This review was so useful and so good, I bought one of these shortly afterwards. St Bob the baptist helped convince me to give up our diesel and switch to EV. No looking back, it was a painless, seamless transition and saves a fortune on running costs. €8/wk on electricity instead of €85/wk on diesel, minimal servicing costs, and its no milk float, it's quite lively. Dublin to Kenmare, or Cork, or Donegal in the middle of winter at motorways speeds with all the heating on, on a single charge easy as peeling a banana. No need for hearse speeds nor to nurse the battery, nor tailgating trucks for slip stream. It just goes. Great service from Mooneys Hyundai deansgrange. We only need to charge it at home once or twice a week. It does what 'it says on the tin' and for us anyway it did prove 'a game changer'. Thanks Bob
I bought this car two weeks ago I have about 1000 kilometers done on it I have been getting approximately 400 kilometers on a charge . It is such a nice drive on the road but compared to the ionic ev it is not as efficient but still very good I am very pleased so far with it.
Joseph Thomas Teehan There is a new Ionia coming out July of this year one is going to be a 42kw and maybe a 64 it would be great as I loved that car had if for a year until it was stolen and crash so I bought the Kona
That's by far the most comprehensive video I've seen on the Kona, and I've seen A LOT of them. Dang right about the obviousness of the modes! Watching Bob's videos makes me want to visit Ireland even more.
Watched 5 other reviews and no one had mentioned how compact this car is, blew me away when you got into the front being as compact as it is and then when you got in the back seat I was totally surprised! Excellent coverage man, great review!
I find a lot of other reviews are fan boy EV people or lack experience in other car brands. It’s easy to get caught up in the novelty of what powers evs as well as the range but all that is only part of what makes it a car buyers can live with. Cheers for the complements fella!
I own this car. This car is fantastic. I have done 2000kms so far. I strongly disagree with Bobs comments on range. He should have been clearer. You will get 330kms driving at 120kms per hour. If you want good range drive ideally 100kms per hour or below. Drove from Bray to Kilkenny (158kms and back @90kms per hour in winter conditions. 316kms in total) and still had 100km+ range on the GOM. You will get more in Summer. That’s slowdriving yes but I was testing the range. So I’ll drive faster next time. Yes it has plastics but they are very good quality plastics. Sit in it yourself. The rear isn’t that roomy but if you don’t have four adults in it 24/7 I don’t see a problem. I’m 6’ 2”. And my friends fit in the back perfectly. So not sure how Bob needs his front seat positioned. I like mine close anyway. The boot is fine and fits my massive golden retriever. Not suitable for a Taxi driver though. Yes I would have liked LEDs for energy saving but it doesn’t seem to have affected the range. I don’t notice it. The seats are very comfortable. Driving this car is amazing. It’s so easy. It’s the best thing about it. If you can afford it I highly recommend it. Yes I bought this for environmental reasons. But I have also unenviromentally become addicted to driving for the first time in my life. And the most affordable long range EV on the market.
Thanks for mentioning the high speed penalty on the range. I'm pretty happy with cruise control set at 105 km/h, so I think I'll a Kona would get me as far as I need to go without a meal.
Just to point out, everyone gets different range experiences depending on conditions like weight, weather, temperature and so on and not everyone has the time or patience to drive at 90kph. The rear seat isn't roomy compared to the competition in the same price bracket. It's a 49k car, I expect LED's everywhere and compared to UK spec it's nearly a rip-off in pricing (before grants) It's the only budget long-range EV on the market so far, in 2020 there'll be loads more. It's no affordable when you compare it to petrol powered Polo that is a bigger car. EV's are still very expensive for what they are.
I agree with your assessment versus the assessor's viewpoint. It is great car. Distance, safety, protection, warranty, fuel savings, and it is comfortable. I would buy it again in a heartbeat.
Mine arrives in a couple of weeks time. The UK spec is higher than the Irish ☘️ Spec we get satnav as well as a couple of other bits. I was tempted to wait for the larger Kia version but as it only the two of us, back seer space wasn’t too important. I have to agree with others it’s not a cheep car and you won’t save money over it lifetime. BEVs will need to come down in price a lot before it’s a financial gain. I just love the technology and can afford to be part of it.
I think it quickly becomes a financial gain (or a wash) if the price of fossil fuel goes up - e.g. the gas-driven 2 L engine in a Kona seems to cost about 14 Euro for every 100 km driven, in the Netherlands. It's not much cheaper in Italy or France. I've driven my (outgoing) gas car for ~13 years/150,00 km, so I would spend the price of a car on gas while I own it. (That hasn't happened to me because I don't live in the Netherlands.) Obviously this is going to be different in nations that own their own oil production wells and refineries and subsidize its use (US, Russia, Mexico, Canada.) (But I also don't know the price of electricity in Europe or Asia, so I can't complete the picture.)
Tai Viinikka In the UK you’ll pay on average 14 pence a kWh home charge with most charge points costing around double that. I have installed 22 solar panels, so I’m hoping to charge for free in the summer. Happy days.
As the owner of a 3.5l V6 petrol/hybrid and a 2.0l turbo petrol car I would consider myself a petrol head and yet I’m still very interested in all kinds of car technology including electric cars. With Bob I have my favourite reviewer covering a car without the bull.... and informing me In a realistic way as to whether it’s an option I might look at in the future. His Audi S3 review was one of my favourite reviews of all time and I for one will be sticking with this channel regardless of which car or series of cars is being reviewed. I want to see and know about all cars of all descriptions so I’m aware of everything on the market available to me. Keep it up Bob and don’t mind the naysayers!👍🏻
I was planning on buying one of these EV Kona's, but the one thing you mentioned that has suddenly made me rethink purchasing, is the Motorway noise. I HATE a noisy car at motorway speeds...or maybe I'm just getting too old and cranky, I dunno.
Me too. I bought a used car recently that was much quieter than my previous car due to simple lagging on the boot etc. So maybe such cars can be cheaply retrofitted to reduce noise?
Would you trade a little range for different tires? because I think a lot of the noise at 120 km/h is due to the low rolling resistance tires. They are stiffer and transmit more energy from the road, which perhaps translates into noise. I'm going to need winter tires on my Kona anyway, so perhaps a winter highway trip will reveal this. (I live in the middle of a city, so 120 km/h does not happen every day!)
I like the instant and brutal acceleration you can get combined with unmatched efficiency and being able to refuel your car at home. I was waiting for the right one for quite a while and settled on a Model 3 Performance after having a very thrilling test drive.
@@toms_garage I like the convenience of charging at home, huge space, and the instant acceleration. Loved the concept of EV's for ages but nothing could match my old E-Class E63 estate until the Model S came along. It was like night and day. The Merc was a beautiful drive but a thirsty, expensive to maintain beast. The Model S whilst on paper might seem expensive is actually a crazy cheap car to run. You get instant performance, nearly the same cargo space and probably the best driver convenience features available today. I wouldn't go back to owning an ICE car ever again I'd suggest test driving the Model 3 performance when it finally hits Ireland as I think its a far better car than the current MS.
Finally it looks like a manufacturer has listened to what consumers want, rather than what they want to sell us. It's no accident that you get say 400 miles or more range in a car with an IC engine, it's what's convenient and what we expect. Even though you can fill up the car in a minute or two, nobody is going to buy an IC car with 150 mile range. It wouldn't be considered fit for purpose. Even my little Smart Car can do it, and that's what we want.
Thanks for the review, enjoying this series. On a side note, always funny how much reviewers make of glove boxes and side bins. Who is going to base a car purchase based on that? I almost never use them too
I am not sure if I understand what you meant to say around the 14 minute mark but “recuperation mode” does not use (deplete) your battery. Slowing the car changes your battery - it doesn’t “use” (deplete) it.
@@BobFlavinVideo Unfortunately it's not just electric cars but lots of ICE cars. Tends to be standard in electric as the floor-pan is taken up with batteries. I too would like to see an option for spare tyres.
It does not help how the wheels on cars are so big now i saw a ford edge 235/55/19 wheel plus tyre. I can't imagine how you could even fit the spare onto the car without 2 of you.
Great review, highlighting not just the great things, but also the (few) shortcomings. However, it seems that you are still thinking in ICE terms when it comes to charging. Assuming you have your own driveway, you would only have to think about charging on a long trip. For everything else, you just plug in for the night on the granny charger. I do understand that the fastchargers in Ireland are still free of charge and charging at home is more costly. However, I don't think that this will be true forever.
Where I live, electricity is "expensive" (or so people with electric heat tell me) but in fact, rates drop at night when demand does, so an overnight charge for an EV is much, much cheaper than feeding it gasoline. $0.065/kWh overnight! www.torontohydro.com/sites/electricsystem/residential/rates/Pages/resirates.aspx
Hey Bob, mention your height when you're doing the space tests maybe, You look about 5'11"? 180cm? Then we can picture ourselves in it compared to you, thanks for the nice reviews big man, loving the electric series. :))
No LED headlights,ah here.Bicycles had LED lights in the 90s.Very dissappointed that a 191 electric car and in fact any new car doesnt have modern headlights instead of incandescent bulbs .Are LED headlights even an option.
It doesn't look that big from outside. It's hatchbacky. The trunk has more room than my old Mazda3 Sport, which has always felt like it ate a lot of baggage.
Following on from Mikes comments about Oz. The Hyundai Kona will be available late March, and the Kia Niro last quarter. The Kona will be available in two levels. The one you have there, smaller motor and not as powerful battery. The top spec model has the bigger Motor and battery, and a few other bits and pieces plus a sun roof. AU$50k and AU$55k for the top spec. Great review Bob!
