Small with Versatility and Performance
The second generation Hyundai Kona EV may be the smallest all-electric SUV offered by Hyundai, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t hold its own through versatility, performance and driving range.
Choices: 2 Motors, 2 Batteries, 4 Trims
The 2025 Hyundai Kona Electric SE has a 48.6 kWh Standard Range battery and a 99kW electric motor producing 133 horsepower (hp) and 188 pound-feet (lb.-ft.) of torque for a 200 mile all-electric driving range (AER). The N Line, SEL and Limited trims have a 64.8 kWh Long Range battery and a 150kW motor good for 201 hp and 188 lb.-ft. of torque. The N Line gets 230 AER while the SEL and Limited have 261 AER.
Charging
The lithium-ion batteries come with a standard pre-conditioning system to aid faster and more complete charging in cold weather. Charging times vary for the two battery sizes.
- 48.6 kWh Standard Range battery
- Level 2
- 10-100%: 5 – 6 hours
- 64.8 kWh Long Range battery
- DC Fast Charging
- 10-80%: 43 minutes
- Add approximately 100 miles in 15 minutes
The Kona Electric was easy to charge using the MyHyundai with Bluelink app that offers plug-and-charge at these public charging networks.
- IONNA – a high-performance charging network for electric vehicles, established by a joint venture of major automotive companies. The goal is to create 30,000 fast charging points across North America
- ChargePoint (including roaming partners)
- Tesla Supercharger (Current and new owners get a NACS-North American Charging Standard-adapter for free or can purchase one at a Hyundai dealer for $230)
- EVgo
Hyundai also offers a program to get you started on changing at home through its Home Marketplace. Enter your home address, then available rebates and other benefits appear that are customized to your state and specifically your electric utility.
As of this story being written (May 2025) there is a US government 30% tax credit for homeowners who install an EV charger, with both the charger and installation covered by the rebate.
The Kona Electric does not have complementary charging benefit but does come with a Level 1 charge cable for home charging on 120V household current.
Vehicle-to-Load (V2L)
With a bi-directional onboard charger, the Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) function can power devices or charge electrical equipment, such as electric bicycles, scooters, camping equipment or even power necessities during a power outage. From the front charging port, devices and appliances can be plugged in using an available V2L adapter to utilize the Kona Electric’s battery power when it is parked.
EV Purpose-Designed Exterior
Hyundai says the Kona’s “EV-centric exterior” design strategy is opposite of what many car companies have done, which is design first for a gasoline engine and then adapt it to an electric power plant. By starting with the Kona Electric in mind, aerodynamics have benefitted with a drag coefficient of 0.27 from a sleek, aerodynamic nose, active grille shutters, wheel arches, lift gate and integrated rear spoiler.
The 2025 Kona Electric will not be mistaken for the earlier generation as it has a more contemporary look and feel. The nose is smooth and rounded, topped by a single and continuous LED blade for the daytime running lights. Extending the entire width of the hood, it creates a luminous signature with a single light. Sitting on the far edges of the fascia, which also has the chargeport door, are the LED projector headlights.
The rear is equally smooth, echoing the front blade design with LED accent light and the tail lights housed in the far outer lower corners. Especially interesting is how the lift gate glass and the small glass window behind the rear doors intersect at a point.
Four alloy wheel designs in either 17” or 19” sizes, and eight exterior colors offer stylings options. Neoteric Yellow, Ultimate Red Metallic and Cyber Gray Metallic exterior colors are a $500 premium. The no additional cost colors are Abyss Black Pearl, Mirage Green, Meta Blue Pearl, Ecotronic Gray Pearl or Atlas White, with the last being what adorned our Kona Electric.
Interior
Hyundai says the Kona has a “driver-centric” interior with dual 12.3-inch panoramic display screens that add a premium touch. The left screen houses the digital meter and gauge cluster display, while the right side screen is home to the infotainment system. The base sound system has six speakers, but our Limited trim had the Bose premium audio set-up with an external amp, tweeters and eight speakers. All sound systems get AM/FM/SiriusXM/HD Radio, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, dual USB-C outlets, 12V outlet, WiFi hotspot and Bluetooth for streaming music.
The seats in our Kona Electric Limited were covered in H-Tex leatherette, with the other trims getting either black Alcantara (N Line) or cloth (SE and SEL). Alcantara is suede-like synthetic textile made from a blend of polyester and polyurethane. Interior color choices are Black or Sage Green with Lime accents, which gave some pizzaz to our test car.
The front seats had 8-way power adjustments, heat and ventilation with the driver seat having lumbar support. The rear bench seat, with a folding armrest with cup holders, reclines and comfortably seats two adults with a flat floor giving room to stretch.
The rear cargo space, with a dual level floor, lights and package anchors, is 25.5 cubic feet with the rear seat upright, but grows to a very useable 63.7 cubic feet when the 60:40 rear seat is folded. The hands-free power lift gate opens to a low lift-over for the rear storage area. The front trunk (frunk) measures one cubic foot, so fit for small packages only.
