New Kia e-Niro vs Hyundai Kona Electric
Two months ago, we named Hyundai’s Kona Electric as the best car of its kind. But has fellow Korean brand Kia made better use of the very same battery and motor with its e-Niro?...
Buying and owning
Costs, equipment, reliability, safety and security
There’s very little to separate the Kona and e-Niro on price, with the former being just £150 cheaper. As is the case with any electric car, the Government will give you a £3500 grant towards either list price, but no other discounts are available.
No doubt most people will be more interested in monthly costs. Well, on 36-month, 10,000-mile-per-year PCP terms with a £3000 deposit, the Kona will cost you £569. Businesses looking to lease will find the Kona costs £453, while both cars attract low benefit-in-kind tax rates. Unfortunately, we don’t yet have confirmed PCP costs for the e-Niro, although early estimations suggest it will be slightly cheaper.
Equipment levels are high on both of our contenders; 17in alloy wheels, all-round electric windows, climate control, automatic lights and wipers, keyless entry and start, wireless smartphone charging and adaptive cruise control are all standard. The e-Niro edges ahead, though, by including leather seats (heated in the front) and a heated steering wheel.
Both cars come with a Type 2 (also known as Mennekes) charging cable. From a 7kW home charger, this allows you to charge from flat to full in 9hr 30min for the Kona and 9hr 50min for the e-Niro. When you use a 50kW CCS public rapid charger, a 0-80% charge takes a reasonable 75 minutes.
Both cars come with automatic emergency braking and lane-keeping assistance, but neither has yet been appraised by Euro NCAP. The Kona Electric also scores by having blindspot monitoring, something that isn't even an option on the e-Niro..
A word of warning: there’s now a 10-month waiting list for the Kona; an e-Niro should arrive far sooner.
< Previous | Next: Our verdict >
Page 5 of 6
Best electric SUVs 2023
Thanks to big advancements in battery and charging technology, the best electric SUVs are now as usable as they are desirable. Here we count down the top 10 – and reveal the models to avoid
