Hyundai Kona Electric vs MG ZS EV: Spec comparison

With the Indian automotive industry steadily welcoming more and more electric vehicles (EVs), it's time to take two of them, one that's winning hearts already and the other that's bound to arrive very soon, and put them in a head-to-head comparison.

Hyundai started its EV chapter in India by launching the Kona Electric SUV in July 2019. With a very appealing price tag (which was further reduced, thanks to the GST rate cut), good build quality, a long list of features and, more importantly, impressive driving range, the Kona Electric quickly went on to become a popular car, with Hyundai delivering close to 90 units in August alone. However, the Kona's reign is set to be challenged by MG Motor's next product for India, which happens to be the ZS EV. As we've already driven both cars, it only makes sense to compare the two and find out how they fare, on paper at least, as we await the launch of the ZS EV.

Dimensions

The MG ZS EV is significantly longer (by 134mm) and taller (by 50mm) than the Kona Electric but only marginally wider. Despite the shorter length though, the Kona offers a longer wheelbase, so it's likely to have a more spacious interior. Since the ZS EV's official ground clearance figure is not available, we can't say for sure which one offers better practicality. However, at 172cm, the Kona Electric's ground clearance is certainly appreciable.     

Performance

Both cars are driven by a Permanent Magnet motor. Interestingly, despite a smaller capacity battery pack, the Kona Electric has a much higher ARAI-certified driving range. On the other hand, the ZS EV, despite offering lower torque, is quicker to 100km/h than the Kona Electric. On paper, at least, the ZS EV is also likely to have a higher top speed, thanks to its higher power output figure.

Charging

Both cars come with three types of charging options: DC fast charging, a conventional AC home/office charger, and a portable wall-socket charger. While the Kona Electric offers better charging rate with an AC wall box charger, it's the ZS EV that offers a shorter charging time with both DC fast charger and portable wall socket charger. 

Features

The competition is quite close in terms of features, as both cars offer pretty much the same setup. However, where the Kona Electric reiterates its 'premium' tag with offerings like ventilated (heated/cooled) front seats, an electric sunroof, all-LED lighting, and a fully-digital instrument cluster, the ZS EV trumps the former with its bigger infotainment touchscreen and a host of connected car features (i-Smart EV 2.0). However, it will be interesting to see just how well MG is able to compensate for some of the missing premium features in the ZS EV's pricing.

Read more:

Hyundai Kona Electric, Track Test