[EV Fan]

Thanks to AshiqueS, for highlighting the concern of VIN decoding as it was not easy to find the engraved VIN on the Kona, So updating the earlier post on VIN decoding for Kona.
The VIN engraving can be found under the bonnet, just behind the engine cover, this is the one needed to decode the manufacture month.



Photo courtesy Bangalore Advaith Hyundai personnel.

Chassis number - VIN Number followed by " * " and "an alphabet".
This alphabet is the month of manufacture.
If this alphabet = A then the manufacture month is Jan, if alphabet = B then the manufacture month is Feb. Similarly C = Mar, D = Apr, E = May, F = June, G = July, H = Aug, J = Sep, K = Oct, L = Nov, M = Dec.
Please note that ' I ' is not used.
All the other VIN's like window sticker or plate on the door, omit the last alphabet indicating the manufacturing month.

[agh]

Hi All,

Is there any news on the prices and dates for the 2024 Kona EV update in India?

[Car Fan]

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

My experience of the Kona on two proper test drives was polar opposite to what you have written above.
My only grouse with it, is the real world range of 250kms.

Not sure why everyone says this, I regularly get 370 km without AC and heater use (drops to 300-310 km peak North Indian summer with AC use).

[XRoader_001]

It’s been a year of kona electric ownership odometer is around 18k km, it does 300 km+ range on a single charge with road legal speeds with ac !!

Link :

https://x.com/xroaders_001/status/17...965657553?s=46

[shankar.balan]

I really like the Hyundai Kona even though the version sold in India is of a 5 year old Technology.

I have some queries.

1. Will buying one now, result in a seriously significant compromise on the Technology front?
2. Will the resale value plummet into the nether world over the next 5 or 6 years? (Like a Mobile Phone’s value does!)
3. The tyres are of 215/55/17 size and the vehicle normally seems to come with Nexen Tyres but they dont seem to be designated as EV tyres. Is there any further information on these? I ask because I was reading on the Ioniq 5 thread that the special Michelin EV tyres that come with the Ioniq have some special foam padding for noise reduction and that the special EV tyres may have some bearing on the range and all.
4. While Hyundai gives an 8 year and 160,000/- kilometre warranty on the battery pack, is there any real world information on the cost of the Kona’s battery?

[EV Fan]

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

I really like the Hyundai Kona even though the version sold in India is of a 5 year old Technology.

No surprises there.

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

1. Will buying one now, result in a seriously significant compromise on the Technology front?

Definitely. Especially with all the connected vehicle app support all the other vehicles provide. Kona can be called seriously outdated, if not prehistoric.
So if retrospective regret is a thing for you then, not a wise idea.

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

2. Will the resale value plummet into the nether world over the next 5 or 6 years? (Like a Mobile Phone’s value does!)

Definitely. Of all the EVs this is the only one with no connected apps. And it is a CKD model, sold in very few numbers.

So, unless the Kona miraculously becomes some form of a niche collector's item due to it's driving dynamics, I would not keep high hopes.

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

3. The tyres are of 215/55/17 size and the vehicle normally seems to come with Nexon tyres but they don’t seem to be designated as EV tyres. Is there any further information on these?

Not a EV specific tire and they are not even the replacements provided by Hyundai. But definitely low resistance, actually more like low grip.

All said, Kona owner's have reported slight drop in efficiency & range, when they swapped to better tires.

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

4. While Hyundai gives an 8 year and 160,000/- kilometre warranty on the battery pack, is there any real world information on the cost of the Kona’s battery?

Quite a few people had batteries replaced as part of an old recall and the line item had indicated a price more than 40% of the cost of the vehicle.

If any of the above concerns can spoil your ownership experience, inspite of its lovely drive, then would not recommend the Kona.

Instead, even with all these negatives, if the craving for the Kona persists and all the range/charge boxes are ticked, then yes it would be a keeper.

[shankar.balan]

Originally Posted by EV Fan

No surprises there...





If any of the above concerns can spoil your ownership experience, inspite of its lovely drive, then would not recommend the Kona.

Instead, even with all these negatives, if the craving for the Kona persists and all the range/charge boxes are ticked, then yes it would be a keeper.

Thanks as always for your succinct replies.

Frankly ref ‘connected’ features - I want a dash cam, google Maps, apple car play, music and thats more or less, it. I m ok with ‘wired’ and anyway I can always buy a dongle and make it wireless.

