As the influx of Chinese vehicles continues, the established brands are coming under increasing pressure to cut prices or watch their sales slow as buyers become distracted.
In a sign of the times, Hyundai has just rejigged its Kona and Ioniq 5 electric lineups, cutting prices by up to $8000.
The entry Kona Standard Range was $54,000 but is now $46,000, making it more competitive.
Ioniq 5 RWD was $76,200 but now starts from $68,200.
All prices are before on-road costs.
The devil is in the detail, however, because the price reductions come with what Hyundai describes as minor specification changes across both ranges.
Try finding the previous equipment list to compare what you do or don’t get in the car going forward.
Check out the competition to see if these features come with their vehicles?
Kona Electric loses:
- Auto-dimming rear vision mirror — self explanatory
- Heat pump — sounds nondescript but is highly desirable as it reduces the amount of power consumed by air-conditioning and as a result improves range
- V2L charge port — can be used to power other electrical equipment such as powertools and even other EVs
- Portable emergency charging cable — commonly known as a granny charger (it’s the one you can plug straight into a household powerpoint if push comes to shove
- New Elite grade priced at $53,000 restores some of the items
Ioniq 5 RWD loses:
- V2L charge port — as above
- Portable emergency charging cable — as above. It’s your fallback if your home wallbox is down, you’re visiting friends, or you’re somewhere with only a 10A power source. We thought these were a legal requirement, or at least should be?
The Hyundai take?
Repositioning the Kona Electric and Ioniq 5 model ranges make Hyundai’s popular small and medium EVs more enticing.
“With a diverse portfolio spanning light, small, medium and large SUVs, our award-winning EV line-up has never been more appealing, offering even better value and choice to Australian buyers.” Hyundai’s Gavin Donaldson said.
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