The modern car world is funny. If 7-8 years ago someone told me they would be facing an electric crossover like this Hyundai Kauai Electric and I would be wondering if it would be the best option within the range (which also includes petrol, diesel and hybrid engines), I would tell that person I was crazy.
After all, 7-8 years ago the few existing trams served little more than to be used as a (almost) exclusively urban means of transport, because of a very limited autonomy and a non-existent charging network.
Now, whether by Dieselgate (as Fernando tells us in this article) or by political impositions, the truth is that in recent years, electric cars have taken “giant leaps” and today they are, increasingly, an alternative to combustion.
But does that make the Hyundai Kauai Electric the best choice within the South Korean crossover range? In the next lines you can find out.
pleasantly different
It doesn't take very close observation to realize that Kauai Electric is different from other Kauai. From the outset, the absence of the front grille and the adoption of wheels with a design more concerned with aerodynamic performance stand out.
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In the interior, which uses hard materials on a large scale, whose assembly deserves praise given the absence of parasitic noise, we have a different look, with the absence of the gearbox allowing the center console to be raised and thus gain (a lot) of space. stowage.
I must admit that both on the outside and inside I like the Hyundai Kauai Electric. I appreciate the less aggressive look of the front and inside I prefer the more modern and technological look that this 100% electric version has compared to the “brothers” with a combustion engine.
Electric and family
Although the interior design is different, Kauai Electric's living allowances are virtually identical to other Kauai's. How did you do it? Simple. They placed the battery pack on the base of the platform.
Thanks to this, the South Korean crossover has space to comfortably transport four adults and only the luggage compartment saw its capacity decrease a little (from 361 liters to a still acceptable 332 liters).
The trunk has a capacity of 332 liters.
dynamically equal
As you would expect, it is in the driving experience (and use) that the Hyundai Kauai Electric most distinguishes itself from its siblings.
In the dynamic chapter, the differences aren't too many, with Kauai Electric remaining faithful to the dynamic scrolls already recognized in the other versions.
With a suspension setting capable of reconciling comfort and behavior quite well, the Hyundai Kauai Electric also has a direct, precise and communicative steering. All of this contributes to safe, predictable and even… fun dynamic behavior.
The delivery of torque, on the other hand, is what we are used to in electric cars. The 385 Nm is soon available as well as the 204 hp (150 kW), which is why the South Korean model is a strong candidate for “king of traffic lights” (and beyond).
The infotainment system is complete and thanks to the maintenance of the physical controls it is also easy to use.
Driving modes, what do I want them for?
With three driving modes — “Normal”, “Eco” and “Sport” — Kauai Electric hardly adapts to different driving styles. Although the "Normal" mode does its job well (it appears as a compromise between the two personalities of Kauai Electric), I must admit that it is at the extremes that the "most interesting personalities" are found.
Starting with the way that most seems to me to “marry” with the character of Kauai Electric, the “Eco”, this is characterized by not being too castrating, contrary to what we sometimes see in other models. It's true that accelerations become less fast and everything encourages us to save, but that doesn't make us a “snail of the roads”. In addition, in this mode it is possible to make consumptions of 12.4 kWh/100 km and see the real autonomy is even greater than the 449 km advertised.
The “Sport” mode turns Kauai Electric into a kind of “South Korean bullet”. Accelerations become impressive and if we turn off the traction control, the 204 hp and 385 Nm make the front tires “shoes”, which reveal difficulties in containing all the momentum of the electrons. The only drawback appears in the consumption graph, which whenever I insisted on more committed driving rose to around 18-19 kWh/100 km.
The best thing is that after selecting the other two modes and adopting a calmer drive, they quickly dropped to 14 to 15 kWh/100 km and the autonomy rose to values that make us almost ask: gasoline for what?
Finally, helping not only human/machine interaction but also increasing autonomy, the four regeneration modes selectable via the paddles on the steering column (almost) allow you to forgo the brake pedal. In economic driving, they make you go sailing or recharge your batteries in deceleration depending on your needs and, in a committed drive, you can almost simulate the effect of the “long-missed” gear ratio reductions when entering the curves.
Let's go to the accounts
After about a week on the Hyundai tram, I must admit that there is only one factor that leads me not to name it as the best option within the South Korean crossover range: its price.
Despite being much cheaper than any of its brothers and having more power than all of them, the price difference is quite considerable, all because of the cost of electrical technology.
To get an idea of the price differences, just do some math. The unit that we tested had the Premium equipment level, being available from 46,700 euros.
The more powerful equivalent petrol version has the 1.6 T-GDi with 177 hp, automatic transmission and is available from 29 694 euros. The more powerful diesel variant with automatic transmission, the 1.6 CRDi with 136 hp, in the Premium equipment level costs from 25 712 euros.
Finally, the Kauai Hybrid, with 141 hp of maximum combined power costs, in the Premium equipment level, from 26 380 euros.
Does this mean that you should cross Kauai Electric from your options? Of course not, you have to do the math. Despite the higher price, it does not pay IUC and is eligible for incentives for the purchase of trams by the State.
Besides, electricity is cheaper than fossil fuels, you can get an EMEL badge to park in Lisbon for just 12 euros, maintenance is fewer and more affordable, and you can buy a “future-proof” car.
Is the car right for me?
Having already driven the Diesel, Gasoline and Hybrid Kauai, I must admit I was curious to test the Hyundai Kauai Electric.
The qualities that Kauai has long recognized, such as good dynamic behavior or good construction quality, this Kauai Electric adds benefits such as pleasant serenity at the wheel, ballistic performance and an unrivaled economy of use.
Quiet, spacious q.s. (none of the Kauai are the segment benchmarks in this chapter), pleasant and easy to drive, this Kauai Electric is proof that an electric car can be the only car in a family.
While I walked with it, I never felt the famous “anxiety of autonomy” (and note that I have nowhere to carry the car nor do I have the card for that purpose) and the truth is that this is profiled as a great choice for those who want an economical and easy to use and maintain.
Whether it's the best in the range? Only the price of the technology is what makes, in my opinion, the Hyundai Kauai Electric not earn this title, as it proves that having an electric no longer requires gigantic concessions.