New Generation Kona EV

No big deal

 

I was able to find what is presented as a fast-charge curve for the 2024+ Kona and lay it over one from the 2023+ Niro using PNG transparency.

Other relevant information can be found in Bjorn Nyland's Kona and Niro charging videos where I've referenced his data at 60 and 90% SoC.

@electriceddy's photos of the respective battery pack labels confirm that they have an identical cell layout, nominal voltage and capacity.

A 96-cell pack charged directly needs at maximum 4.20V x 96 (in series) = 403V plus a few volts allowance for pack resistive losses at the prevailing current. You can see at 90% SOC the Niro matches that but the Kona is oddly 45V higher.

The only way I can see the Kona utilising 45 more volts is if there is some sort of "buck" power conversion going on. Buck is the technical term for reducing output voltage, usually associated with the availability of higher current.



Hi-res image at this link.

 

Got it! Drove home in the rain. Pics and impressions tomorrow.
Preview* lane keeping sucks!

 

@Wildeyed @EeVeed Congrats on the purchases! I got to drive the preproduction model and I think you'll be super happy with it.

 

I drove 120km yesterday on the highway so my impressions so far are very limited and comparisons are with my 2019 Kona.

Bigger, roomier, open. Green/grey upholstery and fittings are fantastic. Very subtle and premium feeling. Lime green accents are fun a brighten the cabin. Very much a modernized upgrade.

Dash and touchscreen look great. Nice, clean design. Seems functional and customizable though I have yet to indulge.

Yes, wireless Carplay and Android Auto!
Significantly quieter and smoother. Suspension is soft and really deadens bumps. "Feels" bigger and more planted.

Driving characteristics feel virtually identical. No learning curve at all. Regeneration is the same. I have not used I-Pedal yet.

Lane keeping assist is much worse! Bounces from line to line (and I do mean RIGHT to the line) in a scary fashion. A regrettable regression as I adored and totally trusted the previous version. Why on Earth would it be worse?

Storage options are numerous. Centre console storage design is terrible. It's totally open. There's no big bin for just dumping stuff into. A hard brake would send it flying or spilling forward.
Hard plastic bottom calls for a soft rubber liner. It's slippery and noisy. Pop-out cupholders are a nice gimmick.

Wireless phone deck is very open and secure for even large phones.

I'm looking forward to seeing how range compares once the GOM sees enough of my driving to get accurate readings.

Happy with the decision so far. Some pics, unfortunately on an icy day.

 

Your LKA sounds like my LKA, which is on all the time unless I disable it each start. But my LFA, only active in Smart Cruise works better at lane centering.

 

When I was banging around from line to line my car was on smart cruise. I've always driven in that mode and this car is markedly different. I'm hoping it gets better at driving over time.

* My dealer tells me I may have missed a button. I will continue reading the manual tonight and try to find the solution tomorrow. I sure hope it's as simple as me not setting things up properly. I'm happy to be the dufus if the issue gets fixed!

 

What, there's a "LKA work properly" button?

 

If it's the same as my I6, there is a separate steering wheel button just for lane centering. With that on you can take your hand off the steering wheel and the car will drive along in the lane by itself incl around curves. Just have to nudge it once in a while to get rid of a nag. And if I signal, it will change lane by itself. Works very well, and I like it. But if you choose cruise control, it also activates lane centering without touching another button. The icon is shown on the dash at the top. You shouldn't fight this one, it knows what it is doing.

The lane keep assist, where it beeps and nudges you back when you get too close to the lane edges is different. It is on by default, unless you shut it off in the settings. That's the one I think you were experiencing. Doesn't bother me, as I have learned to stay away from the lane edges...

With my previous Kona, the lane centering never worked well, and had a hard time holding a lane. Had to keep intervening, which negates any benefit. So I turned it off.

 

Yes.

 

This is the Lane Keeping Assist button. It is enabled and disabled separately from Cruise Control (though when you enable Cruise Control, it remembers the previous LKA setting). When enabled, a steering-wheel icon will appear at the top of the driver display. When disabled, you will only get Lane Departure Warning/Assist, which means the car will bounce from side to side in the lane because it isn't actively following the lane.

It should also be noted that Lane Keeping Assist takes some time to calibrate itself, during this time it will still ping-pong a little bit, but eventually (after a hundred miles maybe) it will stop.

 

Everyone has been very helpful in pointing out the GLARINGLY OBVIOUS button I somehow missed. I am trying it out today.
*Red face*

 

Anyone know if the 2024 can save driver seat position to the profiles?

 

In Canada it does not.

 

Experiment complete. The lane centreing is great. Very solid performance. It's a shame that it doesn't stay on as a default but, hey, the button is right there so it'll just become part of my start-up routine.

I also tried out the one pedal driving (which also doesn't stay on as a default) and it's fine. I've gotten so used to the paddles that I'm not sure I'll switch but I'm willing to compare for a while.

 

You probably know this. Just like the old Kona you can set the regen level by drive mode in the settings, and that will come on by default with each start up. Only the I-Pedal needs to be reset with each drive start. But it is only one push of the paddles, can't remember if it is the right or left one. I don't like I-Pedal because I prefer to use the brake pedal for the final stop. It also then exercises your wheel brakes a little with each drive. I think that is a good thing. I always use Level 3 just like I did with my Kona.