Hyundai Kona Electric review - Interior, design and technology

It may look more or less the same as the Kona petrol-engined models, but that’s key to the Electric model’s appeal – it’s familiar inside and out to those who have yet to make the switch from more conventional models.

There are some styling touches that set it apart, though – a blanked-off grille with incorporated charge port flap, unique alloy wheels and the notable absence of an exhaust pipe. Still, many won’t realise this Kona is an EV at first glance.

It’s much the same inside where the standard car’s well-built, logically laid-out dashboard and interior remains. The fit and finish is good, but the materials used aren’t quite up to the same standard used in the BMW i3. One key design difference between the Kona Electric and its siblings is its lack of a gear lever – this is replaced by a bank of buttons used to select drive, neutral and reverse.

It’ll take even the most EV-phobic driver no time at all to get comfortable behind the wheel of the Hyundai Kona Electric. It’s a similar story with the very similar Kia e-Niro, however – a car that we feel makes better use of its interior space and offers better value for money in terms of standard equipment.

18

Sat-nav, stereo and infotainment

The entry-level SE model in the Kona Electric includes a seven-inch touchscreen infotainment set-up with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity. There’s an EV sub-menu that gives you access to climate pre-heating functions, as well as efficiency data.

Hyundai has also introduced a new 10.25-inch widescreen display as standard for the Premium and Premium SE cars. It includes sat-nav which is able to overlay the location of EV charging points onto the map. Zoom out and a radius of remaining range is superimposed, too.

While the interface takes a little getting used to – it mixes on-screen buttons with the ability to swipe between screens, left and right – you soon learn how to access your favourite bits of functionality easily, and it’s crisp, clear and quick to respond to inputs.