Hyundai Kona Electric review

Wouldn’t it be great if the driving range of an electric car could match what you’d get from a petrol engine? You know, the ability to drive several hundred miles between charges, allowing you to go for days without even the slightest twinge of range anxiety.

Well, believe it or not, that day could already be here.The Hyundai Kona Electric can manage up to 279 miles between plug-ins, thanks to its whopping great 64kWh battery. That’s the kind of capacity that only used to be found in astronomically expensive Teslas. What’s more, this isn’t just a milk float stuffed full of Duracells; it’s 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 Ford Fiesta drivers. To sit higher in an electric SUV, you’ll need a Mercedes EQC or Audi E-tron – either of which will cost around twice as much as the Hyundai. 

More importantly, though, is the Kona Electric’s impressive range 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, Volkswagen e-Golf and Renault Zoe, or even our 2019 What Car? Car of the Year, the Kia e-Niro?

Read on to find out the answers to all of those questions. 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.