Your excellent review convinced me to buy this EV. You were bang on the nail, it does what it claims in the tin very well, no looking back. Only negative is the ride is a little firm and no USB in rear seats, nor 12v socket in boot. Works well with Apple Car Play and Android Auto, Car Play seems slicker.
Great to meet you at the EV meetup in Kildare. Like the videos especially the EV series. Don't think I'll be swapping my MS #P100D for a Kona any time soon too small ;) Keep up the great work!
Mentioning the infrastructure and not mentioning the faster chargers coming from ESB and Ionity. And also more charging hubs with more chargers per location and charges coming which should move locals away from hogging fast chargers. Biggest issue with infrastructure especially fast chargers is people getting their free power and not caring for others who need the chargers. I haven't run into problems with waiting for chargers.
Bob, Absolutely Loving your reviews and videos on the electric cars in Ireland!!!. No nonsense practical reviews! Thank you! One nice thing to hear from your would be a price comparison as purchase price isn't mentioned much, and possible comparison of overall yearly operating costs (helps with comparing petrol, diesel and other ev models). One last wish would be to hear about your advice for a electric car that is great both on the motorway and running around town. I drive about 65km round trip daily but also do a few longer trips on the weekends. Would be great to hear which electric car you would prefer for this type of driving. Thanks for all the videos! - Marv P.S. Some more detailed, close-up shots of the dash, instrument panels and interior sections of the electric cars would be most welcomed also.
I've just ordered one in France: I have full LED lights all around but that is because I ordered the "Executive version" and not a version called the "Creative Version"... Just checked the tech specs of the 2 versions and you are right: the lower, "Creative" version does NOT have LED front lights.
Kona is nice in white, but for the moola, you could have a nice second hand BMW 4 series m-sport or equal. not sure about EV yet, maybe in 2021 or there abouts
mcbige1 Yes you could buy a 4-series but you will have massive fuel costs on top of that in compare to an EV. Running costs, tax, maintaining costs are very low on an EV. And for that reason the two are not comparable.
@@Buzzzz of course there not comparable, different cars completely, i'm comparing the initial cost of the two, the luxury of the BMW over the Kona. Yes you have me on Fuel cost, but a 418d or 420d will be pretty good on Diesel, road tax in Ireland will be ok for this model. Not sure about insurance cost differences, Irish Insurance cost are very high. if (probably when) Diesel is taxed more in Ireland, then maybe depreciation will also be a factor. but a 2/3 year old Kona EV in 2021 might deprecate a lot also with new models coming on-stream. anyway, i take your point.
Hey Bob, what would be interesting would be to compare the capacity of the batteries and the weights of these vehicles (within their size classes e.g. compare compact ev hatches etc )in your last video of the EV series. It would give us a good idea of where the manufacturer has comprised range over interiors etc or interiors over range. Something like that anyway, just an idea. Sounds like VW compromised range for having a regular interior and a larger car where as Hyundai have very much looked for weight savings to increase range.
Ah that’ll be great Bob. I’d say I’m a few years away from making the leap myself but I’m very interested in the journey that the automotive tech industry is currently on. Probably the biggest change since the model t
+Richard O'Brien More weight does reduce range but it is not as much of a problem with an EV as it would be for an ICE car. Sure you use more energy accelerating the car or climbing hills but you get back 80% of that extra energy going down hills or decelerating. The main thief of EV range is wind resistance which can be mitigated by better aerodynamic design and when critical driving a little slower.
All reviews comment on the lack of proper storage for the cable apparently the bag has velcro fitted to stop the bag sliding about boot floor bit this takes up vital shopping storage space there is a company who can provide a drink box which fits on top of the electric motor which cost about 135 euro for standard model or 145 euro for a better spec model loving the review it's a true owners perspective not like the sterile car mag reviews
Really like your presenting style, with really good sensible observations. Couldn’t help but laugh at the comedy editing though:- “I’m just coming up to a roundabout...” immediately cuts to a shot of the car on a straight single lane track in the middle of a field. Quality! Great review though. Thanks.
The Kona ev is almost revolutionary, though the longer Kia e-Niro will be more efficient (with more range) and the on-hiatus Hyundai Ioniq with both of those cars' same battery should get 280 miles. Some wouldn't recommend not charging it. For all electrics with a battery thermal system, there might be some parasitic loss to keep it above 10C. What their on-board computers also do is switch off the temp management if it doesn't recognise being charged in over 24hrs. That's grand, but when it gets bitter cold like it has been in Ireland this week, the batteries cold soak and that brings its own host of affects including forced electrolyte-dendrification (capacity loss) if you floor it cold. The granny lead prevents that. Love the review quality!!
I can't believe the Irish version doesn't come with a sat nav as standard. I wouldn't buy one just on the principle they expect you to pay extra in 2019 for it.
"the Halogen lights are not deadly" love it! I drove the Kona myself and if I'd had the money I'd have bought it there and then. So it's lucky I didn't because I'd probably be better off with an e-niro - roll on that review!
Hi Bob, looking forward to your review of the E-Niro whenever it comes to Ireland. Great review on the E-Kona, drove it myself recently but found it to be a bit on the small side.
Great review. I think Hyundai need to do an EV tuscon. They would clean up the market. The range on the Kona is fantastic but it's too small inside and the boot is tiny. For €40k, its just too small.
In our undulating countryside not exceeding the limit would be assured by regeneration rather than foot brake, I would have thought. I have a C4 Picasso and have averaged, by the readout, 5.2/100 over the last 20,000 kms by using momentum and almost exclusively engine braking and using the truck lane.........I’m retired and never in that much of a hurry)))
Another great video Bob!! I take it you are aware of the big changes in the UK's company car bands starting 2020, the appropriate percentages for zero emission cars will drop from 16% to 2%, while those for cars with CO2 emissions between 1g/km and 50g/km will vary between 2% and 14% depending on the number of zero-emission miles the vehicle can travel. Surely this will transform the UK company car market, especially if some improvements can be made increasing range? Even cars such as Tesla, Audi E-Tron, Jaguar I-Pace etc, there will be tremendous tax savings to be made. My car will certainly be Electric in 2020!!
Great Video Bob. We’ve been running a Nissan Leaf for two years and it’s been brilliant but at this stage we were expecting to be buying a car with the range and priceof the Kona but it’s just too small! Hoping the Niro will fit the bill.
I live in the State of Montana in the US. In anticipation of near term availability in the US, I visited my local Hyundai dealer recently. After consulting with his factory (dealer) representative, I was advised to go to a dealer in Colorado (two states away) or California (multiple states away) when availability starts in a couple of months. Hyundai apparently can't deal with any nation larger than Korea or Ireland. The problem is that there is no way to easily drive a Kona from either Colorado or California to Montana due to the absence of charging stations en route. The absence of a charging network throughout the US is a huge obstacle to usability of non-Tesla EVs. Even though the price will be several thousands of dollars more expensive, it looks like my first EV will be a Model 3 out of necessity. Tesla is ssooooooo far ahead of the competitors.
Great video, thank you, the only bit I missed was the fact its so bloody expensive most of us couldn't afford the thing. How many miles would you have to do to recoup the cost difference of running on normal fuel and by the time you broke even mileage wise the thing would be knackered and worthless !! Am I wrong ??
When the model 3 arrives in Europe it will absolutely destroy the ice market, Hyundai kona and kia nero are good ev’s but tesla are on another level, I know they are more expensive but well worth the premium price, hopefully i will be purchasing asap and enjoying the experience of ownership of a long range White model3
Chris Hart Hi chris i agree that we are purchasing suv’s more and more but i think motor manufacturers have pushed us thinking its what we want but tesla have destroyed ice sales in North America and will do the same thing in Europe
@@kevinotten5820 ice sales have been destroyed by themselves. I would not want a diesel now. But neither would i want a small petrol with a turbo. I can't believe people are buying cars they don't want because manufactures are pushing suv's
Only thing I dislike with the Kona EV is the power button hidden under left side of steering wheel. When you get out and forget to turn it off (I do it all the time) you have to stretch/bend and search for the bloody thing!!
Really enjoying this series. It is excellent you are doing it in winter to get proper ranges. When you go on long journey do you still wear the big down jacket all the way?
It'll be good to see what you think of the Kia e-Niro, and eventually I hope you check out the Tesla Model 3 when it arrives. Great video series by the way, really enjoying it.
I don't know if I am evil, but I am unsure if I like the electric cars. I like most of the brands/looks. Not sure if I am slow with change or old fashioned. Great review as always and lots of informative comments.
Now that the Kona and others solve the range issue - and they absolutely do at 258 Miles of range per charge, the problem I think is availability. Hyundai seem to have been working hard to get them out and everybody is marveling at them. As for the infrastructure, if its not already good enough it will be solved in time.
Agree - I was told by my local dealer they only have 5 for the year, and they're all sold already. He reckoned there would only be around 200 made available for Ireland as a whole. Let's hope that turns out not to be right.
Agree - I was told by my local dealer they only have 5 for the year, and they're all sold already. He reckoned there would only be around 200 made available for Ireland as a whole. Let's hope that turns out not to be right.
Good honest review. Is it possible to schedule the charging to take advantage of night time electricity rates? Also, does the apple car play work well in the Kona?