When I m driving I like concentrating on driving. All the rest of the internet based stuff can be done when I am stationary. I don't like distractions when driving. I love driving.

Ref ‘low grip’ - will these tyres become a pain in the wet rainy circumstances on tarmac, concrete and cobbled surfaces, especially on the steep bits?

I ask because we were once in a Honda WRV front wheel drive vehicle and its stock tyres simply could not get enough traction on that wet rainy day to climb a concrete road at a steep 40 degree angle going up to someones home. The tyres just kept spinning.

Ref ‘niche’ - the original first gen Yeti was like that. And until date I feel that was the purest version of the Yeti. I feel the same about the Kona. It is one of those ‘classics’ - like the iPhone 4S.

Ref ‘Keeper’ - well, this Kona, if I buy it, I think I may want to keep it for the 8 years of its warranty. I do tend to care for and look after my cars.

Yes, battery replacement at 40% of the cost of the car sounds mad. But Im guessing there is the extended warranty and zero dep Insurance and all which one can pay for and thus hedge one’s bets.

The only headache/ dilemma I am in, is that my much loved Thar, is only 3 years old (to the day) and 29300kms run and I have not yet managed to get it out of my system. But truth be told, there is no comparison at all between the Thar’s gas guzzling tendencies and the Kona’s sheer efficiency.

[shankar.balan]

Adding some info.

Yesterday the Hyundai person came up with a very nice price off from the present 26 lac price point. And today he came up with some more extra off. It is a very tempting proposition indeed. And at the same time there are a couple of offers for the Thar. Now I am indeed sitting on top of the proverbial horns of a dilemma.

To be or not to be, that is the Question. Let us see.

[EV Fan]

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

Frankly ref ‘connected’ features - I want a dash cam, google Maps, apple car play, music and thats more or less, it. I m ok with ‘wired’ and anyway I can always buy a dongle and make it wireless.

By "connected" app features i meant remote car access/control apps like to check charge levels, charging status, control car's AC features for pre-cooling, downloading driving/charging statistics etc.

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

stock tyres simply could not get enough traction on that wet rainy day to climb a concrete road at a steep 40 degree angle going up to someones home. The tyres just kept spinning.

Yup that's exactly the case. It might also be aggravated by the far higher torque of EV's, and the stock tires are not up to it.

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

Ref ‘niche’

While i would say its a relative term based on perception, but this a common perception amongst Kona owners.

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

But truth be told, there is no comparison at all between the Thar’s gas guzzling tendencies and the Kona’s sheer efficiency.

Kona is a very efficient car, all solely based on the driver. I can get it do a 460kms on actual highways, but at the same time, even with quite a bit of "tutoring" i was not able to get a speed enthusiast to get a DTE of more than 340.

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

It is a very tempting proposition indeed

These guys finally decided to get a bit aggressive on Kona's sales/marketing or they are clearing the stocks...

[shankar.balan]

Originally Posted by EV Fan

These guys finally decided to get a bit aggressive on Kona's sales/marketing or they are clearing the stocks...

What inputs would you have about the ‘battery cooling’ issues and all that which is mentioned on the 100,000kms Kona review thread?

[speedmiester]

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

Adding some info.

Yesterday the Hyundai person came up with a very nice price off from the present 26 lac price point. And today he came up with some more extra off. It is a very tempting proposition indeed. And at the same time there are a couple of offers for the Thar. Now I am indeed sitting on top of the proverbial horns of a dilemma.

To be or not to be, that is the Question. Let us see.

Avoid the Kona if you can. The model sold in India is over 5 years old, the way EV tech is progressing, 5 years is a long time. The current Kona is a compromise in many ways.
Wait for the new Kona or any of the newer models that come by.

[shankar.balan]

Originally Posted by speedmiester

Avoid the Kona if you can. The model sold in India is over 5 years old, the way EV tech is progressing, 5 years is a long time. The current Kona is a compromise in many ways.
Wait for the new Kona or any of the newer models that come by.

Thanks for the friendly advice. I appreciate it. Problem is that my nature is such that logic and prudence tend not to interfere with emotion, as far as matters relating to ‘Automobilia’ are concerned. But this time, I am trying really hard to be sensible and seek maximum advice before making any sort of ‘leap’.

That’s why Im sitting here and troubling everyone. Like someone asked me very nicely on the Jimny thread when I was squealing a lot, to put them out of my misery! (What a fantastic humorous statement that was! I still laugh at the memory.)

