In what could be the worst analogy ever used on RU-vid, I explain why the Hyundai Kona is called Phil! Website: www.ev-man.co.uk Twitter: / evmanuk Octopus Referral: share.octopus.... #hyundai #kona #electriccars
Boot capacity can be increased by throwing away the pointless under-floor boot tidy and lowering the floor about 10 cm. My boot-tidy lives on a shelf in the garage... The type-2 charge cable lives in a plastic box under the bonnet (which now has gas struts for easy access). Hyundai dealer keeps removing the froot-box when I take the car in for a service!!
Still loving our 64kWh Phil. 2.5 years, 55k miles at an average of 4.2 m/kWh. Actually the tyres will stick on a warm, dry day, then 201hp Phil is capable of being a bit of a hooligan. Best car I've ever had.
Solid review, we had one and then went to ID.3 ……..bad move. Performance from the battery is exactly as stated a great car. You have done the car justice with your review.
Again absolutely spot on Andy. We've had our 2019 64kwh Kona for 2.5 years here in Norway and an absolutely brilliant car! The one thing I really miss is the app for heating up the car from your phone when you're inside the house. That is extremely important for us when we have -15c inside our garage! The face-lift model has the app but it's not as necessary in warmer climates, but still very good to have. One thing I would like to mention (mainly for nordic countries) is that although we have the best winter tires on the car, they are studless and I will change them to the studded version, simply because the car is so powerfull and we don't get the grip on icy roads making it extremely unstable. Nothing more I can add as you've said it all. Well done!
We have that on our 2020 model and it works great. However, it was defect one day and we had to get it repaired. It took 3 weeks as the spare part (kind of a computer unit) is located deep in the front compartment and they had to order it from south korea.
I just bought the same EV in Oct and love it. It cost me $23 Canadian per month to charge. I charge twice a week and travel about 450 to 650 km a week.
Nearly 3 years for our Premium Kona, ordered early and kept the price. Twice to Outer Hebrides from Suffolk. Brilliant car, probably keep it 8 years. Love the cruise control, it drives itself. Hate lane assist, death wish, wish I could turn it off permanently, have to go through a routine when firing up. Yes, would like a bit more boot room but its ok. I still think it is a major contender which says a lot about the car after 3 years ownership. Love driving it even now, look forward to getting in it each time. How much did herself get to drive it on our Scottish trips, guess !!
At the time I bought my Niro I was seriously considering a kona, it was no longer a contest once I'd sat in the Niro. I see Vauxhall have reduced the price of the Astra and Mokka ev's in response to the reduced govt. grants. That's the second time prices have come down due to this, for years the manufacturers have claimed that the price of EV's weren't artificially high, I guess we now know the truth.
Niros are so ugly. Anyone that buys a Kia clearly doesn't care about the future of jobs in the UK - especially manufacturing. When your son/nephew/old school mate/neighbour says they can't find any jobs in manufacturing, you have helped to create that situation.
Price issue is with the battery car itself isn't much different. Once battery prices lower more as tech increases as currently some parts for the batteries are overpriced. Other issue is most insurance do not cover the battery, so if something happens you have to pay for it yourself which can be thousands.
@@RickyT15 I wouldn't pay thousands without ringing Cleveleys in Gloucestershire first..... They're pretty good at sorting EV's, and are wizards with the batteries... It isn't an issue until you get past 8 years old anyway....
Had my Kona EV 2 months . Great car, suits my usage, and great range (64KWh premium).. colour makes a big difference to the looks though. I went for the dark Knight metallic.
