Hyundai was one of the first major OEMs to launch a fully-electric car in India in the form of Kona electric. Initially launched in 2019, the Kona Electric has been delisted from the Hyundai India website and it is feared that the electric crossover has been discontinued from the Indian market.
It is believed that Hyundai is looking to replace the Kona Electric with the upcoming Creta EV which has been spied testing on Indian roads on multiple occasions in recent months. The all-electric Creta is expected to make its debut in India sometime early next year with production expected to commence at the end of this calendar year.
Hyundai Kona Electric discontinued: Here’s why?
The Kona Electric was brought to India as CKD (completely knocked down) kits and locally assembled at the Hyundai India’s facility in Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu. Hence, the Kona Electric was priced a little higher than usual for its segment. At the end of its life cycle, the Kona Electric was offered in a single ‘Premium’ trim which was priced at Rs 25.30 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi).
Due to its premium pricing, Kona Electric could not generate enough sales volume for Hyundai. In almost four years since its launch in India, Hyundai could only sell only 2,329 units of the Kona Electric. In April and May this year, Hyundai did not dispatch a single unit of the battery-powered Kona. To clear the huge inventory, Hyundai has been offering hefty discounts for Kona Electric of up to Rs 2 lakh for almost a year.
The Kona Electric retailed in India never received a major update, while the overseas markets get the facelifted iteration. It could be a case where Hyundai is looking to launch the facelifted Kona Electric in the country, although chances of this are bleak. There are more chances of the Korean automaker pulling the plug on the electric crossover altogether.
Hyundai Kona Electric: Specs & features
In India, the Kona Electric was powered by a front axle-mounted electric motor which generated 134 bhp and 395 Nm of peak torque. This motor drew energy from a 39.5 kWh lithium-ion battery pack which returned a peak range of 452 km (ARAI) on a single charge. On using a 50kW DC charger, this battery could be charged from 0 to 80 percent in 57 minutes.
In terms of features, Kona EV offered a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system, an electric sunroof, automatic climate control, wireless phone charging, ventilated and heated front seats, cruise control, and a 10-way power-adjustable driver seat with lumbar support. The safety net consisted of six airbags and all-wheel disc brakes as standard along with a tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS).
