Hyundai has just launched the Venue sub-4 meter compact SUV in India and has marked its entry in the highly competitive segment. Now as far as the upcoming launches from the brand are concerned, the next most exciting launch from the brand will be the all-electric Kona SUV. The brand has stated that the Kona EV will be launched in the Indian market on 9 July 2019. To let you know, the South Korean maker has already launched the electric SUV in the global market and the vehicle has also garnered positive reviews from global reviewers. After entering the sub-4 meter compact SUV with the Venue, the brand will enter the electric vehicle market with their Kona SUV. This will be the first electric vehicle by the brand in the Indian market.
The expected price for the Kona electric SUV is estimated to be in the range of Rs 20 lakhs to Rs 25 lakhs. Even at this price point, there are rumors that the brand will only bring the entry level model of the Kona in the Indian market. The entry level model of Kona SUV comes with a battery rated for capacity of 39.2 kWh. The price tag will surely make the upcoming electric SUV an expensive car in the Indian market. A major reason behind the high price tag of the upcoming electric SUV is the route which it will take to come to the Indian market. The South Korean brand will bring the SUV to the Indian market via the Completely Knocked Down kit route and will then assemble the SUV in the country.
This will lead to higher taxes on the imported kits of the car in the country, hence the higher price. Another reason for the higher price tag is that the electric technology is still an expensive one and like any other technology, the early customers will have to bear a part of the initial cost of development. Not to mention that despite the lower capacity model coming to India, the brand is bringing the top model of the SUV to the country, hence it will be loaded with features and the price will also reflect the same. On the upcoming Hyundai Kona, one can expect features like Hyundai’s BlueLink infotainment system, leather seats, premium materials in the cabin, climate control, electric sunroof, and all the other features that the company is known for.
Moving away from the topic of high price of the Kona SUV, and talking about under the hood details, the upcoming electric vehicle will comes with a powertrain rated for 100 kW and 335 Nm. The range of the upcoming vehicle on a full charge will be nearly 300 kms and the naught to ton figure for the SUV will be 9.3 seconds. The company also offers fast charging on the upcoming vehicle and kits for the same will also be provided to the customers. Although it is not clear whether the fast charger will be offered as a standard accessory or not. As far as competition is concerned, the Kona will not face any direct competition at the time of launch but the coming times will see the launch of EVs like the Nissan Leaf and MG e-ZS which will provide the Kona with some rivalry.