The new Hyundai Kona Hybrid and Kona Electric now available in Singapore

The new Hyundai KONA Hybrid and Electric variants both sport a sleeker and more stylish look. Despite the enhancements, they still retain their charming winning personalities.

Komoco Motors, the official distributor of Hyundai in Singapore, has unveiled the newly enhanced Hyundai KONA Hybrid and Hyundai KONA Electric variants.

The new KONA's design philosophy emphasises boldness and progressiveness, making it more appealing to customers who lead an active lifestyle.

The New KONA Hybrid

For starters, the Hybrid variant comes as an entry point for the Singaporean market. The striking new front-end design now stands out with its eye-catching, protective cladding panels. It also now looks dominating, thanks to its stretched bonnet coupled with the large centre grille. The wide and thin LED DRLs further enhance the overall effect.

Lower down, the main bumper fascia connects smoothly to the wheel arch claddings, forming a unique and robust armour in a contrasting material to the main body.

On the lower bumper, the robust skid plate appears to embrace the air intake, and visually complements the shape of the main upper grille. Integrated into the bumper corners are vertically oriented aerodynamic inlets that improve airflow.

The side body retains the muscular and sculpted shape of the previous KONA. Still, the sporty wedge-shaped silhouette is further accentuated by the visual connection between the shoulder creases and the sharper, cleaner front end.

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At the rear, the new taillights feature horizontally stretched graphics. These reflect the unique identity of the front-end light design. The new rear bumper, which also follows the protective armour concept of the front and sides, also uses a contrasting material.

The New KONA Electric

The KONA Electric has undergone bold exterior design upgrades by combining a clean and sleek appearance with the protective and aggressive B-SUV body type. As a result, it expresses its exceptional electric technology while being even more recognisable on the road.

The new KONA Electric adopted a new modern look at the front. The closed grille features a pure and clean design. It is complemented by an asymmetric charging port, a feature unique to the Kona Electric, making a strong statement about driving an electric vehicle.

The rear bumper retains the accent bars to add value to the car's overall look, while the new horizontally-stretched rear LED lamps complement the pure appearance of the front.

Exterior paint colours

Hyundai offers five new paint options for the new KONA Hybrid, including Surfy Blue, Dive in Jeju and Cyber Grey. These are in addition to five existing colours, including Phantom Black, Atlas White, Dark Knight, Pulse Red and Galactic Grey.

Every colour can be combined with the Phantom Black two-tone roof. The two-tone roof also comes with matching mirror housings. Contributing to its sporty and sleek appearance, and gives customers more options for personalisation.

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Unlike the KONA Hybrid, customers in Singapore will be getting a single colour option for the Electric variant.

However, car buyers can look forward to six new dazzling colours instead - Surfy Blue, Dive in Jeju, Cyber Grey, Jungle Green, Atlas White, and Ignite Flame.

Enhanced interior and safety features

The new KONA Hybrid and KONA Electric receive the same centre console, tech upgrades and enhanced safety features.

For the first time, both are equipped with Hyundai's latest 10.25-inch digital cluster. In addition, the new eight-inch Display Audio system unit incorporates multimedia and convenience features allowing users to connect their smartphones via Apple CarPlay and Android Auto wirelessly.

Other enhancements that contribute to the interior’s refinement level include new ambient light technology that illuminates the passenger and driver side foot well, emphasising the lifestyle characteristics of the vehicle.

Both variants are equipped with convenient driving features. While the KONA Electric gets a shift-by-wire system, the KONA Hybrid is fitted with an electric parking brake system.

Each unique feature allows drivers to switch between gears easily and purposefully designed to create an airy and spacious atmosphere.

Hyundai promises its drivers will enjoy a safer drive for longer journeys. No matter which one customers opt for, both are equipped with a host of safety and driver assistance features.

Hyundai SmartSense Active Safety Features include the following:

• Blind-Spot Collision-Avoidance Assist (BCA) [NEW]
• Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist [NEW]
• Leading Vehicle Departure Alert (LVDA) [NEW]
• Safe Exit Warning (SEW) [NEW]
• Rear Seat Alert (RSA) [NEW]
• Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist (FCA) (now with [NEW] cyclist detection)
• Lane Following Assist (LFA) [NEW to the KONA Hybrid]
• Smart Cruise Control (SCC) with stop and go [New to the KONA Hybrid]
• Driver Attention Warning (DAW) [only available for KONA Electric]

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For the roads

The new KONA Hybrid and Electric get improved springs and dampers for better stabilisation, along with fine-tuned suspension and new tires for well-balanced handling.

Both also get improved power trains in terms of performance and sustainability. However, despite the differences in power figures, they do not degrade the KONA's sporty character.

The KONA Hybrid features a 1.6-litre GDI engine and electric motor with a combined power output of 141 PS, paired with a 6-speed dual-clutch transmission and with two-wheel drive system. The 32kW electric motor draws its energy from a 1.56 kWh lithium-polymer battery.

On the other hand, the KONA Electric offers two different zero-emission battery-electric powertrains without compromising performance.

The long-range version powered by a 64 kWh battery features an electric motor that delivers a maximum power output of 204 PS (150kW), accelerating the KONA Electric to 100km/h in 7.9 seconds.

The base version has a battery capacity of 39.2 kWh, with the motor delivering 136 PS (100kW), accelerating to 100km/h in 9.9 seconds.

Both power train versions deliver 395 Nm of instantaneous torque; Hyundai claims that the new KONA Electric is now fun to drive with full power available from the very first second.

Availability

The new KONA Hybrid and KONA Electric are now available for viewing at the Hyundai Showroom. Here is a list of variants on sale:

KONA 1.6 DCT Hybrid - $114,999

• Power: 96.7 kW/129.7 hp
• Torque: 265 Nm
• Combined fuel consumption: 3.9 l/100 km

KONA 1.6 DCT Hybrid with Sunroof - $122,999

• Power: 96.7 kW/129.7 hp
• Torque: 265 Nm
• Combined fuel consumption: 3.9 l/100 km

KONA Electric 5DR - $140,888

• Power: 100 kW
• Torque: 395 Nm
• Vehicle Efficiency: 15 kWh/100 km

KONA Electric 5DR with Sunroof - $145,888

• Power: 100 kW
• Torque: 395 Nm
• Vehicle Efficiency: 15 kWh/100 km

KONA Electric 5DR with Sunroof (Long Range) - $165,888

• Power: 150 kW
• Torque: 395 Nm
• Vehicle Efficiency: 15.4 kWh/100 km

To find out more, please visit Hyundai.

Prices are accurate at the time of writing and are inclusive of COE.

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This article was first published in Motorist.