New Hyundai Kona SUV ELECTRIC version to arrive in 2018 with 200 mile plus range

The new Hyundai Kona – a compact urban SUV – will debut in less than two weeks, and it looks like it will be joined by a Kona EV in 2018 with 200 mile plus range.

We did say, when Hyundai revealed its latest teaser for the Kona SUV, that we didn’t expect there to be any more teasers before the Kona’s launch on 13 June. But this isn’t a test for the Kona, but it looks like a reliable heads-up on a Kona to come later – the Kona EV.

A Hyundai official has confirmed to reporters in Korea that there will be a new electric vehicle from Hyundai in 2018, and that it will be a small SUV. Which really has to be the Kona EV.

Said to come with an official range of over 300 miles, the electric Kona looks set to offer a real world range in excess of 200 miles and, from what Auto Bild say, with a 50kWh battery. Now whether they know that or have extrapolated it from the supposed range we don’t know, but it makes sense.

That will make the Kona SUV EV a far more usable EV than the Ioniq EV, with its bigger range and more compact dimensions, and make the Kona SUV EV a perfect little urban electric SUV.

Auto Bild also say the Kona EV will start at around €35k (around £30k) which, although a chunk of money for a compact urban SUV, will make it competitive.

With the new Hyundai Kona (which looks like it may be the Hyundai Kauai in parts of Europe) on sale before the end of 2017, it looks like we can expect the Kona EV to arrive in 2018, perhaps as soon as the 2018 Geneva Motor Show.