The minute you take your foot off resistance is added, thus you scrub off speed and use more power to build it back up. On a motorway with an EV just turn off all resistance and coast as much as possible keep the resistance for traffic.
ekhaat My problem with a conventional automatic, with cc at a set speed, is that if the speed builds up more than a couple of kph, it will change down, which simply introduces transmission braking with no regenerative power accumulation obviously. But the Kona would give me something back for maintaining a set speed eg a car in front which I’m following by radar/cc. Building up speed in anticipation of the next hill is a different scenario. I always take into account wind speed which directly results in a vehicle’s air speed which equates too aero drag. Lots of factors to think about......and following a truck can be v helpful too.
19:15 ...xxx km without putting any fuel in (3 times)? Let's get with the program..."without charging". Granted, this is a car channel, so you're not completely switched over to ev parlance. Just pulling your leg... a very informative short review overall. 👍
Bob it does actually manage 450k range at motorway speeds @ 120kph. No hearse driving needed. Urban I've been getting 470-500km range and only need to charge twice a week at home. It is a game changer despite the smaller boot. The e-Niro more family friendly. I had been a sceptic about EVs like you expecting this thing to only have a range of 350km, but pleasantly surprised it manages the 450km. Cork, Sligo, Galway, Limerick, even Kerry no problem on a full charge. Galway and back on a single charge. Turtle mode is still a respectable 80kph albeit glacial acceleration in turtle mode. Normal acceleration is stunning. Drove one down to to 0% battery for a further 30km. Suspect the actual battery capacity is larger than 64kWh, to allow for the 8 year battery warranty (ie built in redundancy to allow for cell drop off without affecting the next 64kWh capacity over the warranty life of the Vehicle). Bloody annoying they've stripped some of the goodies from the UK spec from the Irish models like the adaptive cruise control, Lane keeping as opposed to lane assist, Internal Sat Nav, etc. But Android Auto and Apple CarPlay navigation works well, especially with Google maps. Ridiculous there was no 12v power socket in the boot or rear passenger area or rear passenger USB port. Also no rated towing capacity which is a PITA not to be able to tow small trailers (ie sailing dingy, garden trailer, etc). But "it does what it says on the tin" and that is 450km range driving like an ordinary car rather than the hearse driving required by Leafs. 9hrs on night rate electricity (ie midnight to 9am) costs only €5.04 to get from 10% back up to 100% battery. Main thing is it can be driven like an ordinary car, and hyper mile hearse driving not needed. Regen braking very relaxing allowing one pedal driving most of the time.
@@BobFlavinVideo yeah was thinking that but just a convenience thing.drive on a platform and maybe a connection under the car connects to your car without having to use cables.
Buying the Kona as a retired couple without kids, the car is ideal. Grandkids fit in it fine. The boot is fine as is the back seat. Hyundai was smart, most cars are occupied by one to two persons most of the time.
Great video. Are you going to look at the toyota prius pluging. It is 1.8 petrol with a battery. I cant charge at home and would not be able to get a full EV as of now. I am interested in the toyota prius lug in. Thanks.
I love it (actually I dont) when ppl say subscribe to the channel! at the beginning before you actually know if the reviewer is actually worth following.....
It can take up to 100kW Rapid charge - it's just the charger Bob was using is limited to 50kW (which he didn't make particularly clear that it was the charger and not the car that was the limiting factor). Splitting the charge up makes no difference. It's a 64kWh pack that will charge at roughly 1.5C max and I suggest that is put in there to protect the battery. It will also slow down once it reaches 80% SOC to protect the battery and balance the individual cells. Therefore if fast charging it generally makes sense to only charge to 80%.
It's not like the charging network is going to upgraded again in the near future, we are stuck with 50KW until it changes these big battery cars will take awhile to charge, imagine the queues for chargers.
Bob Flavin I agree - but perhaps make a couple of things clear? First if you have access to a rapid charger the car will charge twice as quickly. Secondly, It’s a 64kWh battery charging @ 47kW - and the battery wasn’t empty. The only reason it was saying 2 hours would be a charge to 100% which you typically wouldn’t do at a public charger. You probably could have got to 80% which is the limit on a rapid charger anyway in 30 mins max. That would have put 22kWh (allowing for losses) back into the battery. And once you own an EV you will just naturally plug it in every time you park it at home (assuming you have a home charger option).
Where I’m coming from is I have the 2016 Ioniq. I was hoping to upgrade this for the Kona I was excited for its arrival in Ireland. When you have driven the Ioniq you learn to love all of the gadgets that are built into Ioniq and you also learn to rely on the safety features that are built into it also. I could not believe that Hyundai Ireland Had the audacity to bring out the Paddy version. Apart from the gadgets been missing I cannot believe that the Irish government would allow distributors to launch a vehicle in Ireland that is lacking known safety features. The Paddy Kona is most definitely an upgrade for many people and has fabulous range. But if HYUNDAI IRELAND could have got away with not fitting seatbelts to the Paddy Kona I’m sure they would have Sold the paddy Kona to the low hanging fruit of Irish customers. In the Paddy Kona where is the smart cruise control, the heads up display the heated steering wheel, the ventilated cooling seats to mention just some of the missing features that are available in the United Kingdom for approximately the same money as the Paddy Kona. The collision avoiding system that is missing from the paddy Kona is the most ridiculous missing feature of this car as it is a serious enhancement to safety.
I'm 6 foot 1 in my socks. I'm also totally independant in that I'm not wow'd by tech or moving about on batteries. It's a car first and the future second. To get maximum range you must decrease resistance
@@BobFlavinVideo Also, that Kona Electric you drove, is that the base trim model? Is that the 7" console screen w/o navigation? Does it only have radio and the battery info on it and nothing else?
@@BobFlavinVideo Credit given where credit is due. I think, for me, it's because you use language that the everyday woman or man can understand, negative points, positive points, and you leave the decision to them. I have one observation to make that drives me insane, as all reviewers seem to do it. What in all that's right with the world does a water bottle fitting in door pockets have to do with anything. It's a car, not an extension of your kitchen. Driving a car requires all your attention, no distractions. Do the drinking at home.
I've owned a Kona EV for 3 months and it happens to be an Irish spec car with the lowest trim level, without the heated seats/wheel seen here but with the full heat pump system and battery heater that some markets (e.g. USA) omit. Frankly the ONE outstanding feature of this car is the range, other than that there are many things that are half baked. The electronic features LKA/LFA, smart cruise and smart regen work most of the time but sometimes the car will not see the lane markings and wander off the road or suddenly and inexplicably slow down because of parked cars at the left side of a right-hand curve that smart cruise thinks is the car in front. The settings are confusing and difficult to disable. Bob is dead right about the rear room, it's for kids and grandmas only. This is not a big car and would not suit physically large drivers. Another beef is the packaging in both the front drivetrain compartment and the rear underfloor. The utilisation of space is epically poor, like they just didn't bother to finish the job. They should have accommodated a space saver spare in the back with a jack and should have made a basket in the front to hold the charging cables. The front charging port is very convenient but if you are parallel-parked on a street and someone backs into you while charging there is nothing to prevent significant damage to the plug/socket hardware and flimsy door. Here's some good features: the DRLs work well because they are bright and high up, I have never had anyone not see me. The HVAC airflow is very good, emitting huge volumes of air that suit us folk in hot climates. The overall ergonomics and functioning of the HVAC is excellent. The car also accelerates strongly, in fact I think it could be hazardous to the unwary but that can be moderated by sticking to ECO mode. Overall quality is very good but it's not excellent as was my previous 2015 VW Polo, with a few rattles already appearing. Regen has many gimmicky modes but fortunately you can ignore them if you wish and just use the brake pedal which has well-integrated regen capability. The independent rear suspension gives a very nice ride; you will never go back to a car with the torsion beam type. In summary the car is a very good at being an EV, ride and handling are good but the packaging and bells-and-whistles need a bit more work.
@@paulbrowne6087, no just drives out of the lane without a care in the world. Works OK with clean solid white lines and gentle corners, not so good when they are dashed or faded or corners come up suddenly.
@@paulbrowne6087, 40kWh Leaf, i3/s and eGolf. Self-driving features don't really interest me. Battery management, range, and heat pump were at the top of my requirements and the Kona tops that list. But now that I am mostly over the range anxiety thing, I think I would have preferred the i3s, which is what my sister bought, despite a slightly higher price and half the range.
Soo… that sucks. I was looking forward to buying one of these but 350 km range during what looks like early fall where I live? I need to drive over 500 km sometimes and when it's around -35C to -40C, a lot of snow and no charging stations along the way this just makes this into another useless toy instead of a car that works all year round in northern Sweden. That really sucks. :(
Personally, I wouldn’t buy this car under protest, until the manufacturers stop making them in a diesel option that is. And for as a cheap as £17k in petrol, jumping to £31k in 39kwh. Someone is taking us EV heads for a drive to the bank. Nice vid though Bob.
It would be nice that when you give out the range, you could also advise what this is in miles, even if this is just added as an on screen graphic. Kilometres does not come natural to us UK viewers.
@@JoshuaWalls2014 yeah the lifetime of these batteries is 6 or 7 years.and like any battery charging will have to be done more often with less miles covered.
Batteries are warranted for eight years. My 2002 Prius battery (still going) has half a million miles. Taxis in NYC, constantly fast charged, have 1.5 million miles. A Tesla rental company running between LA and LV still has all their batteries except one that failed in under a year. They fast charge always. In short, battery technology is good and getting better.
still not convinced...the premium you pay for an electric v combustion is too high. Maybe appeals to the environmentalists but not for me yet...once prices are the same and the cars dont look like they are from Mars then im in
My electric car round-up video will have details of prices compared to a diesel version of the car. That'll sort the men from the boys, still I'd drive one.