You mentioned the Nissan Leaf. Funny thing is the next one will be a crossover. So it will be a direct rival range wise and in terms of vehicle type. Also I just wanted to say I love this channel. Every video is always very informative. Also I don't think many people watching this got the Phil Neville (I'm a United fan so I got it, a pleasant surprise ) 😂💯
Yet another brilliant and honest review. Please keep up the good work. I'm struggling to decide between 2nd hand E-niro, Kona and new MG ZS and your reviews help enormously. (PS, like Harry but much prefer the reviews you do on your own. )
Picked up a 64kwh Premium last week which will replace our 2012 Nissan Leaf and I'm absolutely blown away by it. Such a huge improvement in every way, especially the huge range 👍
@@cool_mat99 really good. 10k miles down and no issues. Performance still puts a smile on my face and regularly showing 340+ miles on the range. Totally achievable too as recently completed a 270 round trip without charging and still had 70 miles of range left. 👍
@@dashcamdad9497 wow that's amazing I'm really thinking about getting one. reading what you have told me I just want to go and order one, I was looking at the Kia but my dad had bad experiences with them when he had the Kia ceed. I'm going to make a trip to the Hyundai showroom Sunday I think
@@cool_mat99 I took delivery of a 2023 Kona Ultimate EV in August this year and it is an amazing car! We love it...drives amazingly well and super efficient! Have 8000km on it already and we are leaving on a 4400km trip Nov 3 and really look forward to it. Hope all works out in your shopping. Mike 🇨🇦
I’m very happy with my Tracey Neville (Soul EV) to stretch your analogy further. The boot even though a little shallower than the Kona is deeper and the box like dimensions once you drop the seats make it a truly capable load carrier. Stick some roof bars and a box on the roof and you have a very capable holiday hauler (using the good range to offset the efficiency loss of adding the box). Rear passenger space is much better and for our family (myself, the missus and our 5 year old) it’s all the car we need, and we don’t have to worry about things like narrow roads and parking spaces that the bloated larger SUV EV drivers have to contend with
I have a Kona 64kwh on the Motability Scheme, my first EV, I would never go back to an ICE car again. There's only me and my son so the size of the car is fine and the range is amazing.There were other EVs that I looked at, but for me I picked the right car, oh and that acceleration, wow!!!!
Another Korean car worth mentioning is the older version of the Hyundai Premium 39kWh. Small battery but excellent efficiency, 195 miles in summer and 170 in winter. I went from London to Bristol and back recently and averaged 4.3 miles per kWh over the whole journey in poor weather. I chose it over the Kona because the bigger boot was more important to me than range.
The Kia siblings also have 7 year warranties, which certainly swayed me into going for a 2020 Kia Soul EV. All three are indeed amazing cars to this day, they were well ahead of their time in 2019. I sometimes look at all of these new EVs coming out seemingly every month and wonder about them. If I had to buy a new car for whatever reason, would I swap to one of these newer models? So far the answer is probably no, I'd buy another Soul EV. Last summer I was able to get well over 300 miles on a charge multiple times (potentially 325+, if we believe what remained on the guessometer after I had to stop for my own comfort first). Nothing anywhere near to the price comes close and it's not like they are skimping elsewhere for that range for the price. It's a shame the EV6 and Ioniq 5 have dropped that efficiency ball a little (admittedly much larger vehicles).
Wait till you try and claim on warranty... you will find it's not worth the paper it's written on. MG offers the same and they are awful and rusting after 3 years.
Thankyou for this interesting and balanced review. I had one of the first batch of Kona EVs and, for me, the boot space was it's biggest disappointment. It's greatest strength was the range. Over the 3 years that I owned it I averaged 5.1 miles per kWh. I did several 275 miles journeys without a charging stop and so virtually all my miles were on home charge electricity making it very cheap to run. As you say, for anyone happy with that size of car, then it is a brilliant option.
Have had my 64kwh Kona since the start of 2020, its got 57k km on the clock and I absolutely love it. I genuinely don't see the need to ever change it.
I do not understand how you manage to continuously spin the wheels. I have owned one for 18months and have hardly ever had the wheels break away. You obviously have a heavy right foot. I find it a great and unbelievably efficient compact car. However, it is a pain having to turn on the ‘Auto hold’ function on, and the ‘Lane assist’ off every time I get in the car. I live in an area with very narrow roads. Good down to earth reviews. Keep it up.
