HMIL showcased the Hyundai Kona at the 2018 Auto Expo that concluded earlier this week. The crossover is expected to be launched in India in 2019 as Hyundai's first electric vehicle. The Hyundai Kona EV will be unveiled on February 27, 2017.
The Hyundai Kona on display is, in fact, the Ironman edition that was unveiled in June 2017. However, it has been stripped off all Ironman bits like boot lid badging, wheel hub cover, etc. Being a design exercise, the Kona sports wheels, alloys, and ORVMs that are not part of the production-spec model. The specially designed wheels are shod with 716 mm off-road tyres. With a width of 1,840 mm, the Kona Ironman edition is 40 mm wider than the actual model.
According to a report from last month, Hyundai will import CKD kits from Ulsan, South Korea and locally assemble it in India. The development was confirmed by Y K Koo, MD & CEO, Hyundai Motor India. Depending on the market response, the company will consider local manufacturing at a later stage, but that will take time.
The Hyundai Kona EV is 4,165 mm long, 1,800 mm wide, and 1,550 mm tall. It rides on a 2,600 mm wheelbase. The pure electric variant will have visual differentiators to set it apart from the IC engine'd model. Inside, it will incorporate a 7-inch colour driver information display.
Pre-orders for the Hyundai Kona electric are already underway in South Korea, where the market launch will take place by June this year. It will draw power from a 140 kW (204 PS) electric motor. There will be two different packs on offer: 39.2 kWh and 64 kWh. With the smaller battery pack, the pure electric SUV offers a driving range of 240 km, while with the bigger battery pack, the same number increases to 390 km.