Darren Mcdermott it will change mate when all car manufacturers start making electric cars ,think your going to pay a premium to be an electric car owner at the moment 🤔
@@altern8tive although servicing costs are about the same as those on ice.... there "may" be a reduced cost in repairs overall but some of the leaf repairs have been quite pricey!
I agree, and range is still the big issue when you go from Dublin to Galway and then have to que somewhere to sit and charge, not to mention that Hyundai is a cheap badly fitted and finished shit box. Like your videos Bob.👌
Yes there is a premium. I wouldn’t wait until they are the same price though. You will be waiting a long time. Running costs, tax and maintenance is very low on EVs and this does help recoup a lot of the lost initial investment. On a night tariff I can get 450kms for €9. Free if I charge at a charger but only until the end of the year. And Yes I bought the Kona for environmental reasons 😂.
Hate the regen in the Kona, like the guy in this video: It is either too hard or too weak and there is no dead spot with the accelerator, so it is always either drive or regn, no coasting possible. Why can't they just make a nice proportional regn controlled by lifting the accelerator completely under your control all the time? Speaking of the accelerator: It has a nasty delay of 0.5 seconds when changing position. Feels like driving an old lagging turbo diesel and it is a safety issue not having instant throttle response. Otherwise a nice car, but both my complaints should be ironed out with firmware updates. Consumption is also on the high side. No point in buying an EV to go 120 down the highway, when you can emit just as much CO2 driving 90 in a Morris Minor.
@@Buzzzz From the video: "19KWh per hour mixed driving" That is an average draw of 19KW with mixed driving, city, country roads but no highway. If we presume average speed is 45 mph, we get 264Wh/km or 422Wh/mile. which is in the high end. Remember a Tesla model 3 going at a constant 70 MPH also uses 19kW, (14kW for turning the wheels and 5kW losses), but at this lower speed, energy need should be roughly half, so why is it not? Could be a few KW going to the cabin heater, and also it takes a while to know a car well enough to drive it efficiently, but this points to the Kona having a high standby draw and / or poor motor efficiency at low speed.
No throttle delay in comfort or sports mode and as for regen there is option to set Off/1/2 or 3 level via set up or anytime with paddles. Best set up of any EV out there I think.
@@markjennings2315 Thanks for that info! One of my friends ordered a Kona last week and they'll get it in 4 months. I suppose They let me try it out. I could be wrong and maybe judging You tubers doing 5 minute "test drives" who presumably haven't even read the instruction manual, is not the most accurate way to judge its properties?
+Bob Flavin 3:12 "When you are in reverse you must brake, come to a complete halt before you press D to go forward. It's a thing about electric cars". No it's not. My 3 year old Tesla Model S does not require that, you can and I do change from reverse to drive while still going backwards (and the other way). It makes 3 point turns easier and faster. If you have ever driven an electric fork lift truck you would know the benefit of being able to drive like that. Nothing has died after 51,000km and I don't expect anything to die in the foreseeable future as a consequence of not stopping the car before changing from R to D or D to R (there is a maximum speed beyond which that is not possible, I forget what that is, something like 20kph). That behaviour might be enough to stop me making my next car purchase a Kona. I hate it when unnecessary restrictions are forced on me by the car manufacturer, like the inability to use the reversing camera when driving forward that most cars exhibit, something else I can do in a Model S (the cabin mirror on a Model S needs all the extra help it can get).
The charge point issue could easily be resolved by copying Tesla’s lead. If a car is left on their fast charger for more than a set time after it’s at 80% Tesla charge a penalty. That I agree with as it’s selfish owners who care little for others.
Paul Browne I new that, so why can’t other suppliers do the same? wouldn’t that put a stop to the selfish behaviour. It’s only when it cost them money that those few selfish people start to behave.
Paul Browne Paul, it’s no deferent here in the UK. But sooner or later the penny/cent will drop, 🤞🏻. At least for the moment your getting free electron. My Kona arrives in two weeks then we are heading home to Sligo for 6-7 weeks holiday so hope to get a few of those few electrons too.
about 30p per kwh, works out to around 80mpg in petrol terms compared to average miles per kwh, the future of Ev's isnt cheaper mpg but less environment damage, renewable fuel not limited fossil fuel, but still not given away
This review was so useful and so good, I bought one of these shortly afterwards. St Bob the baptist helped convince me to give up our diesel and switch to EV. No looking back, it was a painless, seamless transition and saves a fortune on running costs. €8/wk on electricity instead of €85/wk on diesel, minimal servicing costs, and its no milk float, it's quite lively. Dublin to Kenmare, or Cork, or Donegal in the middle of winter at motorways speeds with all the heating on, on a single charge easy as peeling a banana. No need for hearse speeds nor to nurse the battery, nor tailgating trucks for slip stream. It just goes. Great service from Mooneys Hyundai deansgrange. We only need to charge it at home once or twice a week. It does what 'it says on the tin' and for us anyway it did prove 'a game changer'. Thanks Bob
I bought this car two weeks ago I have about 1000 kilometers done on it I have been getting approximately 400 kilometers on a charge . It is such a nice drive on the road but compared to the ionic ev it is not as efficient but still very good I am very pleased so far with it.
leahy202 It would be hard to beat the Ioniq on efficiency. 😊 Would oboe to see a 64kw version.
Joseph Thomas Teehan
There is a new Ionia coming out July of this year one is going to be a 42kw and maybe a 64 it would be great as I loved that car had if for a year until it was stolen and crash so I bought the Kona
The only car being more efficient than the Ionic is the Model 3 RWD with the Aero Wheels.
same here, wonderful car
That's by far the most comprehensive video I've seen on the Kona, and I've seen A LOT of them. Dang right about the obviousness of the modes!
Watching Bob's videos makes me want to visit Ireland even more.
Watched 5 other reviews and no one had mentioned how compact this car is, blew me away when you got into the front being as compact as it is and then when you got in the back seat I was totally surprised! Excellent coverage man, great review!
I find a lot of other reviews are fan boy EV people or lack experience in other car brands. It’s easy to get caught up in the novelty of what powers evs as well as the range but all that is only part of what makes it a car buyers can live with.
Cheers for the complements fella!
I own this car. This car is fantastic. I have done 2000kms so far.
I strongly disagree with Bobs comments on range. He should have been clearer. You will get 330kms driving at 120kms per hour. If you want good range drive ideally 100kms per hour or below.
Drove from Bray to Kilkenny (158kms and back @90kms per hour in winter conditions. 316kms in total) and still had 100km+ range on the GOM. You will get more in Summer. That’s slowdriving yes but I was testing the range. So I’ll drive faster next time.
Yes it has plastics but they are very good quality plastics. Sit in it yourself.
The rear isn’t that roomy but if you don’t have four adults in it 24/7 I don’t see a problem. I’m 6’ 2”. And my friends fit in the back perfectly. So not sure how Bob needs his front seat positioned. I like mine close anyway.
The boot is fine and fits my massive golden retriever. Not suitable for a Taxi driver though.
Yes I would have liked LEDs for energy saving but it doesn’t seem to have affected the range. I don’t notice it.
The seats are very comfortable. Driving this car is amazing. It’s so easy. It’s the best thing about it. If you can afford it I highly recommend it. Yes I bought this for environmental reasons. But I have also unenviromentally become addicted to driving for the first time in my life. And the most affordable long range EV on the market.
Thanks for mentioning the high speed penalty on the range. I'm pretty happy with cruise control set at 105 km/h, so I think I'll a Kona would get me as far as I need to go without a meal.
Just to point out, everyone gets different range experiences depending on conditions like weight, weather, temperature and so on and not everyone has the time or patience to drive at 90kph. The rear seat isn't roomy compared to the competition in the same price bracket.
It's a 49k car, I expect LED's everywhere and compared to UK spec it's nearly a rip-off in pricing (before grants)
It's the only budget long-range EV on the market so far, in 2020 there'll be loads more. It's no affordable when you compare it to petrol powered Polo that is a bigger car. EV's are still very expensive for what they are.
I agree with your assessment versus the assessor's viewpoint. It is great car. Distance, safety, protection, warranty, fuel savings, and it is comfortable. I would buy it again in a heartbeat.
Mine arrives in a couple of weeks time. The UK spec is higher than the Irish ☘️ Spec we get satnav as well as a couple of other bits. I was tempted to wait for the larger Kia version but as it only the two of us, back seer space wasn’t too important. I have to agree with others it’s not a cheep car and you won’t save money over it lifetime.
BEVs will need to come down in price a lot before it’s a financial gain. I just love the technology and can afford to be part of it.
Colin. 1 After the grant what did it come in at?
Scotch
Hi, £37530.
Less UK grant. £4500.
Total. £33030
That’s for 64KWH top spec
Ceramic blue two tone.
I think it quickly becomes a financial gain (or a wash) if the price of fossil fuel goes up - e.g. the gas-driven 2 L engine in a Kona seems to cost about 14 Euro for every 100 km driven, in the Netherlands. It's not much cheaper in Italy or France. I've driven my (outgoing) gas car for ~13 years/150,00 km, so I would spend the price of a car on gas while I own it. (That hasn't happened to me because I don't live in the Netherlands.) Obviously this is going to be different in nations that own their own oil production wells and refineries and subsidize its use (US, Russia, Mexico, Canada.) (But I also don't know the price of electricity in Europe or Asia, so I can't complete the picture.)