I have the 2019 Kona with the 64kWh battery and 201bhp motor. I can spin the wheels in eco mode in the damp. Especially when it's cold and the tyre rubber is harder. Normal mode needs a gentle throttle and Sport mode is only used to show off!!! To be fair, the missus never spins the wheels so maybe it is just driving style that leads to wheel-spin.
@@leesmart1971 I agree. Driving style is the difference. When I used to drive ICE cars I was always on the accelerator then the brake. ‘If it was in front of me I had to overtake it’. But since solely driving BEVs. I still drive fairly quickly but ‘waft’ up to speed and anticipate stopping - letting the regen slow me where possible. The change in my driving style came when I woke up to what the satnav was telling me. (Ripping the arse out of your car does not alter your ETA by any serious amount). I mainly drive an M3 long range.
I haven't driven the Kona but I have test driven the eNiro and found it way too easy to wheelspin. The roads were just slightly damp at the time. I don't know if they later fixed traction control via an upgrade but just couldn't put the power down. Other than that it was decent apart from bits of piano black fingerprint magnet interior.
Good review Andy. Having driven both the e-Niro and the Kona, I preferred driving the e-Niro, but the Kona is cheaper for what you get and has a slightly longer range than the e-Niro. Also My driveway has limited space and the Kona fits on it, when the e_Niro doesn't . Both a stonkingly good cars though. Personally I hate the styling on the Soul
Swap out the front tyres to Goodyear Efficientgrip Performance 2's, and that will solve most of the unruly wheel spin. They transformed the handling, steering feel and drastically reduced the torque steer on our Kia Soul EV. Best car review you've put out for a while... almost spot on... we found the Kona lacking in rear passenger space (height), and the Niro driving position too low and the car a bit unnecessary in length (estate like), hence the Soul... much more fun (lifestyle choice as you put it)... definitely no regrets (13,000 miles and 18 months in).
Thanks for that comment ive been looking for replacement tyres for the awful Nexens on my Soul and these were a contender so thats pretty much made my mind up. One Q how is the noise on them?
@@Joe-lb8qn Only running the Goodyears on the front of our Soul (original Nexens on the rear), but I can say that they are quieter on a good road surface... not so much improvement on our rubbish local 'A-roads' (which our council likes to cover in coarse granite chippings). One thing you could look at is getting the sound deadening foam for your new tyres. It's standard spec on a lot of new cars... including some Teslas and Volvos for example. There's a video somewhere of a guy getting his Tesla tyres done. They bond a strip of foam to the inside of the tyre contact area from what I remember (for some reason I had it in my head that it was a spray foam application, and didn't even consider it at the time..doh). For info, I used KwikFit's mobile tyre service and the guy was excellent... fully trained up and conversant with EV's (air bag jack etc)... also they were significantly cheaper than my usual local tyre shop (I must admit KwikFit would not normally be my first choice). One thing I will say, is that how surprised I was at how light and flexible car tyres are today (compared to only a decade or so back)... which obviously means that the correct tyre pressures are even more critical than ever.
We looked at a Kona when car shopping recently. The nearest KONA EV was 300 km away so we checked out the ICE version to see how small it really is. My wife didn't fit comfortably behind herself, so it is really a 2 seater. I'm glad that we didn't bother to make the trek to see the EV version. We would have tried the e-Niro, but there were none available.
Agreed that al 3 siblings are great cars. I ended up with the Soul EV. Love it. It’s much roomier in the rear than the Kona. The styling is more funky. Definitely distinctive. But they are all great, whichever you choose.
Can increase boot size a lot by removing the useless foam insert and dropping the floor. Also, the kona at the same price as the niro has significantly more specification. The niro 3 spec is closest but costs loads more. Smart auto regeneration setting is brilliant but not something I've heard any reviewer mention. Few other things but I'll stop now.
