Starts at $32,875
Rank
What's New for 2025?
The Kona EV offers a new sport-themed N Line version this year. It has the bigger battery, which is what you want, but its larger wheels cost you 31 miles of range relative to the other long-range versions.
FAST FACTS
"We'd skip the standard battery, but the Kona Electric's upgraded battery unlocks a respectable top range of 261 miles. It also gives you a lot more power, enabling an adequate 7.0-second dash to 60 mph. This is a solid package if a pint-sized EV is the right fit for your life, but the Volvo EX30's arrival complicates matters greatly. If you can get your hands on a rear-wheel-drive EX30, you might not want to come back to the Kona. Notably, the long-range powertrain takes a big bite out of the Kona Electric's value proposition, as it'll run you at least $37k or so. Another drawback is the humble peak charge rate."—Ranked #2 out of 4 Subcompact Electric SUVs
MotorDonkey's proprietary vehicle data identifies every significant version of each model so that you can compare and decide. Ordered by price from low to high, here are the versions of the 2025 Hyundai Kona Electric that you need to be aware of, along with our expert analysis and recommendations.
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The pint-sized Kona EV doesn't give you much power in this base configuration, nor much range, for that matter. We don't see the point of buying this spec instead of the faster and rangier Long Range.
This is clearly the Kona EV spec you want It's about four grand more to start for the SEL trim, but the bigger battery unlocks 61 more miles of range and nearly 70 more horsepower. It's still a single-motor car (i.e., it's not all-wheel drive), but the difference in capability is dramatic.
The Long Range N Line splits the difference range-wise between the base model and the SEL/Limited versions of the Long Range spec. Do you want to pay more and lose 31 miles of range? That partly depends on how much you like the look of the N Line's 19-inch wheels, which are the primary reason for that range deficit.
Publisher and Donkey-in-Chief
Josh has been reviewing cars professionally since joining Edmunds.com fresh out of grad school in 2008, personally driving most new cars on the market every year since. He also served as the project manager for Edmunds' expert vehicle rankings from their inception in 2018, building the product out from the back end to the front end. Josh is a card-carrying member of the Motor Press Guild and a lifelong car nut who has tested, compared and critiqued a ridiculous number of cars in his career.
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