first 258-mile affordable crossover

Our first test session with the Hyundai Kona Electric included a host of things very familiar to Los Angelenos: walk to the next traffic light on wide boulevards, wait a few more minutes and repeat – with skirts occasional in traffic holes and quick mergers in carpool lane.

This is a case of use that many Kona Electrics sold by Hyundai in the United States are likely to encounter. The company sees about 80% of the current US market for electric vehicles such as Kona Electric in California, and its officials have described a hierarchy: California (in January 2019), then the rest of the CARB ZEV states, then the rest of the nation. But this year, when Tesla led sales of 100% electric models to new heights, Hyundai did everything possible to limit it to what initially seemed like a compliance machine – especially for a vehicle that , according to our preliminary impressions, is this well.

CHECK OUT: 2019 Hyundai Kona Electric ranked 258 miles from the lineup

In this first driving report, you will see some points we can not really comment on: the prices, which will not be detailed for a while, and the driving range of Kona Electric, of a length of 258 miles, is the most currently rated EPA for any non Tesla model. Our route included many changes in altitude and we completed our Kona Electric training at a lower altitude than we had started. It was not surprising that the distance estimator adjusted upward.

Kona Electric appears to us instantly as a more "normal" vehicle than its undisputed rival, the Chevrolet Bolt EV. Both are cost-sensitive cross-hatches, with gigantic skateboard batteries equipped with LG Chem cells (Bolt EV case, prismatic for Kona Electric). The Hyundai is slightly lower and wider than the Bolt EV, but it is based on an identical wheelbase of 102.4 inches and a total length of 164.0 inches.

The priorities of the cabins, however, are very different between these two. For example, although the Bolt EV has about three inches more legroom in the rear, the Kona Electric looks more spacious at the back because its sides do not shrink so aggressively, revealed by the advantage of almost two inches from the Kona at the back. room of the shoulders. Lift the hatch and you get the same load capacity as in the gasoline versions, and the 60/40 split rear seatbacks tilt forward on a flat floor.

DO NOT MISS: 5 things about the 2019 Hyundai Kona Electric

It's easy to get in and be comfortable in Kona Electric. The seats are not as tall as most SUVs and crossovers, and there is a lot of room. The front cushions are more generously padded than those of the Bolt EV and the lower seat cushions are longer, for better thigh support – a big difference for this tall driver.

The gas has become electric, but you may not know it

While there is no gas-powered Bolt EV, there is a gasoline Kona, and it's one of the most refined (and newest) specimens in the compact crossover category – neither designed for look outside, not too far in the design. To take it electrically, Hyundai gave it a smoothness that makes the design much less loaded than the gasoline model, but has advanced the rest. The strabismus of lighthouses is the most obvious aspect of the design; otherwise, the Kona looks a bit like an elegant hatchback, sans serif or italic. The cargo space is plentiful, the rear seatbacks fold flat and no painful compromises can call a car compliant [whether it is or not, well, we’ll get to that].

Hyundai has added what it calls a "bridge type center console with a high-tech image." Translation: with a switch between Park, Reverse, Neutral and Drive performed by four large buttons replacing the traditional shift lever (with the parking brake lever) just behind), there is much more space released for a large storage area below.

READ MORE: Hyundai Ioniq 2019 preview

A driving mode button, important to note, is also at the top of the bridge. There are three main charging modes: Eco, Normal and Sport, each with a different calibration for the throttle response and steering. Hold down the button for a few seconds and you'll get a fourth, Eco +, which cuts off the air conditioning control.