Anyway, yes, you are right in many ways about the Kona. End of life product. Not as modern as other offerings. Its own V2 has been in the market abroad more than a year but it is still not offered here.

But heck!, the value for money (at the present discounted price of somewhere between 20-21-22 odd Lacs), offered by the extremely well finished Kona V1 (facelift) is definitely (in my book) superior to that offered by the Nexon and XUV 400 and all. And the form factor and design cues are somehow more appealing to me than the BYD Atto3 and the MG ZS EV and all.

And somehow, however smitten I may be, with the looks of the Hyundai Ioniq5 and Kia EV6 and the fact that they are all part of the latest breed, I am simply unable, deep in my heart, to bring myself to spend such a lot of money on a car. Rs 45-47 lacs and 66-68 Lacs still represents a very substantial sum of money indeed, at least, to me.

Then, the Kona feels solid and tactile. It drives well. It looks anonymous and innocuous - like an I20 Active on stilts. It even has a spare tyre in these days of deep strife! It is not too heavily gizmo packed and doesn't have a great big giant-sized iPad intruding into one’s vision and being distracting. The 8 year and 160,000 kms battery warranty is reassuring. There is a Company lease program which I can use, to receive a certain tax advantage.

I do have a few fears and grouses; these could be psychological because this is the first time in my life I am even thinking EV. Being a complete Internal Combustion aficionado addicted to growly engine noises and the smell of hot metal and oil and grease and the addictive whiff of petrol, I was a complete naysayer on the subject of EV’s, considering them to be wholly and inexorably, the work of the devil. This was up until December but then, I re-experienced them all over again in various test drives and am now slowly edging towards actively converting to the ‘dark side’!

1. True effective range. (But then as everyone says,
One’s whole behaviour pattern changes when one owns and drives an EV, thereby allowing for more regular and congenial coffee and charge stops.)
2. Battery Pack Cooling (Im just reading that this may be an issue but it seems Hyundai is doing something about it.)
3. The non-grippy tyres and front wheel drive and the high-torque which cause wheel-spin when going up a steep slope worries me a bit. (But I guess that (as with any Front Wheel Driven car), this can be solved by ‘feathering’ the throttle and not over-thramming the accelerator when ascending a very steep incline.)
4. Whether the Rogerab Suspension Modulators can be put onto the Kona in order to reduce articulation and thereby stop the underside from scraping these mountainous speed breakers. Im given to understand that this is not recommended generally. But then, I have had these on my Yeti, my Dad’s Glanza and all, and we have found them hugely helpful in the city of Bangalore where speedbreakers are rife and the roads are riddled like a pox, with potholes.

So now, like the Great Sphinx of Giza, I feel like my whole decision making process is trapped in a labyrinthine puzzle - a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma, if I may use that allusion.

But then, isn’t this, one part of what TeamBHP is there for? To seek fair and equitable points of view, advice, help and somehow derive clarity of thought?

Let us see how this particular train of thought progresses.

[BRZRKR]

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

Then, the Kona feels solid and tactile. It drives well. It looks anonymous and innocuous - like an I20 Active on stilts. It even has a spare tyre in these days of deep strife! It is not too heavily gizmo packed and doesn't have a great big giant-sized iPad intruding into one’s vision and being distracting. The 8 year and 160,000 kms battery warranty is reassuring. There is a Company lease program which I can use, to receive a certain tax advantage.

1. True effective range. (But then as everyone says,
One’s whole behaviour pattern changes when one owns and drives an EV, thereby allowing for more congenial coffee and charge stops.)
2. Battery Pack Cooling (Im just reading that this may be an issue but it seems Hyundai is doing something about it.)
3. The non-grippy tyres and front wheel drive and the high-torque which cause wheel-spin when going up a steep slope worries me a bit. (But I guess that can be solved by ‘feathering’ the throttle and not over-thramming the accelerator when ascending a very steep incline.)
4. Whether the Rogerab Suspension Modulators can be put onto the Kona in order to reduce articulation and thereby stop the underside from scraping these mountainous speed breakers. Im given to understand that this is not recommended generally. But then, I have had these on my Yeti, my Dad’s Glanza and all, and we have found them hugely helpful in the city of Bangalore where speedbreakers are rife and the roads are riddled like a pox, with potholes.

