Named after the western district of the Hawaii island, the Kona was a bold step made by Hyundai into the electric car segment with a vehicle that could travel more than the city limits without provoking range anxiety.
Hyundai was true to its words and introduced the Kona lineup in 2017 in three main versions: with internal combustion engines, hybrid-powered, and electric-powered. For that, the Korean carmaker developed an entirely new platform, which was used for the Kia Seltos as well. In late 2020, during the world pandemic, Hyundai confirmed its commitment again and showed the Kona’s facelifted version.

From the outside, Hyundai’s design team introduced a few modifications to the car’s look. The new LED daytime running lights showed an arrow-like design pointed forward. Unfortunately, they kept the charging-port door too visible and looked like it was added at the last moment. But Hyundai tried to convince everyone that it was left like that on purpose, as a clear statement for an electric car. The LED headlights were still lower than the DRLs, and their angular look was aggressive. The compact crossover’s overall SUV stance tried to convince the customers to keep coming into Hyundai’s showrooms, and it was a successful strategy.

Inside, the carmaker installed a completely digital instrument panel. But the biggest changes were the USB charging ports for the rear passengers. An optional electronic parking brake was available on premium trims as a convenience feature. New ambient lighting illuminated the cup holder and footwells, while an aluminum-like finish added a touch of refinement.

For the 2021 model, Hyundai dropped the lower-powered version and kept the 201 hp electric motor. It was fed by a 64 kWh battery-pack that provided enough energy for up to 132 miles (212 km).

The electric revolution was on, and Hyundai caught a spot on the front row with the Kona Electric in 2018.
Just two years later, it decided to refresh the range.

Hyundai claimed that it sold over 120.000 units of the Kona in just two years. After most of its competitors, the small crossover was offered with gasoline, hybrid and electric versions and came late to the party. Maybe a refresh was unnecessary, but the Korean carmaker tried to stay ahead of its pack and introduced a few upgrades on the facelifted version. Thus, it tried to overtake the competition.

At the front, the 2020 Kona electric featured flush to the bumper daytime running lights. Unlike its predecessor, which featured regular round lamps, the new version introduced three curved LED-strips. Designers decided to bring more modifications to the bumper and enhanced it with side-scoops and a lower grille with two horizontal slats. In the middle, they placed the radar for automatic braking and adaptive cruise control. At the back, the taillights were changed with more striking LED lamps and a lower bumper design that mimicked the front one.

Inside, the instrument cluster featured a new 10.25 TFT display with two dials instead of one. To provide an easier reading, it featured white dials instead of black. On top of the center stack, the new infotainment unit with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity was enhanced and featured lower mounted buttons for easier access.

Hyundai kept the same powertrain options for the 2020 Kona Electric as the non-facelifted version.

After the launch of the all-new Kona small SUV, Hyundai introduced the Kona Electric in 2018, which, as its name suggests, it’s the all-electric version and, at the time of the launch, represented the first affordable model in its class.
Distinguishing features can be seen up front, where the car got rid of the big grille to improve aerodynamics. The interior is dominated by a dedicated center console which combines all the buttons to facilitate operation of the car intuitively with the shift-by-wire module. The new Hyundai Kona Electric is also available with two powertrains to satisfy a wider range of clients.