PS: Congrats on your Kona Electric purchase! I drove one last week and I was impressed.
Tai Viinikka
In the UK you’ll pay on average 14 pence a kWh home charge with most charge points costing around double that. I have installed 22 solar panels, so I’m hoping to charge for free in the summer. Happy days.
As the owner of a 3.5l V6 petrol/hybrid and a 2.0l turbo petrol car I would consider myself a petrol head and yet I’m still very interested in all kinds of car technology including electric cars. With Bob I have my favourite reviewer covering a car without the bull.... and informing me In a realistic way as to whether it’s an option I might look at in the future. His Audi S3 review was one of my favourite reviews of all time and I for one will be sticking with this channel regardless of which car or series of cars is being reviewed. I want to see and know about all cars of all descriptions so I’m aware of everything on the market available to me. Keep it up Bob and don’t mind the naysayers!👍🏻
Cheers Ronan, your a very kind petrolhead!
Back to the Audi Q8 for the next review, hardly any electric parts in the 3.0TDI :D
I was planning on buying one of these EV Kona's, but the one thing you mentioned that has suddenly made me rethink purchasing, is the Motorway noise. I HATE a noisy car at motorway speeds...or maybe I'm just getting too old and cranky, I dunno.
Me too. I bought a used car recently that was much quieter than my previous car due to simple lagging on the boot etc. So maybe such cars can be cheaply retrofitted to reduce noise?
Would you trade a little range for different tires? because I think a lot of the noise at 120 km/h is due to the low rolling resistance tires. They are stiffer and transmit more energy from the road, which perhaps translates into noise. I'm going to need winter tires on my Kona anyway, so perhaps a winter highway trip will reveal this. (I live in the middle of a city, so 120 km/h does not happen every day!)
One thing never pointed out... You hear road noise more because THERE IS NO ENGINE NOISE.
Another great video bob! I have a soft spot for the Kona! I would like an electric car at somepoint in my life :)
Cheers Tom, I'd like an EV as well. Bit pricy at the moment
@@paulbrowne6087 I like the fact that are silent and minimum vibration in stop and go traffic. WBU?
I like the instant and brutal acceleration you can get combined with unmatched efficiency and being able to refuel your car at home. I was waiting for the right one for quite a while and settled on a Model 3 Performance after having a very thrilling test drive.
@@yellowlightning2488 Awesome choice
@@toms_garage I like the convenience of charging at home, huge space, and the instant acceleration. Loved the concept of EV's for ages but nothing could match my old E-Class E63 estate until the Model S came along. It was like night and day. The Merc was a beautiful drive but a thirsty, expensive to maintain beast. The Model S whilst on paper might seem expensive is actually a crazy cheap car to run. You get instant performance, nearly the same cargo space and probably the best driver convenience features available today. I wouldn't go back to owning an ICE car ever again I'd suggest test driving the Model 3 performance when it finally hits Ireland as I think its a far better car than the current MS.
Finally it looks like a manufacturer has listened to what consumers want, rather than what they want to sell us. It's no accident that you get say 400 miles or more range in a car with an IC engine, it's what's convenient and what we expect. Even though you can fill up the car in a minute or two, nobody is going to buy an IC car with 150 mile range. It wouldn't be considered fit for purpose. Even my little Smart Car can do it, and that's what we want.
Thanks for the review, enjoying this series.
On a side note, always funny how much reviewers make of glove boxes and side bins. Who is going to base a car purchase based on that? I almost never use them too
I am not sure if I understand what you meant to say around the 14 minute mark but “recuperation mode” does not use (deplete) your battery. Slowing the car changes your battery - it doesn’t “use” (deplete) it.
Thanks, Bob, I do agree with you on the spare wheel, and tyre inflation kits need to be replaced, Bring back the spare wheel.
New crusade, bring back the spare wheel!
@@BobFlavinVideo Unfortunately it's not just electric cars but lots of ICE cars. Tends to be standard in electric as the floor-pan is taken up with batteries. I too would like to see an option for spare tyres.
It does not help how the wheels on cars are so big now i saw a ford edge 235/55/19 wheel plus tyre. I can't imagine how you could even fit the spare onto the car without 2 of you.
Jaysus I was worried the drone was about hit the wall at the start.
Great Video & Review as always bob
Why thank you time traveller, the drone is safe and sound.
Great review, highlighting not just the great things, but also the (few) shortcomings. However, it seems that you are still thinking in ICE terms when it comes to charging. Assuming you have your own driveway, you would only have to think about charging on a long trip. For everything else, you just plug in for the night on the granny charger. I do understand that the fastchargers in Ireland are still free of charge and charging at home is more costly. However, I don't think that this will be true forever.
Where I live, electricity is "expensive" (or so people with electric heat tell me) but in fact, rates drop at night when demand does, so an overnight charge for an EV is much, much cheaper than feeding it gasoline. $0.065/kWh overnight! www.torontohydro.com/sites/electricsystem/residential/rates/Pages/resirates.aspx
Hey Bob, mention your height when you're doing the space tests maybe, You look about 5'11"? 180cm?
Then we can picture ourselves in it compared to you, thanks for the nice reviews big man, loving the electric series. :))
Absolutely crazy that it doesn't have LED headlights. My Mazda 3 has those & you'd imagine this would have them as standard.
No LED headlights,ah here.Bicycles had LED lights in the 90s.Very dissappointed that a 191 electric car and in fact any new car doesnt have modern headlights instead of incandescent bulbs .Are LED headlights even an option.
You can always install some yourself, they're not that expensive.
@@stockey Yeah but only VAG drivers do that really, and they look cack.
Loving the electric car series Bob, very informative and entertaining! Keep up the cracking work! Highly recommend anyone and everyone to subscribe 👍🏻
Thanks Josh, I'll take all the promotion I can get!
This thing looks like a big 4x4 in appearance but my mk6 fiesta is more roomy and has a bigger boot.
True about the size, a Polo I reviewed before Christmas has more room and is thousands cheaper
It doesn't look that big from outside. It's hatchbacky. The trunk has more room than my old Mazda3 Sport, which has always felt like it ate a lot of baggage.
Following on from Mikes comments about Oz. The Hyundai Kona will be available late March, and the Kia Niro last quarter. The Kona will be available in two levels. The one you have there, smaller motor and not as powerful battery. The top spec model has the bigger Motor and battery, and a few other bits and pieces plus a sun roof. AU$50k and AU$55k for the top spec. Great review Bob!
Your excellent review convinced me to buy this EV. You were bang on the nail, it does what it claims in the tin very well, no looking back. Only negative is the ride is a little firm and no USB in rear seats, nor 12v socket in boot. Works well with Apple Car Play and Android Auto, Car Play seems slicker.
Great to meet you at the EV meetup in Kildare. Like the videos especially the EV series. Don't think I'll be swapping my MS #P100D for a Kona any time soon too small ;) Keep up the great work!
Great to meet you Matt! Stick with the Tesla. See you at the next meet up
Hope you include the mighty Renault Twizy in your electric car reviews Bob
I'd have to find one, there isn't many of them in Ireland, in the winter!
Bob Flavin The Twizy is great for a bad back 😂
I have one of those little gems. A good review from yourself could make it the best selling leccy car in Ireland.......for the summer anyway!!
Mentioning the infrastructure and not mentioning the faster chargers coming from ESB and Ionity. And also more charging hubs with more chargers per location and charges coming which should move locals away from hogging fast chargers.
Biggest issue with infrastructure especially fast chargers is people getting their free power and not caring for others who need the chargers.
I haven't run into problems with waiting for chargers.
Bob, Absolutely Loving your reviews and videos on the electric cars in Ireland!!!. No nonsense practical reviews! Thank you! One nice thing to hear from your would be a price comparison as purchase price isn't mentioned much, and possible comparison of overall yearly operating costs (helps with comparing petrol, diesel and other ev models). One last wish would be to hear about your advice for a electric car that is great both on the motorway and running around town. I drive about 65km round trip daily but also do a few longer trips on the weekends. Would be great to hear which electric car you would prefer for this type of driving. Thanks for all the videos! - Marv
P.S. Some more detailed, close-up shots of the dash, instrument panels and interior sections of the electric cars would be most welcomed also.
I've just ordered one in France: I have full LED lights all around but that is because I ordered the "Executive version" and not a version called the "Creative Version"... Just checked the tech specs of the 2 versions and you are right: the lower, "Creative" version does NOT have LED front lights.
ah yes, and great video, Bob
and finally, you can order either the Creative or Executive versions with either Battery pack option (64kWh or 39kWh)
Kona is nice in white, but for the moola, you could have a nice second hand BMW 4 series m-sport or equal. not sure about EV yet, maybe in 2021 or there abouts
Are you looking at the 4 series as your next car? :)
You are right to wait, there's many more models coming from the companies. There'll be far more choice in 2020
@@toms_garage I'm always looking, but stuck in PCP till 2021, which , as Bob said might suit me
mcbige1 Yes you could buy a 4-series but you will have massive fuel costs on top of that in compare to an EV. Running costs, tax, maintaining costs are very low on an EV. And for that reason the two are not comparable.
