We have drawn a list of several other SUVs that you can buy in the country for the price of a Hyundai Kona, of course the competitors being conventional SUVs.
Hyundai has just launched the Kona SUV in India at a price of Rs. 25.3 lakhs, ex-showroom. This is the first EV in India from a mainstream manufacturer available to the public. Of course, there was the Mahindra e2o but that car never really took off and we didn’t have the infrastructure to support electric vehicles back then.
Well, now the government is finally taking big strides towards electric vehicles and there are also charging station coming up in major cities. However, EV technology is still quite expensive and Rs. 25 lakhs for a Hyundai SUV that is smaller than the Creta might still be a tough proposition to sell to Indian customers. So we have compiled a list of few other SUVs, which in terms of price are Hyundai Kona competitors, to see how practical an EV would really be against some conventional SUVs.
Jeep Compass
The Jeep Compass has been an absolute favorite in the Indian market. The top-spec Jeep Compass even costs a couple of lakhs less than the Kona. And the newly launched Jeep Compass Trailhawk is a lakh more expensive than the Kona. But what you do get with the Compass is unmatched offroad ability and the brand value of Jeep and of course, no range anxiety.
Toyota Innova Crysta
The Innova Crsyta is again among the very popular MPVs in the country. It known for its reliability and huge levels of practicality. It also comes with seven seats which is a bog boon, really. The Innova Crysta is about Rs. 2 lakhs cheaper than the Kona, and still is so much more car for your money. The Toyota Innova Crysta’s versatility and practicality really remains unmatched.
Honda CR-V
The Honda CR-V is a little more expensive than the Kona but this an SUV which the Kona can actually compete against. The CR-V offers seven seats in certain variants but its primarily a five-seater positioned as a premium SUV. On that front, the Kona, though much smaller but a five-seater as well, can compete against the CR-V as a premium offering. It will be very loaded with features and will have good levels of fit and finish. And certainly, zero emissions.
Also Read : Hyundai Kona Launched In India; First Electric SUV In The Country
Volkswagen Tiguan
A conventional SUV to come closest to be one of Hyundai Kona competitors is perhaps the Volkswagen Tiguan. The Tiguan is very similar to the Hyundai Kona in terms of dimensions and the practicality a five-seater SUV of this size could come with. It is also priced a little more expensive than the Kona. However, the Tiguan has better levels of quality, premium-ness and technology that the Kona only comes close to. Perhaps, the only advantage that the Kona has over the Tiguan is that its a zero emission car.
Hyundai Tuscon
The top-end Hyundai Tuscon is priced very similarly to the Hyundai Kona. Now that’s quite interesting as two cars from the same brand are competing in the same price bracket but are still completely different. The Tuscon is bigger than the Kona, so you obviously have more practicality with more space. And its also a little more premium than the Kona. However, both being Hyundai’s, the Kona isn’t so far behind in terms technology or premium-ness. Obviously, their powertrain sets them apart and that could be the only differentiating factor, really.
Also Read : Hyundai Venue Sales Better Than Creta For June 2019
The Kona is just the first electric SUV in India and lots more are sure to come. With advances in electric technology, the prices of such cars will surely go down in the near future. By then, we will also have better infrastructure to support electric vehicles. Until then, electric cars are still a little impractical and quite expensive too. As the Hyundai Kona stacks up against its competitors, it does not have much in its favor. Perhaps, initially, these cars would be bought more often than not to make a statement and not for genuine mobility solutions.
