Hi all,I was last on last year,had a Skoda superb (loved it) but car was due renewal and my health wasn’t great but I wanted what is likely to be one last car.So after much looking online,several various test drives (by my wife mainly) we decided last September on a Hyundai Kona Ultimate in white.
the dealer Saltmarine motors (N.Ireland) we’re excellent especially the salesman Graeme,gave me a test drive and was very honest about real life battery time.He told us the 300 mile full charge was never going to be obtained by us in normal driving especially in winter with heating,A/C on etc.
so we ordered and we’re told originally end of November last,but two weeks before he rang and said “I’m sorry but it’s looking like second week in January”that wasn’t a problem as we had a car but we were happy he kept us informed with no promises.
so second week came and Graeme called saying car was in and I could have it in three days.Unfortunately I was in hospital but wife went and collected it and she said Graeme couldn’t have been more helpful explaining how it all works,taking her for a run in it and making sur she was happy (she was).
Anyway I’m out of hospital but wife is doing the driving now but I can still give my opinion on it.I’m very happy with it,starting with minus points and I’m comparing much of it with the Skoda.
Build quality very good but I think as it’s electric it’s made as light as possible,this means the doors need a good slam to ensure their closed properly,(Skoda had a solid clunk) driving is so different in a good way,it whoshes along and although the wife is no boy racer I reckon it could leave many fast cars at the lights.
Problems inside? Several but not necessarily Hyundai fault,never heard so many dings,dongs,and warnings in a car.some things are a real pain like the auto hold,you need to push the button each time you get in the car to have it work! Who wouldn’t want it on all the time? Many warnings such as lane keeping (a beep beep), vehicle in front of you has moved ding ding(really), on motorway you put on indicator to overtake ding ding (there’s a vehicle in the outside lane) ?,I realise and do appreciate Hyundai is trying to make driving safer but the wife’s still capable of driving herself.
onto range the dealer was honest if a bit pessimistic,we only use the car mostly for short runs of ten miles or so and are only charging about every six days and that’s with well over half charge at the time.good things also are ability to preheat the car whenever you want,so all in all we are very happy with the kona and would have no trouble in recommending it to anyone who are not long distance drivers.