Nice motor comes with a big charge

Doctor on the Road: Hyundai Kona Electric

Your decision to buy a car like this has to be an ecological and environmental one, not about saving money, says our motoring correspondent Dr Tony Rimmer.

Electrification is just starting to have an influence on the car-purchasing thoughts of many doctors, and the choice is getting bigger all the time. 

With the proliferation of new electric cars reaching the market over the last 12 months, things can only get better for the consumer. 

Crucially, purchase cost will decrease and electric range will increase.

First adopters have had to have deep pockets, as the earliest electric cars on the market such as the Tesla Model S, the Jaguar iPace and Audi’s E-Tron are all expensive upper-premium vehicles. 

What about everyday cars and small SUVs to appeal to more buyers at reasonable cost? 

Well, Nissan has the Leaf and most recently Volkswagen has revealed the new ID 3, but it is the South Korean manufacturers KIA and Hyundai who offer well engineered, well equipped electric cars at reasonable prices.

Smart-looking SUV

One of the first cheaper cars to make electric motoring truly feasible was the Hyundai Kona Electric, launched in 2018. I have been testing the latest mildly updated version. 

Sharing its drivetrain with the KIA eNiro and KIA Soul, the Kona is a smart-looking small SUV and is available with two battery sizes; 39kWh and 64kWh. 

The claimed range for each is up to 155 miles and an impressive 300 miles respectively. You pay an extra £4,000 for the bigger battery, but it does have almost twice the range.

My test car had the bigger 64KWh battery and was the mid-specification £36,150 Premium model. 

Great features include Apple/Android connectivity, a 10.25-inch touchscreen, all-round parking sensors and rear camera, a leather steering wheel and adaptive cruise control. 

The interior is a functional and comfortable place to be. The plastics are good quality and there is plenty of room for four people, possibly five. 

The hatchback boot is reasonably spacious at 332 litres and has useful underfloor space to stow the charging cables.

Effortless acceleration

With an electric motor that has a 201bhp output, this Kona is no slouch. Acceleration, although not as stunningly quick as a Tesla Model 3, is swift and effortless. 

The huge torque range of the motor gives it the feel of driving a big three-litre six-cylinder petrol engine – without the noise. 

However, all electric cars are heavy because of their batteries and the Kona is no exception. 

At 1.7 tonnes, it feels its weight round corners, but the ride benefits, as most irregularities get smoothed over by the supple suspension.

The steering is direct and the handling is safe but fairly non-descript. It is not sporty like the MINI Electric. The regenerative braking can be altered in three steps of strength. 

On its most powerful setting, this means driving almost without touching the brake pedal, but it does take some practice to use it smoothly. Nonetheless, you do preserve the battery level and extend the range in this mode, so it is worth persevering.

Easy charging

Charging is easy with a charging port in the front grille. I found it really convenient to charge up at the local Waitrose while shopping for an hour or two. 

Now that many charging posts accept phone Apps or even contactless payments, it has become much easier to find a charging site within easy reach. 

As usual though, it is better to charge regularly at home where a 7kWh wall-charging outlet will charge the Kona from empty to full in 9 hours and 35 minutes, i.e. overnight.

Buying an electric car is a deliberate and expensive decision. The Kona is also available in petrol form and self-charging Hybrid form and remember that a 1.0 litre petrol model in identical Premium trim will only cost you £23,250 – a massive saving of £13,000. 

That will pay for many years of petrol, so your decision has to be an ecological and environmental one, not one for saving money. 

The Kona Electric is an impressive electric car with an impressive driving range. In the real world, a regular 250 miles should be possible. If you are ready to go down the electric route and it suites your lifestyle, then it is definitely worth a look.  

However, competitors in this sector are coming along thick and fast. KIA’s models are worth a look as is the Peugeot e-2008 and Mazda’s MX-30.

Dr Tony Rimmer (right) is a former NHS GP practising in Guildford, Surrey

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