Hi All eager beavers awaiting delivery
I’ve had my Hyundai Kona 64kw Ultimate since the 29th September 2021. I’ve done 14,000 miles. It is a lunar grey model.
a few bullet points that might be useful, in no particular order xxx
1. British charging network is rubbish and expensive and often charging units are broken and occupied I highly recommend getting a home charger if you possibly can, and definitely get an EV tariff. Mine currently is octopus Go which until July 22nd was 5p per unit for 4 hours between 1230am to 0430am. I could normally fill from half a “tank” in that time. At a total cost of £1.48. This in summer represents 170 miles in winter 130 miles. Obviously after July 22nd it has gone up to 7.5p per unit.
2. The Kona is really comfortable and handles rough roads well, the eco plus mode reduces the air conditioning and heating system to a point where it might be useless in 30 to 35 degrees. So if it’s really hot use ECO or NORMAL
3. I use the left hand paddle a lot. This increases the regeneration in three stages. But a great tip is if you’re coming to a roundabout or junction if you keep the left hand paddle is kept pressed it automatically goes to the very highest regen level, so you can almost use it as a one pedal driving system it takes a while to get used to but very much worth it once you do get used to it.
4. The only thing I have major criticism of there isn’t any automatic locking. So you have to rely on the key or door button or the app. The app is great for telling if windows and doors are unlocked or even the boot is open. The App is also not the most instinctively easy thing to use. But it is very much worth getting to know. On a morning say for instance in summer if my car is plugged in I can activate the climate control (cc) to reduce temperature before getting and of course the reverse in winter. If your car is not plugged in you can still set a schedule for CC, but it doesn’t actually activate the blowers etc. What it does do is prepare the heating or cooling so as soon as one gets in and switch on the car the air is already blowing out cold or hot immediately.
5. In summer the most mileage I’ve had out of the car on a full charge is 342 Miles estimated, I actually did 328 Miles. With some battery left when I commenced recharging on arrival at my destination.
6. Last winter I was getting 255 to 270 Miles estimated and getting definitely near that.
7. You have to alter your mindset on driving style to some degree BUT you do not have to hypermile to get very good range.The Kona is a very efficient car one of the best. For example in a fuel car you would get better economy on a motorway or dual carriage way at 50 to 65 mph and much less in a 30 or 40 mph. The reverse is true in an EV.
8. Believe it or not you can cause wheel spin in the Kona, so in the wet be a bit careful.
9. The radar cruise control is very good and all the safety features like Lane keep assist, blind spot warning and reversing automatic braking is very good if a bit surprising when you first feel it brake without you doing anything.
10. The Kona is a very noisy car in the way of beeps and bleeps and whistles but you can reduce the volume of them to suit I don’t mind to be honest
11. The overtaking potential is brilliant mainly due to the instant nature of the torque thus acceleration.
12. Rear could be considered cramped if yon had two 6 footers in there and a 6 footer f driving and boot is not the biggest.
13. I can get my dad’s manual wheelchair in there but I tend to lower one of the back seats. I am also disabled by the way but only use a wheelchair occasionally.
14. The sound system is very good. I prefer using apple car play via a cable rather than Bluetooth it seems to sound a bit better.
15. The wireless charging pad isn’t generous, I have an iPhone 12 Pro and it doesn’t fit in the space with my case on. To be fair mine is a wallet case but it’s the length rather than width that is the problem.
16. The electric seats in my ultimate can be confusing for passengers because there aren’t labels etc and it’s not as intuitive as you might imagine I have no problem as I am used to the car.
17. The footplate to rest your foot is generous and there’s plenty of space to take feet of pedals for a rest ( if you have joint problems and connective tissue issues like me it’s worth knowing).
18. I sometimes hit the steering wheel heater button when trying to change drive mode.
19. The gear buttons can stick if you get bits stuck in them so make sure you keep them clean
20. There’s loads of other things I’ve discovered but I don’t want to bore you too much. Overall I am exceptionally happy with the car, the battery efficiency and drive system is exceptional, it is somewhat compromised as a package as it’s derived from an ICE car platform but not too much on my opinion. Front passengers are spoiled and rear passengers aren’t cramped in any way but not as comfy as the front.
I have included last months figures as you can see I got over 4.9 Miles per kwh. Most of this driving is around town.
4.9 Miles per kwh at 64 kW gives a total average range of 315 miles. Amazing. I am envious of everyone getting their Kona for the first time. I guarantee The car will be worth the awful wait times people are suffering.
Cheers Vaun
Cheers, all the very best
Vaun