Additional convenience features include a power sunroof, rear view monitor with parking guidance lines, soft-touch materials on the dash and door panels, dual automatic temperature controls, cabin air filter, heated, leather-wrapped tilt-and-telescopic steering wheel with audio and advanced cruise controls, wireless phone charger, auto-dimming rear view mirror with Homelink, LED interior lights, adjustable 64-color ambient lighting and an illuminated glovebox.
Hitting the Road
As with all EVs, the acceleration was smooth and quiet with instant torque at any speed. Scooting 0-60 mph is about 7.2 seconds, which is plenty fast for merging onto highways. The top speed is set at 104 mph, but we highly recommend not pushing it that high.
Handling was crisp and direct with motor-driven power steering that whipped us 360º in a 34.8 foot turning diameter. The 17-inch alloy wheels (19-inch are optional) were shod with EV-specific Kuhmo Solus 215/60 all-season tires, which are rated highest for rolling resistance, comfort and noise. This fits perfectly with how Hyundai wants the Kona Electric to be used—freeway commuting and for in-town errands, but also capable of a weekend road trip.
In 226 miles cruising around Southern California we found the ride to be comfortable and pretty fun to mildly toss around at times. Stopping was excellent with ABS for the ventilated front and solid rear discs.
The regenerative braking, which is actually the motor slowing when coming off the accelerator pedal, was controlled by steering wheel mounted paddles. There are four regen levels that can be set by pulling on the left side paddle or on a setting in the center screen. The right side paddle reduces the regen level while the left side increase it. The ultimate setting is i-PEDAL MAX, where it is possible (and our favorite way to drive the Kona Electric) to do most driving with your fingertips doing the slowing.
When coasting or braking, kinetic energy is converted into electric energy and returned to the battery to add driving range, but it also adds a level of joy and fun with the one-pedal driving technique.
An unexpected technology for a car at this price is the Remote Smart Parking Assist. Using the Smart Key, the Kona Electric can be remotely moved in or out of a tight parking space. This is a handy feature to park the car where it might be difficult to open the doors.
Technology and Safety
The Kona comes with an extensive list of standard safety features, beginning with front, side impact and side air curtain airbags. Hyundai’s SmartSense safety tech is robust with advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), including a surround-view camera, lane keeping assist, blind spot detection, forward collision avoidance and rear cross-traffic avoidance assist. Click the above link to learn about the Hyundai safety suite. Other features are auto hold, a surround and blind view monitor with parking sensors and a tire pressure monitoring system.
The Hyundai Blue Link telematics app provides access to vehicle systems, including remote starting, and the Digital Key provides extra convenience and safety.
Pricing
These 2025 Kona Electric prices include the $1,450 freight charge.
- SE $34,425
- SEL $38,425
- N-Line $38,825
- Limited $42,600
It is unknown at the time this story was written (May 2025) if the federal tax incentives will be extended by the Trump administration. Individual states and local electric utilities may have purchase incentive programs that would not be affected by any federal actions. The Kona EV may also qualify for an HOV sticker, which allows only the driver to use the carpool lanes.
The Kona Electric, built in Korea and not using batteries made in the U.S., will be subject to tariffs. The additional amount, when this story was written, is unknown.
Warranty
- New Vehicle – Five years/60,000 miles
- Powertrain – 10 years/100,000miles
- Electric Battery – 10 years/100,000 miles
- Anti-perforation – Seven years/Unlimited miles
- Maintenance – Three years/36,000 miles
- Roadside Assistance – Five years/Unlimited Miles
Observations: 2025 Hyundai Kona Electric Limited
The four Kona Electric trim levels—SE, N Line, SEL and Limited—offer choices in performance and driving range. While is it larger in all dimensions than the outgoing model, it is still classified as a small or subompact SUV.
Hyundai positions the Kona Electric for active and diverse lifestyles. Considering its size, that would mean families with small children, singles or couples without children will all be attracted to this compact SUV. We foresee laying-down the second row seat and filling the cargo space with outdoor adventure gear or beach toys.
Other EVs such as the Kia Niro, Chevrolet Equinox, Nissan Leaf, Honda Prologue, Mini Countryman EV or Tesla Model 3 are alternatives to consider. If doing so, make sure to compare the size, range and design, not just the price.
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Story and photos by John Faulkner.
Disclosure
Clean Fleet Report is loaned free test vehicles from automakers to evaluate, typically for a week at a time. Our road tests are based on this one-week drive of a new vehicle. Because of this we don’t address issues such as long-term reliability or total cost of ownership. In addition, we are often invited to manufacturer events highlighting new vehicles or technology. As part of these events we may be offered free transportation, lodging or meals. We do our best to present our unvarnished evaluations of vehicles and news irrespective of these inducements.
Our focus is on vehicles that offer the best fuel economy in their class, which leads us to emphasize electric cars, plug-in hybrids, hybrids and other efficient powertrains. We also feature those efficient gas-powered vehicles that are among the top mpg vehicles in their class. In addition, we aim to offer reviews and news on advanced technology and the alternative fuel vehicle market. We welcome any feedback from vehicle owners and are dedicated to providing a forum for alternative viewpoints. Please let us know your views at [email protected].
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