@@Buzzzz of course there not comparable, different cars completely, i'm comparing the initial cost of the two, the luxury of the BMW over the Kona. Yes you have me on Fuel cost, but a 418d or 420d will be pretty good on Diesel, road tax in Ireland will be ok for this model. Not sure about insurance cost differences, Irish Insurance cost are very high. if (probably when) Diesel is taxed more in Ireland, then maybe depreciation will also be a factor. but a 2/3 year old Kona EV in 2021 might deprecate a lot also with new models coming on-stream. anyway, i take your point.
Hey Bob, what would be interesting would be to compare the capacity of the batteries and the weights of these vehicles (within their size classes e.g. compare compact ev hatches etc )in your last video of the EV series. It would give us a good idea of where the manufacturer has comprised range over interiors etc or interiors over range. Something like that anyway, just an idea. Sounds like VW compromised range for having a regular interior and a larger car where as Hyundai have very much looked for weight savings to increase range.
Excellent suggestion Richard, the round up video will be detailed along with price comparison. Tis on the way!
Ah that’ll be great Bob. I’d say I’m a few years away from making the leap myself but I’m very interested in the journey that the automotive tech industry is currently on. Probably the biggest change since the model t
+Richard O'Brien More weight does reduce range but it is not as much of a problem with an EV as it would be for an ICE car. Sure you use more energy accelerating the car or climbing hills but you get back 80% of that extra energy going down hills or decelerating. The main thief of EV range is wind resistance which can be mitigated by better aerodynamic design and when critical driving a little slower.
I have a sneaky feeling that if the Government removed the 10 k grant this car would still cost 38k .
All reviews comment on the lack of proper storage for the cable apparently the bag has velcro fitted to stop the bag sliding about boot floor bit this takes up vital shopping storage space there is a company who can provide a drink box which fits on top of the electric motor which cost about 135 euro for standard model or 145 euro for a better spec model loving the review it's a true owners perspective not like the sterile car mag reviews
Really like your presenting style, with really good sensible observations. Couldn’t help but laugh at the comedy editing though:- “I’m just coming up to a roundabout...” immediately cuts to a shot of the car on a straight single lane track in the middle of a field. Quality! Great review though. Thanks.
There’s compromising to be done when you operate on your own, no crews and no editors, just me doing the lot!
@@BobFlavinVideo Fair play to ya!
The Kona ev is almost revolutionary, though the longer Kia e-Niro will be more efficient (with more range) and the on-hiatus Hyundai Ioniq with both of those cars' same battery should get 280 miles.
Some wouldn't recommend not charging it. For all electrics with a battery thermal system, there might be some parasitic loss to keep it above 10C. What their on-board computers also do is switch off the temp management if it doesn't recognise being charged in over 24hrs.
That's grand, but when it gets bitter cold like it has been in Ireland this week, the batteries cold soak and that brings its own host of affects including forced electrolyte-dendrification (capacity loss) if you floor it cold. The granny lead prevents that.
Love the review quality!!
Hoorah for a light coloured interior for a change! Every other car is black, black and black.
Love my Kona interior. Never hot. Boy, my Camry gets hot with black.
I can't believe the Irish version doesn't come with a sat nav as standard. I wouldn't buy one just on the principle they expect you to pay extra in 2019 for it.
Bob, on the motorway, Black Sabbath or whatever will cure the road noise. A good review thanks Bob.
Tried that but I had to turn it up so loud that my right ear started to bleed 👊
"the Halogen lights are not deadly" love it! I drove the Kona myself and if I'd had the money I'd have bought it there and then. So it's lucky I didn't because I'd probably be better off with an e-niro - roll on that review!
The e-Nero is on the way, the spec had better be good!
Seems crazy to have any normal bulbs literally burning power away on a car that only has a finite amount of electricity
It has a regular car battery for running lights and accessories.
Hi Bob, looking forward to your review of the E-Niro whenever it comes to Ireland. Great review on the E-Kona, drove it myself recently but found it to be a bit on the small side.
Great review. I think Hyundai need to do an EV tuscon. They would clean up the market. The range on the Kona is fantastic but it's too small inside and the boot is tiny. For €40k, its just too small.
Brilliant work,, thanks a million for your videos, my wife is very happy with her family car it's a seat Alhambra
on the road price with metallic paint with 5000 euro art exemption is about 39k euro!!!
If there was no grants, 49k. Imagine the Audi I could have with 49k!
In our undulating countryside not exceeding the limit would be assured by regeneration rather than foot brake, I would have thought.
I have a C4 Picasso and have averaged, by the readout, 5.2/100 over the last 20,000 kms by using momentum and almost exclusively engine braking and using the truck lane.........I’m retired and never in that much of a hurry)))
Great video Bob...these are due to land in Oz sometime this year. It's the first EV that has made me go hmmmm.
Have you got the e-Nero yet? Might be worth a wait
@@BobFlavinVideo No Nero and no E-golf yet. They all make a lot of sense here combined with solar panels on the roof.
Another great video Bob!!
I take it you are aware of the big changes in the UK's company car bands starting 2020, the appropriate percentages for zero emission cars will drop from 16% to 2%, while those for cars with CO2 emissions between 1g/km and 50g/km will vary between 2% and 14% depending on the number of zero-emission miles the vehicle can travel.
Surely this will transform the UK company car market, especially if some improvements can be made increasing range?
Even cars such as Tesla, Audi E-Tron, Jaguar I-Pace etc, there will be tremendous tax savings to be made.
My car will certainly be Electric in 2020!!
How is any of that relevant to Ireland though?
But the white LED headlights disperse very easily when you have a car on the opposite lane ...
Top work! Do you notice any "coldgate" at those temperatures in Ireland?
Another great real world review, thanks Bob
Thanks Nick!
Great Video Bob. We’ve been running a Nissan Leaf for two years and it’s been brilliant but at this stage we were expecting to be buying a car with the range and priceof the Kona but it’s just too small! Hoping the Niro will fit the bill.
Not small at all, it is comfortable as a couple. Plenty of room for camping, etc.
Damn, really interesting point about a simple “max range” button.
Seems like the logical thing to do right?
I live in the State of Montana in the US. In anticipation of near term availability in the US, I visited my local Hyundai dealer recently. After consulting with his factory (dealer) representative, I was advised to go to a dealer in Colorado (two states away) or California (multiple states away) when availability starts in a couple of months. Hyundai apparently can't deal with any nation larger than Korea or Ireland. The problem is that there is no way to easily drive a Kona from either Colorado or California to Montana due to the absence of charging stations en route. The absence of a charging network throughout the US is a huge obstacle to usability of non-Tesla EVs. Even though the price will be several thousands of dollars more expensive, it looks like my first EV will be a Model 3 out of necessity. Tesla is ssooooooo far ahead of the competitors.
I suggest you check online android apps. There are plenty of charging stations in the USA with this cars range.
Great video, thank you, the only bit I missed was the fact its so bloody expensive most of us couldn't afford the thing. How many miles would you have to do to recoup the cost difference of running on normal fuel and by the time you broke even mileage wise the thing would be knackered and worthless !! Am I wrong ??
Audi Etron looks awesome but way out of my price range. I'm saving for the VW egolf replacement
The VW I.D. and e-Golf will open the fight up
When the model 3 arrives in Europe it will absolutely destroy the ice market, Hyundai kona and kia nero are good ev’s but tesla are on another level, I know they are more expensive but well worth the premium price, hopefully i will be purchasing asap and enjoying the experience of ownership of a long range White model3
I don't think it will. The type of car it is (medium sized normal car). People want SUV's. smaller cars estates etc.
Chris Hart
Hi chris i agree that we are purchasing suv’s more and more but i think motor manufacturers have pushed us thinking its what we want but tesla have destroyed ice sales in North America and will do the same thing in Europe
Test drive a Tesla it’s an amazing experience.I think people are buying Teslas not because they are EV but because they are awesome vehicles!
@@kevinotten5820 ice sales have been destroyed by themselves. I would not want a diesel now. But neither would i want a small petrol with a turbo. I can't believe people are buying cars they don't want because manufactures are pushing suv's
@@kevinotten5820 The model 3 has outsold the Merc C class, BMW 3 series and Audi A 4 COMBINED in the US in 2018! Bye Bye ICE :)
No, this is not 350 Km range but real 400 Km if you don't drive faster than 110 km/h.
Worth mentioning you really don't want or need sat nav with android auto and Apple Carplay they are far superior.
good review,,,got past the hype of the eco type peoples reviews of this car and laid it out for the general punter .
Hype does nothing for me, I always want to live with it!
Only thing I dislike with the Kona EV is the power button hidden under left side of steering wheel. When you get out and forget to turn it off (I do it all the time) you have to stretch/bend and search for the bloody thing!!
Could be a sign of early Lewey Body dementia.
Really enjoying this series. It is excellent you are doing it in winter to get proper ranges. When you go on long journey do you still wear the big down jacket all the way?
Cheers Mini-Eggs, mmmmmm mini eggs
Bob Flavin do you wear that big coat inside the car to save power on long journeys? Cheers
It'll be good to see what you think of the Kia e-Niro, and eventually I hope you check out the Tesla Model 3 when it arrives.
Great video series by the way, really enjoying it.
Hoping to have a spin in both of them, cheers George!
Great video Bob! Wow that interior looks cheap
I've driven a lot cheaper cars (rentals) and this inside is not and does not feel cheap.
I don't know if I am evil, but I am unsure if I like the electric cars. I like most of the brands/looks. Not sure if I am slow with change or old fashioned. Great review as always and lots of informative comments.
I went from a 2002 Prius to a 2012 Camry to a 2019 Kona. Will never go back to a non electronic car again.
