The 2024 Hyundai Kona Electric technically has a lower MSRP, but…
Following up on its gasoline-powered siblings, the 2024 Hyundai Kona Electric jazzes up the styling and offers a more affordable starting price than the outgoing model. In Hyundai-speak, this revamped EV now starts at $34,010 for the base SE model, which actually comes in $1,270 lower than the entry-level 2023 version.
This revised all-electric Kona is also six inches longer than the model it replaces, offering 33% more cargo space and a roomier experience for second-row passengers.
“There’s a catch, right?”, I hear you ask. Why yes, there are actually two caveats to consider with the updated Kona EV. First, it’s ineligible for the $7,500 federal EV tax credit, since the company builds it overseas. That applies across the whole range, but as for the SE specifically: The lower price comes with less power and a smaller battery pack.
Keep in mind, though, that offering a cheaper Kona does basically lower the price point to where the gas Kona models stop. The SE trim comes with a single electric motor, putting out 133 horsepower and 188 lb-ft of torque to the front wheels. There’s also a standard 48.6-kWh battery pack, which Hyundai claims offers up 197 miles on a charge.
If that’s not quite enough range for your liking, the 2024 Hyundai Kona Electric does still offer a 201-horsepower version with 291 lb-ft of torque and a 64.8-kWh battery pack. That’s the unit we saw with the old model, and it even gets a slight range bump to 261 miles on a charge (from 258). Like before, this new Kona Electric is still a twin with the Kia Niro EV, and both cars use a 400-volt electrical architecture, rather than the new e-GMP platform underpinning Hyundai’s Ioniq models. The Kona, for its part, can charge at 100 kW using a DC fast charger, and Hyundai says the Level 2 charger has been upgraded to an 11-kW unit, rather than the old 7.2-kW standard, meaning slightly faster charging on an A/C outlet, if you have an appropriate home charger installed.
2024 Hyundai Kona Electric trim walk
As standard, all 2024 Hyundai Kona EV models (including the base SE) get standard 12.3-inch displays and wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto support. To get the larger battery pack and beefier motor, though you’ll have to step up to either the SEL or the Limited trim. The mid-range SEL starts at $38,010, while the $42,380 Limited tops out the range with an upgrade to heated and ventilated leather seats, rather than cloth in the SE or SEL.
The 2024 Hyundai Kona Electric is hitting dealers right about now.
