Hyundai Trolls Tesla With New Kona Compact Electric SUV Billboard

While in India we see automakers and advertisers never take names of its competition in their campaigns, this practice is quite the norm internationally. We all remember the famous billboard wars between Mercedes-Benz, Audi and BMW a few years ago and now Hyundai seems to have taken a page out of the same playbook with a new billboard that popped up in Geneva during the 2018 Geneva Auto Show. The billboard that reads 'Your turn, Elon.' with the tagline 'the first electric compact SUV is here', which in turn takes a dig at the upcoming Tesla Model Y that will be unveiled sometime later this year with production slated to begin next year. The model in question is the new Hyundai Kona Electric that was launched at the Geneva Auto Show

(All-New Hyundai Kona Electric SUV)

The Hyundai Kona offers two versions with different horsepower and range options. The less powerful version - which is also likely to come to India gets a 39.2 kW Lithium-Ion battery along with a motor that makes 133 bhp of peak power and 395 Nm of peak torque. This version of the Kona electric will get 300 kms of range and a 0-100 kmph time of about 9.3 seconds. While standard charge on this version will take about 6 hours, the quick charge will take just 54 minute to get the battery up to 80 per cent of its capacity.

(All-New Hyundai Kona Electric SUV gets 469 kms of range)

The more powerful variant of the Hyundai Kona electric however makes great numbers. The battery is now a 64 kW unit mated to a motor that makes 201 bhp of peak power but the same 395 Nm of peak torque. This higher rated version will return a range of about 469 kms and will also offer a standard charging or quick charging option. The standard charge time for the battery pack will be just under 10 hours while the 54 minute quick charge will, as with the smaller battery pack, take it up to 80 per cent.

(All-New Hyundai Kona Electric SUV to make it to India in 2019)

The Hyundai Kona electric will also feature the SmartSense active safety and driving assistance technologies. These include cruise control, autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane departure warning system with lane keep assist, blind-spot detection with rear cross-traffic alert, driver attention warning and speed limit information function. In the future, we also expect the Kona to get more autonomous driving tech.

Picture Credit: @petercambell1 (Twitter)