The EV Creta should address your ground clearance concerns.
I would assume it to be the iteration of the 2nd generation Kona our roads deserve. Part sharing with the ICE Creta should make for a delightful ownership experience.

Please consider this the musings of an Ioniq owner who is concerned about maintenance costs of everything beyond the powertrain which isn’t shared with any other model across Hyundai and Kia.

[EV Fan]

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

What inputs would you have about the ‘battery cooling’ issues and all that which is mentioned on the 100,000kms Kona review thread?

Existing Kona conerns
1.)AC issue is still to be analysed and a solution to be provided. Unsure how much effort Hyundai will put to fix a product which was phased out in the Global North 4 years ago.
2.) GC issue is unmistakably painful. And, if the India specific Kona has some existing alterations which can hamper the fitment of Rogerab, then it might become a painful concern for you.
3.) Lack of tech gizmos is a very perspective issue. We can't "remote control" the car for pre-cooling, check charging status etc. Yes they are truly there and irksome for quite a few folks but most of us owners have figured out alternate solutions for that.
4.) Limited DC Fast Charging (DCFC) speed - It's still faster than all the "Made in India" cars.

Originally Posted by speedmiester

Wait for the new Kona or any of the newer models that come by.

But as speedmiester, put it, current gen Kona is outdated and has its compromises.
Waiting for new gen Kona seems to be quite a prudent choice.

Release of new Kona - Highly expected but the step-motherly treatment that the current Kona gets from Hyundai makes me sometimes doubt it. (Add to that the localized Creta EV is also expected in the same category).
So it is "Sit Tight and Assess". When it comes to Kona, Hyundai reminds me of US in the movie "Don't Look Up".

Kona 2024 - The reviews of next gen Kona indicate that Hyundai released it is a better finished product with more refined dynamics (compared mostly to ZS). So unsure if the dynamics are refined/toned down as much as ZS or is it maintained at-least like the IONIQ.

Originally Posted by BRZRKR

The EV Creta should address your ground clearance concerns.
I would assume it to be the iteration of the 2nd generation Kona our roads deserve. Part sharing with the ICE Creta should make for a delightful ownership experience.

Absolutely, i mean GC and the localized production solves the two very strong concerns the current gen Kona has.
But then, the quality difference between India specific model vs an international model, i think truly exists. No matter how much rational explanation is provided - i have experienced stark differences, something that i cannot "unsee" now. Especially since these were in terms of quality, safety and reliability.

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

Problem is that my nature is such that logic and prudence tend not to interfere with emotion, as far as matters relating to ‘Automobilia’ are concerned. But this time, I am trying really hard to be sensible and seek maximum advice before making any sort of ‘leap’.

That’s why Im sitting here and troubling everyone. Like someone asked me very nicely on the Jimny thread when I was squealing a lot, to put them out of my misery! (What a fantastic humorous statement that was! I still laugh at the memory.)

So now the options are -
1.) Wait for new Kona, if you like it - then buy it. If you don't and the heart still craves for old gen Kona then look at pre-owned market.
2.) Buy immediately "V1 Kona" and if you like the "V2 Kona" then exchange for new one but expect a bit of a hit on the resale.

Reminds me of my purchase decision it was all logic and prudence in the beginning. I think the mulling over was so slow, that destiny had to intervene and get my heart/intuition, to override and make an impulsive decision.

[shankar.balan]

This is the 2019 Blue Kona that was brought to me for another test drive today. It has done 51000 odd Kms.
No untoward sounds. Suspension perfect. I am amazed that it is not even rattling. Drive feel Perfect. Tyres were Goodyear Excellence 215/55/17. Battery charging capacity 100%.

And all interiors in clean un-destroyed condition. Even the headlining is clean. The seats are as good as new.
The switchgear is tactile. Doesn't feel old and rattly despite being a test drive vehicle.

We drove it all around HSR and attacked all the speed breakers and potholes albeit with care. No problems with Ground clearance. The regenerative braking on Level 2 was perfect to slow us down sufficiently.

The CKD product quality is visibly and palpably and tangibly there for all to see. It is a lot like the Yeti I had and loved.

I have asked them to send me the Proforma. I believe I am pretty clear that I want this car. However, let me just process things a bit.

I know I love my Thar and will miss it as and when it goes. But I do think that buying the Kona, is just going to take me in an entirely different direction to what I have experienced up until now.

I must say the Trident Hyundai guys have been very cooperative and helpful all through.

More updates later.