South Korea’s biggest conglomerate Hyundai launched Kona Electric on July 9, 2019, in the Indian market. No sooner, the Kona SUV has been booked by 120 customers within 10 days of its announcement. If believed the sources then a request of 10,000 test drives were recorded.
The huge demand for the product within such a short period must have been satisfying for the company. Kona is an all-electric SUV and a first-of-its-kind product in India. The Korean company has made its best efforts to keep the price range as affordable as possible which is why the SUV is available at 25.30 lakhs (ex-showroom). This exciting price tag was made possible after the company decided to assemble Kona locally in India.
National Sales Head, Vikas Jain, Hyundai Motors India stated that the Indian crowd is excited to try hands-on this new launch which is clear by the number of requests placed by people for not just to buy it but also to test drive it.
Breaking the norms of traditional looks offered by other EVs, Hyundai designed the Kona absolutely alluring. The SUV is available in a wide range of four colours which is Phantom Black, Polar White, Marina Blue and Typhoon Silver integrated with an athletic build. Tested by the leading R&D organisation ARAI, the product had a range of 452 km with a one-time charge.
The Hyundai Kona Electric is equipped with 39.2kWh battery. The battery gets 0-80% charge within 57min to be precise which is possible due to the 50 kW DC charger. Whereas the same task with some ordinary 3 pin charger can take 19 hours. Kona’s motor has a power of 136HP and a peak torque of 395 Nm. The motor is capable enough to speed up the front wheels with a single-speed automatic gearbox that enables Hyundai’s Kona to cover 0-100 kph within a time-bound of 9.7 seconds pretty easy.
Some of the key features of the Kona Electric include a split-type head-lamp setup, LED DRLs, sunproof, keyless entry and exit, automatic climate control options, ventilated front seats, digital instrument cluster along with a huge 7-inch display, fit for entertainment and information purpose.
You can totally rely on the safety features of the SUV as it is packed with six airbags, ABS brakes, electronic stability control, hill-start assist and rear parking sensors and cameras placed to ensure it. The product has been successful in leaving a trail on the international market with an impressive 15,000 sales number. A total of 15 dealers in 11 Indian cities have agreed to retail the Kona.
Speculations are there that if a reduction in GST on EVs became successful then the customers can be befitted by a price drop of INR 1.40 lakh from the current price tag. The Korean conglomerate is said to be on a hunt of providing an affordable EV to the Indian market.
