The Hyundai Kona Electric SUV has finally been launched in India at an introductory price of Rs. 25.30 lakh (ex-showroom). This marks the launch of the first all-electric SUV in the Indian market. It is also the first electric car to be launched by Hyundai in India.
Hyundai India has been the second largest carmaker in the country for a fairly long time. While taking away the first spot from Maruti Suzuki still appears to be a distant dream, the company has constantly been working towards expanding its customer reach and thus enhancing its market footprint. As part of these steps, the company has taken this first step forward by introducing an all-electric car in India; something that Maruti is yet to do.
Cosmetically, the electric Kona SUV looks similar to the conventionally-powered version. It comes with a vertical nose, slim DRL assemblies, projector headlamps located on the lower part of the bumper, and no front grille. Instead, there’s a flap on the right side of the bumper that houses the charging socket of the Kona electric. The side profile shows black plastic cladding running throughout the lower body area and roof rails. The Kona Electric in India is available in 4 solid colours – White, Silver, Blue and Black. Additionally, Hyundai is also providing a dual-tone white and black colour scheme that is available at a premium of Rs. 20,000.
Also Read: List of electric cars to be launched in India
Powering the India-spec Hyundai Kona Electric is a permanent magnet synchronous motor that draws power from a 39.2 kWh battery pack. This powertrain is capable of developing 136 PS and 395 Nm of peak torque. The Kona electric SUV can accelerate from 0-100 km/h in 9.7 seconds and can cover a distance of 452 km on a single charge.
Hyundai has also made sure that owners of the Kona electric don’t need to wait long for the SUV to be charged. As a result, this electric vehicle can be fully charged in just 57 min, using a 50 kW DC fast charger. Meanwhile, charging from a standard AC source will take 6 hours and 10 mins to for a completely juiced-up battery pack.
In order to make sure that customers have confidence in buying the first electric car from Hyundai, the carmaker is offering the Kona electric SUV in India with a 3-year / unlimited kilometer standard warranty. Additionally, the battery pack comes with a warranty of 8 years / 1.6 lakh kilometer.