In cargo space, the Kona has a littler more room with the seats up, but the Bolt has, according to Car and Driver, 11.2 cubic feet of storage space. And, as my friend Graeme Fletcher discovered, when you look at the actual specifications of said cabin, the Bolt is actual more spacious, with more head- and legroom in the rear. The Kona is a little nicer inside with much better décor and a more luxurious appeal, though Chevy has definitely spruced up the 2022 Bolt. Both sport about 200 horses - the Hyundai 201 hp the Bolt 200 flat - and their range is but two kilometres apart (417 kilkometres for the Chevrolet and 415 km for the Hyundai). They both cost just a tad less than $45,000 - the Bolt starts at $44,998 the Kona at $44,999 - so they can suck at the federal government’s $5,000-incentive teat. The reason is because they are so very close in their abilities. Such is the competition amongst EVs today. Worse than that, one tester changed his mind halfway through our discussion, talking himself into preferring the Chevy to the Hyundai after he had originally chosen the Kona. Even that didn’t produce a clear-cut winner, our editors evenly split on which of the two offer the biggest bang for your electrified buck (no one chose Kia’s Niro, even though it’s cheaper, because it sacrifices too much range). So I decided to open the decision up to a poll of our august panel of Driving road testers. Were it not for the comparatively snail-like pace of said charging, the Mach-E might have been my pick for overall best BEV.Ĭhoosing between Hyundai’s Kona EV and Chevrolet’s Bolt for the best budget EV proved so problematic that I simply couldn’t decide.
Indeed, I’d suggest the Mach-E’s larger issue is its 150-kilowatt charging ability, which takes up 45 minutes for a 80 per cent charge. The Model Y’s advantage is largely an illusion - see Edmunds’ EV range ratings here, and Driving will soon be conducting our own Range Finder rating on the Mach-E. Īnd don’t be put off its EPA range deficit versus the Tesla. It handles more than well enough for an SUV and, although it is not as fast as the quickest Tesla Model Y, it is a) more than fast enough and b) Ford is also releasing a 480-hp GT version shortly that will trip the lights fantastic to 100 km/h in just 3.5 seconds. The electrified Mustang, which starts at $50,595 (for the Select standard range RWD model) here in Canada, is also reasonably priced and has the best interior in its segment. Article contentįOR IN-DEPTH EV NEWS & ANALYSIS TUNE IN TO OUR PLUGGED-IN PODCAST This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. All in all, if you’re looking for a low-cost hybrid, the Corolla is the way to go. Chances are you will do even better than that since Toyota hybrids generally manage to replicate their NRCan fuel economy ratings while regular ICE-powered cars struggle. That makes for about a 4.6-year payback period.
Now consider that not only does the Atkinson-cycled 1.8L Hybrid have a little jump over the base 1.8L-powered LE, but its 4.5 L/100 km fuel economy will, according to Natural Resources Canada (NRCan), save you some $650 dollars a year in gas. While comparing that with the $19,350 that Toyota Canada charges for a bare-bones gasoline-fueled compact may not seem to make that much of a bargain, know that the most comparable model, equipment-wise, is the Corolla LE CVT that retails for $22,090, just three grand less than the hybrid. The Corolla Hybrid is also cheaper than the Prius, costing but $25,090. The 11 most affordable plug-in vehicles in Canada.
Toyota is putting hybrid tech right where Canadians want it.