For me, the facelift version is far more appealing than its predessor. But, I like my car interior to be a bit squidgy. Hard plastics don't do it for me. The big reason I had the e-Niro over the Kona. On my second e-Niro, now. Replaced my "Worst Edition" with a 4+ (MY22). Took advantage of the insane used car market and part exchanged for an in stock 4+. Got 96% back of what I paid for the 1st edition. So glad I didn't lease it. Buying outright saved me around £10,000 in the 20 months I had that car.
The E Niro and Kona don’t share the same battery. Kona = LG, Niro SK. That’s why the E Niro’s didn’t have a battery recall. Also the max charging speed is 77kW same as the Niro.
Phil Neville indeed! I actually like the Kia Niro, have thought about buying the PHEV. I've not been in the Kona, but am told the Niro is a bit more comfortable. Excellent review.
In New Zealand the specifications of the Kona are more limited than in the UK. The 39kw battery comes in the basic spec and elite spec while the 64kw battery only comes in the elite. Only the 39kw basic was priced under the clean car rebate cap. Having owned an elite spec Ioniq and having test driven the Kona and Niro we purchased a Niro in preference. Not only did all the Niro come with the 64kw battery but the mid specification trim level was priced just under the cap. So not only a better spec but also a more spacious vehicle both in the cabin and the luggage area.
A really solid review, didn't get the footballer comments but hey it's the wrong shaped ball game you were referring to. Lots to consider when thinking of a replacement EV for my Leaf.
I've had my Niro ev for 3 months and absolutely love it. I only chose it over the Kona because of the interior space and to help get a discount on a Telluride. I drive 250km every day and it's a pleasure in the heavy Toronto traffic.
Just took delivery of this Kona 64 premium - but even a slightly used car was over the price mentioned. Great to drive - my first ev - and my last (at my age) ;-)
@Richard Wood Hi :-) It was just hearing EVM's price comment that was a downer for me. He appeared to be driving the Ultimate (which is top of the range), yet my used Premium 64kwh etc (the middle range version) cost me more - and his video was new! However, its all done now and I am chuffed anyway. Now I merely have to learn all the controls. My grandsons were wide-eyed when I collected them yesterday. For a few seconds I had to remember how to unlock the doors!
Swapped my 2018 Ionic Electric and I got a new 'Phil' EV last year, I love it. I actually got 300+ miles range on m'way/major roads on a long distance trip last year too! I'll be honest, good as this car is I really wanted a Soul EV because of those funky looks and that its not another sodding SUV. At this point in time, I'd still swap for a Soul but not for anything else. Despite not being a 'drivers' car (whatever that means) it is very comfortable and easy to drive.
Go on the respective websites, check prices, and value for money. And I think you'll find the Kia comes out on top. At least if you're going to buy outright. Maybe it's a different story if you're leasing or whatever. But I was surprised to see the prices for the new MG ZS EV and the Kias. The VW group cars are significantly more expensive when you spec them like for like. Kia seems to be charging for the extra two years warranty, and the VW group cars have significantly less warranties.
Regarding compeition you forgot the mg zs which also now comes in a long range version with 73kwh battery, so price is similar, better range, better space and here in norway atleast the zs ev have 7 years waranty same with kona.
yeah i agree Daniel great review but i thought the new MG ZS would compare favourably with the Kona. i love my MG5 - amazing value for money (£20k new through affinity scheme) for the space (464L), efficiency (3.9m/kwh), range (200ish miles) & 7yr warranty. I've had it a year now & done 8500 miles
Excellent review, the only thing I’d say is about the siblings bit, being as the kona’s sister the E niro is a significant jump in price for for the 64kw compared to the kona, same again when you price check the top spec in each
I test drove both e-Niro and Kona and went for the Kona. Kona had better seats (air cooling is great!) and HUD. e-Niro may be slightly larger but it's not as well equipped. Also the Kona comes in nice colours, the e-Niro only has dull ones.