Now that the Kona and others solve the range issue - and they absolutely do at 258 Miles of range per charge, the problem I think is availability. Hyundai seem to have been working hard to get them out and everybody is marveling at them. As for the infrastructure, if its not already good enough it will be solved in time.
Steve McCormack there’s 3 in Kingston Stillorgan and two in mooney’s Deansgrange . That’s not what I call lack of availability
Agree - I was told by my local dealer they only have 5 for the year, and they're all sold already. He reckoned there would only be around 200 made available for Ireland as a whole. Let's hope that turns out not to be right.
Agree - I was told by my local dealer they only have 5 for the year, and they're all sold already. He reckoned there would only be around 200 made available for Ireland as a whole. Let's hope that turns out not to be right.
For info the mirror defrost off the rear demist button
Good honest review. Is it possible to schedule the charging to take advantage of night time electricity rates? Also, does the apple car play work well in the Kona?
Yes if you have night rates the car can be set up to charge between those hours. Apple carplay works well in any car, I use it all the time.
What was the asking price for the actual tested model?
Would love to see your opinion on the Renault Zoe
I’m just confused at your suggestion that regeneration would happen with the foot down on a motorway. It’s seems counterintuitive/productive?.
The minute you take your foot off resistance is added, thus you scrub off speed and use more power to build it back up. On a motorway with an EV just turn off all resistance and coast as much as possible keep the resistance for traffic.
The car will still regen downhill doing 90kms on a motorway. I haven’t tested faster speeds yet.
Regeneration has it place if going down a steep hill.
Bob Flavin “The minute you take your foot off...”
why do you take the foot off then if not for slowing down? I don’t quite understand.
ekhaat My problem with a conventional automatic, with cc at a set speed, is that if the speed builds up more than a couple of kph, it will change down, which simply introduces transmission braking with no regenerative power accumulation obviously. But the Kona would give me something back for maintaining a set speed eg a car in front which I’m following by radar/cc.
Building up speed in anticipation of the next hill is a different scenario.
I always take into account wind speed which directly results in a vehicle’s air speed which equates too aero drag. Lots of factors to think about......and following a truck can be v helpful too.
19:15 ...xxx km without putting any fuel in (3 times)? Let's get with the program..."without charging". Granted, this is a car channel, so you're not completely switched over to ev parlance.
Just pulling your leg... a very informative short review overall. 👍
Bob it does actually manage 450k range at motorway speeds @ 120kph. No hearse driving needed. Urban I've been getting 470-500km range and only need to charge twice a week at home. It is a game changer despite the smaller boot. The e-Niro more family friendly. I had been a sceptic about EVs like you expecting this thing to only have a range of 350km, but pleasantly surprised it manages the 450km. Cork, Sligo, Galway, Limerick, even Kerry no problem on a full charge. Galway and back on a single charge. Turtle mode is still a respectable 80kph albeit glacial acceleration in turtle mode. Normal acceleration is stunning. Drove one down to to 0% battery for a further 30km. Suspect the actual battery capacity is larger than 64kWh, to allow for the 8 year battery warranty (ie built in redundancy to allow for cell drop off without affecting the next 64kWh capacity over the warranty life of the Vehicle). Bloody annoying they've stripped some of the goodies from the UK spec from the Irish models like the adaptive cruise control, Lane keeping as opposed to lane assist, Internal Sat Nav, etc. But Android Auto and Apple CarPlay navigation works well, especially with Google maps. Ridiculous there was no 12v power socket in the boot or rear passenger area or rear passenger USB port. Also no rated towing capacity which is a PITA not to be able to tow small trailers (ie sailing dingy, garden trailer, etc). But "it does what it says on the tin" and that is 450km range driving like an ordinary car rather than the hearse driving required by Leafs. 9hrs on night rate electricity (ie midnight to 9am) costs only €5.04 to get from 10% back up to 100% battery. Main thing is it can be driven like an ordinary car, and hyper mile hearse driving not needed. Regen braking very relaxing allowing one pedal driving most of the time.
im sure eventually a wireless charge will be available instead of using they cables etc.drive in a space and car charges automatically.
None of the cars on sale today are equipped to charge wirelessly. Imagine all those magnetic waves from charging a car!
@@BobFlavinVideo yeah was thinking that but just a convenience thing.drive on a platform and maybe a connection under the car connects to your car without having to use cables.
It is not difficult to have a charger cable to the rear seat if you're that desperate. Sheesh...
This was an excellent review
Seems like you need the Kia?
More leg and headroom.
I'll have to test it later in the year when it comes to Ireland but the Nero is a bigger car in the back
Roger Starkey eNiro will rock, was sizing it up today in ice version
@@bdeithrick
Good idea!!!
(Downstairs for dancing,
Upstairs for thinking!) 👋👋😂
Buying the Kona as a retired couple without kids, the car is ideal. Grandkids fit in it fine. The boot is fine as is the back seat. Hyundai was smart, most cars are occupied by one to two persons most of the time.
Great video. Are you going to look at the toyota prius pluging. It is 1.8 petrol with a battery. I cant charge at home and would not be able to get a full EV as of now. I am interested in the toyota prius lug in.
Thanks.
Great video Bob, by any chance will you be reviewing the new Focus soon?
Ford Focus review already on the channel, I did that last year. ST good but very pricey, entry model rubbish in spec.
Wot no sat nav on the Irish version, bring one over from the UK ours all full of toys
I love it (actually I dont) when ppl say subscribe to the channel! at the beginning before you actually know if the reviewer is actually worth following.....
Over 700 videos on my channel, you’ll quickly find out who I am
You’ve hit a lot of important points here Bob. Electric is far from perfect but at least we have an honest opinion here without the b****ht 👍.
Great to see Irish content creators!👍🏻
Do you think the comfort and quality in an e-golf is worth trading away for the extra range of the kona?
Curious if they split the battery up and added multiple connections would it speed up the charging process
It can take up to 100kW Rapid charge - it's just the charger Bob was using is limited to 50kW (which he didn't make particularly clear that it was the charger and not the car that was the limiting factor). Splitting the charge up makes no difference. It's a 64kWh pack that will charge at roughly 1.5C max and I suggest that is put in there to protect the battery. It will also slow down once it reaches 80% SOC to protect the battery and balance the individual cells. Therefore if fast charging it generally makes sense to only charge to 80%.
It's not like the charging network is going to upgraded again in the near future, we are stuck with 50KW until it changes these big battery cars will take awhile to charge, imagine the queues for chargers.
Bob Flavin I agree - but perhaps make a couple of things clear? First if you have access to a rapid charger the car will charge twice as quickly. Secondly, It’s a 64kWh battery charging @ 47kW - and the battery wasn’t empty. The only reason it was saying 2 hours would be a charge to 100% which you typically wouldn’t do at a public charger. You probably could have got to 80% which is the limit on a rapid charger anyway in 30 mins max. That would have put 22kWh (allowing for losses) back into the battery. And once you own an EV you will just naturally plug it in every time you park it at home (assuming you have a home charger option).
Review the ioniq. Odd though ioniq seems to have more standard tech than Kona which is 2 years newer? No smart cruise? No say nav?
It has smart cruise, navigation is fine.
Where I’m coming from is I have the 2016 Ioniq. I was hoping to upgrade this for the Kona I was excited for its arrival in Ireland. When you have driven the Ioniq you learn to love all of the gadgets that are built into Ioniq and you also learn to rely on the safety features that are built into it also. I could not believe that Hyundai Ireland Had the audacity to bring out the Paddy version. Apart from the gadgets been missing I cannot believe that the Irish government would allow distributors to launch a vehicle in Ireland that is lacking known safety features. The Paddy Kona is most definitely an upgrade for many people and has fabulous range. But if HYUNDAI IRELAND could have got away with not fitting seatbelts to the Paddy Kona I’m sure they would have Sold the paddy Kona to the low hanging fruit of Irish customers.
In the Paddy Kona where is the smart cruise control, the heads up display the heated steering wheel, the ventilated cooling seats to mention just some of the missing features that are available in the United Kingdom for approximately the same money as the Paddy Kona. The collision avoiding system that is missing from the paddy Kona is the most ridiculous missing feature of this car as it is a serious enhancement to safety.
Would you consider the bigger 48kw battery Ioniq that's coming out next year?
paul browne Yes I would like to consider a 48KW Ioniq.
I haven’t read anything about recovery mode being any sort of range inhibitor .
How tall are you Bob?.
Hadn’t heard of the noise problem before.
I'm 6 foot 1 in my socks. I'm also totally independant in that I'm not wow'd by tech or moving about on batteries. It's a car first and the future second. To get maximum range you must decrease resistance
I heard all/most public electric chargers are free in Ireland? Is that true?
For now, yes. That will change later in the year
@@BobFlavinVideo Also, that Kona Electric you drove, is that the base trim model? Is that the 7" console screen w/o navigation? Does it only have radio and the battery info on it and nothing else?
Excellent review.
Thanks Kevin!
@@BobFlavinVideo Credit given where credit is due. I think, for me, it's because you use language that the everyday woman or man can understand, negative points, positive points, and you leave the decision to them. I have one observation to make that drives me insane, as all reviewers seem to do it. What in all that's right with the world does a water bottle fitting in door pockets have to do with anything. It's a car, not an extension of your kitchen. Driving a car requires all your attention, no distractions. Do the drinking at home.
