The Hyundai Kona has been slated to gain a fully-electric version, and here the battery-powered variant of the Korean automaker’s new B-segment SUV has been spotted undergoing trials in public.
An earlier Autocar report stated that Hyundai is aiming to give the Kona EV a battery-only range of slightly less than 400 km, and when it reaches production the all-electric Kona could adopt the EV architecture from its electrified stablemate, the Ioniq.
From what can be seen despite the camouflage, the overall Kona silhouette remains, with detail changes for the EV-specific application, due to significantly reduced air intake requirements. As depicted here, the front is also where the charging port is located, within the front grille.
The Kona’s full safety kit complement can be expected here too, including the Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist, which uses a front camera and radar for autonomous braking when required, along with Lane Keeping Assist, High Beam Assist and Driver Attention Warning, plus Blind-Spot Collision Warning and Rear Cross-Traffic Collison Warning.
Though the inside of the test mule hasn’t been sighted just yet, the Hyundai Kona EV can be expected to have the latest iteration of interior appointments, possibly including the Kona’s infotainment setup with support for both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, along with the Qi wireless inductive charging pad for mobile devices which is optional in the Kona.
Beyond the fully-electric Kona, Hyundai has plans for an even smaller SUV that will debut by 2020. This will sit below the Kona in the SUV line-up, and at the other end of the scale will be a large SUV to sit above the Tucson and Santa Fe, likely to be positioned as a flagship SUV for the North American market.
GALLERY: Hyundai Kona
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85 percent of cars in Korea are Kia and Hyundai. Kona!!
normal spec – Hyundai Kona
performance spec – Hyundai Kona Baring
how about that?