Yep...we picked up our black 2023 Kona Ultimate EV August 24 this year and absolutely love the car! 8000km in and it still puts a smile on my face everytime I drive it. Leaving for a 4400km trip in November and especially looking forward to that! Hope yours is working out just as well! Mike 🇨🇦
Obviously recorded before the recent grant reduction, but is impacted by that, like so many other family sized vehicles with reasonable range. Would like to hear your opinion on what you'd choose for under the £32k list price, as making a big difference to lease costs.
Brand new to your channel. Thorough and practical discussion, very well done. Will subscribe on the strength of this review. I'm in the States and finding many UK car reviews helpful since you see some EVs earlier than we do. Off to see what you think of the E-Niro...
When you consider the price, it's the best value in this segment. The new MG ZS is more expensive. And the Kia Soul and e-Kona are significantly more expensive! Kia seems to be charging for the extra warranty. The VW group cars are significantly more expensive when you compare what you have to pay if you spec like for like features, and they're down on warranty.
@@danielstefanovic2604 The Kona Premium 64KWh is £32,550. The Ultimate is very expensive for what it is. I am by no means anti-MG, but I think most people would prefer the Hyundai. I haven't seen the new MG, but the older version was not very well protected against corrosion. Sure, it's reasonably easily solvable, but you shouldn't need to in this day and age.
Andy, I thought the max charge rate of the updated Kona is 77kW not 100kW? Aa an aside, SWMBO preferred sitting in our old Kona to the Model 3LR. I've got an appointment at the Hyundai dealer on Friday morning...
Great video as normal but you didn't compare it with the new MG ZS EV. Similar range, size and build quality with app connectivity. And it's slightly cheaper.
There's also a company in Austria that designs frunks for EV's....not sure I can mention their name as RU-vid won't allow it. I will order one for my Kona here in Norway.
Test drove one of these as I own the 28kwh Ioniq. Ubber efficient Hyundai got so much right with the Kona and original ionic. I rejected it mainly on the back seat space so uncomfortable! Disappointingly Hyundai dropped the standard heat pump for the new Ioniq 5 and put a smaller battery than the 64kwh in something much bigger. Why?
You already said it Andy. The Kone wipes the floor with the Leaf, and that will be more than enough for many buyers. The warranty is the icing on the cake..... It's just a pity some Oriental car makers just can't seem to avoid styling cars like Buddhist temples. The new SangYong Korando is a wonderful example...
@@jasonsaddington7821 What trim. I came up against the problem with the Ultimate Spec. The other specs I was offered much quicker. I got told that they finish building them on the ship. That's impressive
@@jasonsaddington7821 Yes I was told that they were on the way over to the UK. Also the lowest trim and the smaller battery model. In the video its an ultimate edition that is being demonstrated. Not really to much more than a premium. But it does have leather which I need. Easy to clean with a small dog with me most of the time. And the panoramic roof is a nice feature too. I'm yet to actually see one and drive one. But it looks like good value with a decent range. I don't need anything bigger as there's only me. Kids grown up and gone now. As soon as the new year hits I will book a test drive if I get on with it then I will place the order and just wait. The car I currently have had a four month lead time it passes fairly quickly. I can't charge at home but there are plenty of rapid chargers near me. With more planned for early next year. I did enquire about the ID3 that's a longer lead time than the Kona
great video, gotta remember is that the rumour is the e nero is being stopped 2022 if believe the rumours that is so it will only have the seoul as a rival sool
Can you get somebody to demonstrate one modified to fit a space saver tyre under the rear hatch floor ? That was the clincher for me for long journeys. I can still fully utilise the limited luggage space. I am not aware of any competitors that have the redundant wheel well. In Australia we have a suitable dirt cheap old Ford 17" space saver rim that clears the rear brake calipers and narrow enough to fit under the floor.
I really wanted to like the Kona and to an extent I do, but when it came to putting down the cash I bought a new MG ZS long range. For me it was just better. I can see how someone would still buy one of these though.
The eNiro, the eSoul and the Kona are great cars technology wise but they are all a funny size. Small suv's that are the opposite of a Tardis. I'd rather have the facelift MG5.
