warmed in the back.&nbsp;

No Kona Electric feels particularly slow, but it's the 64kWh version that's a real tyre-shredder. No really, you do have to be quite careful with the accelerator because the&nbsp;performance on offer is available in an instant and can easily overwhelm the low rolling-resistance rubber, leading to some unruly tyre squeal unless you restrain yourself.&nbsp;

Body lean is kept in check better than an <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/mg-motor-uk/zs-ev/hatchback/review/n20171">MG ZS EV</a>, for example, but the Kona Electric doesn't drive as well as a <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/kia/e-niro/estate/review/n18388">Kia e-Niro</a>&nbsp;because the steering isn't as accurate, nor does the Kona grip as well in the corners. The Hyundai will also jostle you over smaller bumps more, plus it suffers from greater levels of road and wind noise once up to speed.

Visually, the interior is appealing to look at and is well-screwed together, but there aren't the plush soft touch plastics you'll find in an e-Niro. The driving position is pretty good, mind, and the steering wheel has a full range of adjustments, unlike the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/nissan/leaf/hatchback/used-review/n18923">Nissan Leaf</a>. Rear seat accommodation is on the small side in the Kona, as is the boot, which also has a bit of a lip to lug items over.

The Kona EV was heavily facelifted in 2021. It features a mildly restyled front end, an updated interior and a host of new safety technology, with blind-spot and rear cross-traffic collision avoidance systems.&nbsp;

If you're interested in finding a <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-cars/hyundai/kona?nearlynew=true&amp;used=true&amp;derivative.fuelType=electric">used Kona Electric</a>, or any of the other <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-reviews/category/electric">electric&nbsp;car</a>&nbsp;mentioned here, head over to the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-cars">Used Car Buying</a> pages to find lots of cars listed for sale at a great price.

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Used Hyundai Kona Electric 2018-present review

Alternatives

What alternatives should I consider to a used Hyundai Kona Electric hatchback?