Hyundai and Kia, two South-Korean juggernauts that each have impressive and popular entries in the EV market, are excited to launch their newest additions to their fleet, the Hyundai Kona in 2025 and the Kia EV3 in late 2024....
Both of these cars belong to a family, the Kona is an addition to the line of cars sharing the same name, with visual and tech updates that we will talk about later, and the EV3 being a ‘shrunken’ EV9, a popular electric 7-seater with a striking road presence. Both of these are great choices, but in a market that seems to be expanding at a rate faster than we can keep up, which one is best for you? Well, in this article we’ll take a look at the ins and outs of each, and you can decide from there!
Each of these cars have a design that adopts the modern design philosophy seen in newer electric vehicles, while reflecting their existing families, employing bold and futuristic paneling and design elements.
The new Kona is ‘sleekly sophisticated’, as Hyundai themselves put it. The Kona is designed to be an EV-first and its aesthetics reflect that. The front end of the Kona is elegantly wrapped with a seamless ‘Horizon Lamp’ above a striking front bumper design that improves aerodynamic performance with active air flaps. The Kona retains its distinctive twin headlamp design, providing an attention-grabbing lighting signature.
The Kona’s upscaled body is defined by sharp contour lines that sweep along the side of the car, running through the belt line to the sport-inspired rear spoiler. This line wraps around the entire car and gives it a sculpted look. The aforementioned ‘Horizon Lamp’ makes an appearance on the rear end of the Kona, completing the look and setting the Kona apart with a unique and instantly recognizable LED lighting signature.
Kia’s EV3 employs a bold and determined futuristic design that draws inspiration from the EV9. It does so convincingly, making the design work on a much smaller chassis. Angular and boxy, the EV3 sits assertive on the road, projecting confidence and strength. The front end features the ‘Star Map’ signature lighting concept and borrows the ultra-slim vertical daytime running lights from the EV9.
Despite its boxy design philosophy, the EV3’s profile contains sleek and sloping lines that flow through the roofline into a tailgate that resembles that of a regular hatchback. The floating roof effect plays into this idea and adds that futuristic flair that we come to expect from modern cars, especially EVs. The wheel-arches are bold, contrasting the paint in a sleek black that accents the paneling around the car, creating a cohesive and handsome two-tone design.
Much like the Kona, the rear echoes the front, with the lighting signature being reflected in the geometric and futuristic tailgate. It’s simple yet effective.
Moving into the interiors, both feel clean, modern and spacious. The Kona’s upscaled chassis allows for more living space, growing both longer and wider, there is a noticeable increase in space in the second row especially. The new Kona features two integrated screens that produce a panoramic display, consisting of a 12.3” touch screen infotainment system and a 12.3” digital cluster. These appear on the highlight of the cockpit – the floating dashboard. This allows for easy access to the climate controls and other vehicle functions. Ambient mood lighting, first-row relaxation seats and a sunroom give the provide maximum comfort for occupants. The Kona also features 30% more cargo space than its previous model, offering 466l of space to play with.
Kia presents a minimalistic cabin full of details and features that are meant to make your time in the car more comfortable, such as a sliding table console, ergonomic seating, clever storage options and adjustable ambient lighting. Much like the Kona, the EV3 offers a floating 30” widescreen display that helps declutter the dashboard. The EV3 provides 460l of storage space along with a further 25l of space in the front trunk (frunk!). Kia is also very environmentally aware, using upcycled and plant-based materials to help sustainability at scale. Don’t worry, this doesn’t affect the quality of the build!
It’s no secret that cars are become so technologically advanced that soon enough they’ll be rivalling NASA and their spaceships, and the Kona and EV3 are no different. What cars are capable of these days is nothing short of impressive, especially in the safety department. There are so many assists that range from making the drivers life just that bit easier to safety features that may end up saving lives. Both the Kona and EV3 are packed with assists, and the lists are extensive!
Kona Assists:
• Highway Driving Assist
• Surround View Monitor
• Blind-Spot View Monitor
• Remote Smart Parking Assist
• Reverse Parking Collision-Avoidance Assist
• In Cabin Camera
• Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist with Junction Turning
• Blind-Spot Collision Warning
• Lane Keeping Assist
• Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist
EV3 Assists:
• Intelligent Speed Limit Assist
• Highway Driving Assist with 2 Hands On
• Smart Cruise Control
• Blind-Spot Collision-Avoidance Assist
• Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist
• Lane Following Assist
• Parking Collision-Avoidance Assist – Forward/Side/Reverse
• Remote Smart Parking Assist
The Hyundai Knoa and the Kia EV3 both come in different trims and specs that change both the aesthetics and performance of the vehicle. According to Hyundai, you can choose from a petrol engine, a petrol 48-volt mild hybrid, and a full hybrid. The Kona will have an entry level trim, a mid-option and a top option, along with a sportier N Line trim, which also has a top-level trim option for a fully optimized experience.
The Kia EV3 is available in three trims, those being the Air, GT Line and the GT Line S.
The Kona’s 1.6 GDI petrol engine and battery-powered electric motor work together to deliver a combined output of 141HP/104kw, and delivers high efficiency in torque granting impressive acceleration when starting. The new Kona will accelerate to 62mph in 10.9 seconds. The N Line variant makes 190HP with its 1.6 turbocharged GDI 4-cylinder engine. The Kona makes good use of regenerative braking to charge the battery, also giving the driver options to control how much this takes effect.
The EV3 Air standard range will come with a 58.3kWh battery while the GT-Line and GT-Line S variants are fitted with an 81.4kWh battery. Both models use a 150kW/283Nm electric motor, allowing for a 0-62mph time of 7.5 seconds and a maximum speed of 105mph.
The EV3 is the first model in the compact EV SUV segment that offers vehicle-to-load charging, essentially turning the EV3 into a portable energy source. Combined with Kia’s ‘Plug&Charge’ feature, which allows you to connect the EV3 with any Plug&Charge-capable charging station, making payment and authentication fully automated without the need for a card. A disclaimer from Kia: This feature is only available on selected DC fast chargers.
So, are you team Kona or team EV3? Whatever your choice may be, Planet Leasing will have offers soon! If you would like to learn more about a particular vehicle, please get in contact!
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