The Hyundai Kona Gets Discontinued

Hyundai launched the Kona in 2019 as their first attempt at an all-electric car. It was one of the first premium electric SUVs and paved the way for other EVs like the MG ZS, Citroen eC3, Mahindra XUV400 etc.

Kona’s Launch In India

The Hyundai Kona was launched with a lot of promise. Hyundai took a gamble by entering the, back then, smaller electric market. The price range started from 25 lakh rupees in 2019, and the prices haven’t changed much. Its journey in India didn’t start with a bang and the Kona was sold in only 11 cities across India.

The Kona had sold in great numbers in the global market. On the other hand, the Indian infrastructure for EVs was under development. Thus, the sales figures of the Kona seem underwhelming. In 2020, Hyundai managed to sell less than 250 units of the Kona.

More About The Kona

The Kona was available with only one powertrain, which was the 39.2kWh battery. 452 km was the claimed range of the Kona, which was a great figure. The performance numbers were decent as it produced 134 horsepower and 395 Nm to give it the characteristic electric acceleration.

As far as safety was concerned, the Kona boasted a 5-star Euro NCAP rating while providing 6 airbags as standard. Aesthetically, it looked different.

Compared to the latest SUVs, the Kona had fewer features. For instance, it missed out on ADAS, 360 parking cameras etc. It also had a small 7-inch infotainment display which means the Kona lacked behind some of its fossil-fuel powered competition. The interiors weren’t exactly luxurious, but it had enough space to seat 4 people with utmost comfort.

Kona’s Departure From India

Hyundai launched the Kona with modest expectations. They didn’t expect the Kona to attract tons of customers, but it was there attempt to enter the Indian EV market. They learned enough about the market that they released the Ioniq 5 a few years later. Hyundai’s attempt was pretty lacklustre and to this date, very few people know about the Kona. Had they marketed the Kona better while pricing it more attractively, who knows, it might have caught on.

There are 2 possible reasons for the discontinuation of the Kona. Primarily, Hyundai didn’t record a single sale for Kona in April and May. Hyundai might have realized that the future for the Kona seemed dull and pulled the plug. Hyundai didn’t announce the Kona’s departure officially but secretly removed the Kona model from its official website. Another reason could be to accommodate the Creta EV in the Hyundai lineup. It is due for launch in 2025 and Hyundai might not deem two EVs feasible to produce. Kona’s adventure in India wasn’t exhilarating yet it was one of the first electric SUVs, if not the first, in the Indian car market.