When Hyundai first set out to replace its first-generation Kona crossover, it made a very bold decision. For the first time ever, Hyundai’s crossover best-seller shall be developed from the ground-up as an electric car.

However, even as EV adoption continues to grow (albeit at a slower rate as compared to the past one or two years), there’s no escaping the fact that a significant chunk of consumers is still wary of electric cars.

Which is why the platform that the all-new Kona has been built on, the Hyundai-Kia K3, has then been reengineered in a way that allows the Korean automaker to bolt up a wide array of powertrain options to build different cars for different markets.

And whilst the Hybrid variant is mightily impressive, you can most definitely tell that the chassis and platform has been optimised for use as an electric car. Perhaps this is why I think it is the better twin.

Pixel LED For Days

Visually, the general design concept remains the same for both the Hybrid and Electric Kona models. But there are subtle details that were altered so consumers can distinguish between the differences in the methods of propulsion.

For starters, all Kona Electrics will come from the factory with fully paint-matched body cladding. This is perhaps the most obvious visual tell-tale that said Kona is powered not by fossil fuels, but with electrons. Another difference is the omission of the fuel flap on the rear left quarter panel; with no petrol tank that needs to be filled, there’s no need for a cutout.

Instead, Hyundai has affixed the charge port on the nose of the Kona. With lesser cooling requirements, the entire front bumper has been greatly simplified, with parametric LED styling also applied to its lower front grille, that also pairs well with a smoothened lower half of the front bumper.

The car also gains a new bit of trim. This spans the length of the window line, merging with lines that also run across the width of the pseudo-rear wing. Again, there’s more parametric design touches to the rear bumper, with the car then also gaining new alloy wheels in a bid for greater levels of efficiency.

A Familiar Cockpit

Both Kona models come with identically-styled interiors. Hyundai has nailed the balance between minimalism and practicality, managing to reduce the number of physical buttons in the cabin but not eliminate them altogether.

Most of the car functions are controlled through its 12.3″ touchscreen, though a bank of switchgear has been retained to ensure all of the functionality that you’d need to adjust on a regular basis is accessible in a cinch.

The digital cluster resides in the same bezel as the infotainment screen, and is the same 12.3 inches. The graphics are high resolution and crystal clear, making it very easy to read whilst on the move. Material quality is excellent as you’d expect from a modern Hyundai product, making the cabin a truly nice place to be in.

Space is great in the cabin too. With a flat floor and sufficient width in the body shell, even the middle passenger in the back row wouldn’t struggle for space. Leg and kneeroom is good in all seats, and there’s sufficient headroom as a result of its straight roof line.

Electric Drive

Powering the Electric Kona is a Category A-COE compliant 133 bhp electric motor. The drive unit resides underneath the bonnet, and provides propulsion to the front wheels only. Coupled to this motor is a 48.6 kWh battery pack, which sounds small in a world where manufacturers are increasingly cramping additional capacity into their electric cars.

But Hyundai isn’t keen on building capable EVs by employing what essentially is a band aid solution. Instead, their focus on sheer efficiency means that despite the smaller-than-average battery size, the Kona Electric is still able to return some truly impressive range numbers. The WLTP figure is quoted at 456 kilometres, and we managed to achieve 420 kilometres over our three-day test drive.

With a properly optimised weight bias, and a low-centre of gravity, the Kona Electric is definitely more engaging to drive than its ICE counterpart. Instantaneous torque also means it feels fair spritelier, and seemingly always willing to chirp its front wheels whenever you put your foot down. It is no sports car, and it certainly doesn’t handle like one.

But it doesn’t need to. It rides extremely well, and is ideally suited for daily duties. Unless of course, you daily duties require you to make extremely lengthy drives up North. If that’s the case, you may want to spring for the aptly named Kona Electric Long Range. Battery capacity is now up to 64.8 kWh, which means it’d now do 625 kilometres on a single charge.

The Better Twin

Building a platform with electrification in mind allows manufacturers to properly package their EVs. Electric cars are more finicky to bundle together, as a lot of their mechanical gubbins are fairly large, heavy and cumbersome to manoeuvre in and out of a car’s body shell.

Manufacturers at this price point often utilise adapted chassis to build their EVs. This results in lower production costs, and thus, a more palatable price tag for the consumers. But this means having to work around ICE-specific compromises, leading to a less-than-ideal weight balance and battery capacity.

As a dedicated EV first, the Kona Electric drives better than its ICE counterpart, and feels more robust on the move too. It is also cheaper to run, and easier to maintain, making it truly the better twin.

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