I've owned a Kona EV for 3 months and it happens to be an Irish spec car with the lowest trim level, without the heated seats/wheel seen here but with the full heat pump system and battery heater that some markets (e.g. USA) omit. Frankly the ONE outstanding feature of this car is the range, other than that there are many things that are half baked. The electronic features LKA/LFA, smart cruise and smart regen work most of the time but sometimes the car will not see the lane markings and wander off the road or suddenly and inexplicably slow down because of parked cars at the left side of a right-hand curve that smart cruise thinks is the car in front. The settings are confusing and difficult to disable. Bob is dead right about the rear room, it's for kids and grandmas only. This is not a big car and would not suit physically large drivers. Another beef is the packaging in both the front drivetrain compartment and the rear underfloor. The utilisation of space is epically poor, like they just didn't bother to finish the job. They should have accommodated a space saver spare in the back with a jack and should have made a basket in the front to hold the charging cables. The front charging port is very convenient but if you are parallel-parked on a street and someone backs into you while charging there is nothing to prevent significant damage to the plug/socket hardware and flimsy door.
Here's some good features: the DRLs work well because they are bright and high up, I have never had anyone not see me. The HVAC airflow is very good, emitting huge volumes of air that suit us folk in hot climates. The overall ergonomics and functioning of the HVAC is excellent. The car also accelerates strongly, in fact I think it could be hazardous to the unwary but that can be moderated by sticking to ECO mode. Overall quality is very good but it's not excellent as was my previous 2015 VW Polo, with a few rattles already appearing. Regen has many gimmicky modes but fortunately you can ignore them if you wish and just use the brake pedal which has well-integrated regen capability. The independent rear suspension gives a very nice ride; you will never go back to a car with the torsion beam type.
In summary the car is a very good at being an EV, ride and handling are good but the packaging and bells-and-whistles need a bit more work.
@@paulbrowne6087, no just drives out of the lane without a care in the world. Works OK with clean solid white lines and gentle corners, not so good when they are dashed or faded or corners come up suddenly.
@@paulbrowne6087, 40kWh Leaf, i3/s and eGolf. Self-driving features don't really interest me. Battery management, range, and heat pump were at the top of my requirements and the Kona tops that list. But now that I am mostly over the range anxiety thing, I think I would have preferred the i3s, which is what my sister bought, despite a slightly higher price and half the range.
Compared to a 2002 Prius and a 2012 Camry, there are bells and whistles galore, more than happy with them all
Soo… that sucks. I was looking forward to buying one of these but 350 km range during what looks like early fall where I live? I need to drive over 500 km sometimes and when it's around -35C to -40C, a lot of snow and no charging stations along the way this just makes this into another useless toy instead of a car that works all year round in northern Sweden. That really sucks. :(
Personally, I wouldn’t buy this car under protest, until the manufacturers stop making them in a diesel option that is. And for as a cheap as £17k in petrol, jumping to £31k in 39kwh. Someone is taking us EV heads for a drive to the bank. Nice vid though Bob.
It would be nice that when you give out the range, you could also advise what this is in miles, even if this is just added as an on screen graphic. Kilometres does not come natural to us UK viewers.
Hi, new subscriber !!!!!!!!!!!! should I continue with your channel ?????????? Please give me your best Irish compliances 👍👍👍👍👍
Welcome Stevie, always good to have nice new people. Enjoy the videos and leave lots of comments!
what is the lifespan of the batteries and how much does it cost to replace them.
lifetime warranty?
@@JoshuaWalls2014 yeah the lifetime of these batteries is 6 or 7 years.and like any battery charging will have to be done more often with less miles covered.
Batteries are warranted for eight years. My 2002 Prius battery (still going) has half a million miles. Taxis in NYC, constantly fast charged, have 1.5 million miles. A Tesla rental company running between LA and LV still has all their batteries except one that failed in under a year. They fast charge always. In short, battery technology is good and getting better.
still not convinced...the premium you pay for an electric v combustion is too high. Maybe appeals to the environmentalists but not for me yet...once prices are the same and the cars dont look like they are from Mars then im in
My electric car round-up video will have details of prices compared to a diesel version of the car. That'll sort the men from the boys, still I'd drive one.
Darren Mcdermott it will change mate when all car manufacturers start making electric cars ,think your going to pay a premium to be an electric car owner at the moment 🤔
@@altern8tive although servicing costs are about the same as those on ice.... there "may" be a reduced cost in repairs overall but some of the leaf repairs have been quite pricey!
I agree, and range is still the big issue when you go from Dublin to Galway and then have to que somewhere to sit and charge, not to mention that Hyundai is a cheap badly fitted and finished shit box. Like your videos Bob.👌
Yes there is a premium. I wouldn’t wait until they are the same price though. You will be waiting a long time. Running costs, tax and maintenance is very low on EVs and this does help recoup a lot of the lost initial investment. On a night tariff I can get 450kms for €9. Free if I charge at a charger but only until the end of the year.
And Yes I bought the Kona for environmental reasons 😂.
Really considered the Kona before buying my leaf. However it's just too small and too expensive despite the range.
Yes it is, the Leaf is more useable
The Kona is cheaper than the 62 kWh Leaf.
For two people the Kona is fine. With $10k off in BC Canada, it was a no brainer.
What about Renault Zoe? Any plans?
Done that one last year, it hasn’t changed to my knowledge.
@@BobFlavinVideo Thank you for the answer! You said that you will be doing an analysis of everything moving on the electric car market.
Hate the regen in the Kona, like the guy in this video: It is either too hard or too weak and there is no dead spot with the accelerator, so it is always either drive or regn, no coasting possible. Why can't they just make a nice proportional regn controlled by lifting the accelerator completely under your control all the time? Speaking of the accelerator: It has a nasty delay of 0.5 seconds when changing position. Feels like driving an old lagging turbo diesel and it is a safety issue not having instant throttle response. Otherwise a nice car, but both my complaints should be ironed out with firmware updates. Consumption is also on the high side. No point in buying an EV to go 120 down the highway, when you can emit just as much CO2 driving 90 in a Morris Minor.
This is the truth
It coasts when you set it to Level 0.
Just wondering why you think this car is inefficient?
@@Buzzzz From the video: "19KWh per hour mixed driving" That is an average draw of 19KW with mixed driving, city, country roads but no highway. If we presume average speed is 45 mph, we get 264Wh/km or 422Wh/mile. which is in the high end. Remember a Tesla model 3 going at a constant 70 MPH also uses 19kW, (14kW for turning the wheels and 5kW losses), but at this lower speed, energy need should be roughly half, so why is it not? Could be a few KW going to the cabin heater, and also it takes a while to know a car well enough to drive it efficiently, but this points to the Kona having a high standby draw and / or poor motor efficiency at low speed.
No throttle delay in comfort or sports mode and as for regen there is option to set Off/1/2 or 3 level via set up or anytime with paddles. Best set up of any EV out there I think.
@@markjennings2315 Thanks for that info! One of my friends ordered a Kona last week and they'll get it in 4 months. I suppose They let me try it out. I could be wrong and maybe judging You tubers doing 5 minute "test drives" who presumably haven't even read the instruction manual, is not the most accurate way to judge its properties?
look, it has the small screen version:-)
I guess to much torque I guess you won’t get it if it was 4 wheel drive 🤔
if it was 4WD it would be twice the price like Tesla
+Bob Flavin 3:12 "When you are in reverse you must brake, come to a complete halt before you press D to go forward. It's a thing about electric cars". No it's not. My 3 year old Tesla Model S does not require that, you can and I do change from reverse to drive while still going backwards (and the other way). It makes 3 point turns easier and faster. If you have ever driven an electric fork lift truck you would know the benefit of being able to drive like that. Nothing has died after 51,000km and I don't expect anything to die in the foreseeable future as a consequence of not stopping the car before changing from R to D or D to R (there is a maximum speed beyond which that is not possible, I forget what that is, something like 20kph).
That behaviour might be enough to stop me making my next car purchase a Kona. I hate it when unnecessary restrictions are forced on me by the car manufacturer, like the inability to use the reversing camera when driving forward that most cars exhibit, something else I can do in a Model S (the cabin mirror on a Model S needs all the extra help it can get).
do the back seats fold flat?
flat enough
The charge point issue could easily be resolved by copying Tesla’s lead. If a car is left on their fast charger for more than a set time after it’s at 80% Tesla charge a penalty. That I agree with as it’s selfish owners who care little for others.
Paul Browne
I new that, so why can’t other suppliers do the same? wouldn’t that put a stop to the selfish behaviour. It’s only when it cost them money that those few selfish people start to behave.
Paul Browne
Paul, it’s no deferent here in the UK. But sooner or later the penny/cent will drop, 🤞🏻. At least for the moment your getting free electron. My Kona arrives in two weeks then we are heading home to Sligo for 6-7 weeks holiday so hope to get a few of those few electrons too.
Here in Britain you have to pay to charge so its cheaper to get a petrol/diesel
That's coming to Ireland soon, I recon petrol and diesel will be around the same price as EV's
Wrong
about 30p per kwh, works out to around 80mpg in petrol terms compared to average miles per kwh, the future of Ev's isnt cheaper mpg but less environment damage, renewable fuel not limited fossil fuel, but still not given away
This is presumably when you're fast charging out on the road? What's the cost when you charge at home on night time rate?
@@art322 I don't know as I have a 3lt diesel
After the disastrous i40 I would never EVER buy a hyundai again. They are what we call in the taxi trade. "Disposable items" and endless money pits