Hyundai Kona Electric 64kWh Premium SE 2018 UK first drive

A Hyundai to shout about? Why not? The continued rise of Hyundai has been one of the success stories of modern car making.

The transformation from value-driven mass-market car maker should now be well established in your mind. Bolstering its reputation in your grey matter should be the likes of the world’s first mass-market hydrogen-powered car, the ix35 FCV, and the i30 N, a standout hot hatch in a fiercely competitive market.

In very different ways, both are genuine game changers. And now Hyundai has a third car that, on paper at least, moves a game on, and this time it's the battery-electric one.

How so? Quite simply, because the Kona Electric is claimed to rewrite the range versus cost equation that has so dogged the early EV debate.

For just under £32,000, this 64kWh model promises a maximum potential range of 300 miles on official test cycles, all wrapped in an on-trend crossover bodyshape. On the fastest charge, its battery can go from 0-80% charge in 54 minutes. It’s worth noting, too, that lower-range, lower-cost versions are available.

On those criteria alone, the Kona Electric has earned something of a reputation as a half-price Jaguar I-Pace (although you might add the Tesla Model X and soon the Audi E-tron and Mercedes EQC to the list). That’s some pretty tough company to keep, so can it live up to its lofty billing?

The Kona Electric, in line with many electric cars, is mega refined, pacy (in a straight line) and a generally capable performer that can be genuinely joyful to drive every day.

However, within that glowing round-up, there are some caveats that buyers should consider, even if many will end up dismissing them.

Almost all hinge around the car’s weight of 1.6 tonnes - an inevitable downside to all that battery capacity. The Kona Electric uses the more sophisticated independent rear suspension system you’ll find on the more powerful, four-wheel-drive versions of the regular Hyundai Kona, and the reward is a car that rides well enough most of the time. But point it at a larger road imperfection and it starts to struggle for body control.

The weight also means that grip levels are quite modest, and due to this, along with weighty steering, the car delivers little in the way of dynamic driving thrills.