I've driven the eNiro and like EVN mentions with the Kona it wheelspins so easily. I've got the facelifted long range MG5 in red and couldn't be happier. There's another facelift coming in Mar 2022 Europe and possibly October 2022 UK. Same specs but newer body and they have moved the entertainment screen to a higher position which is the only flaw in my one.
I think Phil was a bit cheaper? As is the Kona. We did consider the Niro. With only 2 of us, as you say, it fits very well. Well, 2 and a half including the dog.
The interior has certainly improved since I test drove the Kona in early 2020. I went with the Ioniq EV in the end because of the extra size and (in my opinion) dull looks of the Niro. With hindsight, the extra range would be helpful. When you get an EV, don't just look at the total range (published or as reviewed) because you never really want to get to zero miles.
Total range is a common metric. ‘Driving down to 10%’ is different depending on each cars battery size. Ranges etc in reviews have to be based on the same scale. And ultimately, you can get that range if you tried.
@@ElectricVehicleMan I agree. It's just one of those things I should have considered before leasing. I've never driven an ICE to zero miles range, but my naivety thought 170 (summer) miles for my regular trip would be enough. In reality, it's only been a problem twice when all the rapid chargers in a 20 mile radius were in use and queueing.
After this 2022 madness with the gas prices I finally went for this baby over the id3 or the midget zoe. It's half the price of the cheapest tesla, does 400 km on a 7 euro charge. So easy to drive and so fun that now I don't even like to drive my mercedes c220 as much, which needs 100 euros for the same range. If you live in an apartment forget about it though...
I must admit, the tyre and road noise in the Ioniq hybrid is very intrusive, I was spoilt for a year with a Volvo S80, so I presume all Hyundais are similar.
The Kona is a good car but some features drive me crazy. I have to drive out of the garage and driveway backwards every morning and the bell during backward drive is so loud that the whole neigborhood is standing upright.
The other competition I immediately thought of is the new (72kWh) MG ZS EV - which on the spec sheet at least looks like a great value highly capable car. It has everything as far as I can tell - just not as quick, although that's perhaps more sensible for the vehicle style.
picked up my first ev last wednesday....yup the kona. gone from a mini cooper s. taking some time to get used to the dimensions. but got to say apart from having issues with the drivers window not clearing moisture when you open it. yup looks like the rubber isnt installed properly. seems to fog up easy. Plus the android auto doesnt seem to want to listen to what i say lol but even with those minor issues. im definately enjoyin the dirve
You're correct. It's an Ugly Betty. Too many bits tacked on in odd ways, and they have somehow given it the hideous Porsche 'Squashed Frog' look from the front. Furthermore, it's yet another boring SUV. I'd never buy one, despite its efficiency. If given one I would sell it as soon as decently possible, and change it for something more practical on urban roads, which is better looking and more interesting.
I can get a basic model for 30k usa with the 60+ battery or 33k high end model. I don't particularly care for or hate the looks...like the kias better, but so inexpensive might buy this. Or, maybe wait a bit and see the next gen niro, kona, and ev 4 and ionic 3 set to come out. The newer models on the new platform charge faster, and less expeensive than the ionic 5 and ev 6
I think you summed the whole EV market up by saying "it is not a car I would park up and look back and say ‘That is a nice looking car’ ". The ICE market vehicle manufacturers just do not know how to think out side of the ‘box’
Tezzlers look just about as 'car like' as it's possible to look(apart from no radiator grill..!). How far 'outside the box' do to think the designers were thinking there...!? A car is fundamentally a box on wheels used for transporting people and objects from a to b - they ALL pretty much have to look the same .......!
The Kia variants are more money for less spec than the kona from what I’ve seen but I could be wrong, but the Kia’s are a fair bit more on the money side.
I think Niro and Soul cost roughly the same as Kona. 2023 Niro EV is again a bit bigger than the old version, and has nicer looking front, and inside the screens and seats look great compared to the old model. I guess Kona and Soul will get their updates later on too, but at the moment Niro is clearly the nicest looking one out of the three.
