The Hyundai Kona Electric may seem like an all-new
vehicle in the South Korean automaker’s family but the company has just
announced a series of upgrades to the vehicle for the 2020 model year. The most important made to the Kona
Electric is the fitment of an upgraded 11 kW three-phase charger which will
allow for faster charging speeds from public stations and home wallboxes. The
current Kona Electric incorporates a 7.2 kW onboard charger which means the
vehicle can be plugged in and fully charged from a normal household plug in
nine hours and 35 minutes. Hyundai has yet to reveal how much faster this new
model will charge.
Elsewhere, the Hyundai Kona Electric gets a new Blue
Link smartphone application which allows drivers to start the car, unlock the
doors, and activate the climate control systems remotely. Users will also be
able to program charges remotely through the app.
Hyundai has also updated the cabin of the EV to
include a new 10.25-inch touchscreen which supports an improved satellite
navigation system. There are also optional rear heated seats and an eCall
service function which automatically calls emergency services in the event of a
collision that triggers the car’s airbag sensors.
No pricing details for the 2020 Kona Electric have
been announced by the brand says it will commence European deliveries of the
new model before the end of 2019. It is presumed that the 2020 model will
retain the same 415 km range as the current car.
