The 2021 Hyundai Kona Electric is hard to find in some U.S. markets, but it's one of the best affordable long-range electric vehicles.
PROS Fun to drive Strong active safety tech Range rating of 258 miles Possibly around $30k after incentives Excellent feature set
CONS All-wheel drive isn’t an option Busy styling Difficult availability
Hyundai has made exactly zero changes to the Kona Electric for the 2021 model year.We'd recommend the mid-range Limited. It adds a host of desirable features, including a sunroof, leather upholstery, LED exterior lighting, automatic high-beam headlamps, a wireless smartphone-charging pad, and an auto-dimming rearview mirror.
PROS Playful handling, long driving range, fantastic standard warranty.
CONS Small back seat, front-wheel drive only, cold temperatures sap battery capacity.
The Kona Electric carries over unchanged.
PROS Driving range of 258 miles Quick acceleration and sharp handling make it fun to drive Comfortable and quiet cabin Plenty of standard tech features
CONS Tight rear legroom Availability limited to a handful of states
It doesn’t really do sharp handling, it’s not quite big enough to match the best in class for practicality, nor does it come with seven seats. Yet don’t overlook the C5 Aircross if those limitations don’t worry you, because it has a lot of other things going for it; its ride is superb on most roads, it cruises along supremely quietly, it has a reasonable purchase price and very reasonable running costs.
Pros Mostly a super-smooth ride Quiet inside at speed Frugal engines
Cons Wallowy handling No seven-seat option Question marks of Citroën's reliability
The C5 Aircross is Citroen's (late) leap onto the family-crossover bandwagon.A plug-in hybrid arrives early in 2020. The big draw with that one will be better fuel economy for commuting, and lower tax. Interestingly Citroen elected to make its PHEV front-drive only to keep the price down. Whereas Peugeot, which sells 3008s at a higher price, went for a more expensive PHEV system with 4WD via an extra rear-mounted motor.
Pros Very comfortable in all sorts of ways. Looks different. No sporty pretence
Cons No sporty actuality. Ride not as consistent as billed. Occasionally irritating screen system
Pros Eye-catching looks Generous boot space Comfortable to drive
Cons Some low-rent interior bits Awkward infotainment system Rear space is tight
