Hyundai Kona Electric Review

​Pricing

The Hyundai Kona Electric starts at a very tempting sub-£35,000 price for the 48kWh Advance model – and don’t discount this ‘lesser’ car. It’s still got a really usable range that will be enough for lots of drivers, and at this price it’s a great price despite having plenty of equipment – just add the comfort pack for heated seats and wireless phone charging, and we reckon you’ve got everything you need. We’d actually say this is our favourite spec of Kona Electric, as the bigger battery, plusher models start to stray well into and over the £40,000 price mark. That’s fine, but it does mean that it’s up against rivals like the Renault Scenic and even the Tesla Model Y, which are harder to compete with as they go further to a charge, top-up more quickly on the go, and have roomier interiors. 

It’s not unusual to find some low-interest or low deposit finance offers on the Hyundai Kona, which can make it really tempting. The MG4 will still be cheaper on a monthly finance basis, but the Kona isn’t bad when it comes to finance, and will likely cost from around £400- to £700 per month depending on the model you choose, and the contract terms.

Running costs

The Hyundai Kona is a very efficient electric car, although you’ll be disappointed if you’re expecting it to be as efficient as the previous Kona Electric. Additional weight is inevitable with the growth in size, safety and equipment of the new Kona, and that means that it isn’t as efficient as the famously frugal first-generation Kona Electric and Kia e-Niro models. 

Even so, you’ll see 3.5 miles/kWh very easily in the Kona unless it’s very cold, and that will creep up towards 4.0 miles/kWh or more in the summer, making this one of the more efficient electric family cars out there. We’d estimate that it’ll cost around 7p per mile in electricity if you’re charging at home on a normal domestic tariff, or you can cut that to as little as 4p per mile if you routinely use a cheap off-peak tariff. By comparison, a petrol car doing 40mpg costs around 17- 20p per mile, while a diesel doing 55mpg costs around 14- to 19p per mile, so you can save a lot on your fuel by running an electric car. 

Just be aware that public rapid charging on the motorways is expensive for electric cars, and is three- or four times the cost of charging at home.

Insurance

The Kona is pretty cheap to insure, and falls into groups 25- up to 32, so will be one of the more affordable family electric cars – not least because there isn’t a super-powerful four-wheel drive version to worry about, as there is with the Volvo EX30 and Tesla Model Y. Even so, always get a personalised quote before you commit to any car, as insurance prices vary wildly depending on all sorts of factors.

Servicing costs

You’ll need to service your Kona every 12 months or 15,000 miles, although the car will give you a nudge via a message on the dash when it needs some attention. You can opt for fixed price service plans that spread the cost over monthly payments, too, but expect a minor service to come in at around £129 while a major service will be around £210.