Hyundai Kona Electric review

If you thought the exterior changes compared to the previous Kona were dramatic, wait until you check things out in here. Of course, it’s dominated by the twin 12.3-inch screens for the dials and infotainment. They sit together in one large unit proud of the dash and the dial display is impressively simple and easy to read. It’s a far cry from the flaming rev counter graphics you get on Hyundai’s own i20N.

The central infotainment screen is also nicely laid out and features simple graphics and easy to understand maps, and the shortcuts all seem to have been well thought through. Our test car’s screen did seem ever so slightly laggy though.

Thankfully Hyundai has also thought to include proper physical buttons for just about every function you could need. Hurrah! There’s a separate climate control panel, proper screen shortcut buttons, actual knobs for the audio controls and even buttons for the heated and cooled seats that are standard on both N Line S and Ultimate trims.

Those front seats are thinner now too in order to provide more room in the rear, but it’s plenty comfortable enough up front still. You do sit higher than you might expect in both rows though, and in the rear you’ll have plenty of legroom but thanks to the battery under the floor those with longer legs will have their knees reaching towards their ears.

There’s a good amount of kit that comes as standard on the new Kona Electric and plenty of choice in terms of options too. For example, each trim level gets its own upholstery. Entry-level Advance brings black cloth seats, then N Line brings cloth seats in black with some red detailing. N Line S adds Alcantara and leather seats in black with red detailing, whereas the full-fat Ultimate trim can be had with either full leather in a couple of different colours or something Hyundai calls ‘ECO Suede’ in Fossil Grey.

Other bits to note? The front and rear seats are heated from N Line trim and above, and you get dual-zone climate control as standard with three-zone on N Line S and Ultimate versions. Those latter two also get a BOSE premium sound system with seven speakers and a subwoofer that sounds excellent, and there’s wireless phone charging and a heated steering wheel on everything except the entry-level cars.

How big is the boot?

Great question – not least because it’s way bigger than before. Previously the Kona suffered in this department with only 332 litres of boot space, but now it’s up to a full 466 litres with the rear seats in place and 1,300 litres with them folded flat. That puts it much closer to the Kia Niro EV with its 475 litres of space and way ahead of something like a VW ID.3 (385 litres). Plus, the Kona also gets a 27-litre frunk to store its cables. Very neat.