MIAS 2019: Hyundai rocks on with Kona Electric, Palisade 2019 & more

Like many car manufacturers present at the 2019 Manila International Auto Show, Hyundai Philippines presented a number of new launches that might arguably be the one of the biggest yet.

For one, Hyundai presented the Philippine market version of the Palisade SUV, and of course the 2019 Kona Electric which now has the apparent lead ahead of the Nissan Leaf EV which is slated for 2020. Those are great news indeed for the Korean car company.

And sure enough, the latter assumption seems to be supported quite strongly even by the size of their pavilion which is probably what will greet you upon entering the Manufacturer’s area of the event venue.

Before everything got started, the South Korean Ambassador to the Philippines; Han Dong-Man made a colorful speech which served as Hyundai’s opening statement where he talked about further strengthening the relationship between his country and the Philippines.

Hyundai Philippines launched a new Kona at MIAS 2019

The ambassador also about the HARI (Hyundai Asia Resources Inc.) training facilities for Hyundai’s scholars. Following that, the HARI President; Maria Fe Perez-Agudo, the group’s chief executive officer introduced Hyundai’s theme for the year called “Hyundai Rockology” which is a portmanteau of rock and technology.

This, the HARI President explains succinctly expressed Hyundai brand’s playful, out of the box nature when it comes to providing daring new technologies in transport solutions to their consumers.

In that vein, Perez-Agudo then introduced the 2019 Kona Electric which of course caused the droves of people around the Hyundai pavilion to whip out their cameras and take a shot.

The audience reaction of excitement was to be expected because the Kona Electric was in fact, Hyundai’s first electric SUV and as such was a very exciting moment overall for the Philippine car scene.

1. Hyundai Kona Electric 2019

Now the brand “Kona” is relatively new to Hyundai and the Philippines as it was revealed for the first time only a mere two years ago in June 2017 and production was started later that very same year. The electric version of the Kona came a little later in Korea and Europe in 2018.

The 2019 Hyundai Kona Electric showing the crowd how it charges

The non-electrified version of the 5-door crossover SUV for the Philippines comes with a 2.0 liter inline-4 which can produce up to 147 horsepower and 179 nm of torque. A respectable value but nonetheless the 2019 Kona Electric’s motor is rated to make 197 horsepower and a massive 394 nm of torque.

Hyundai Kona 2019 engine

As for the range, the Kona EV’s lithium-ion batteries can provide the crossover enough power for 400 kilometers in one single charge. As for the charging time itself, the EV crossover can be charged from nil to 80% in 75 minutes if one uses a 50-kilowatt charger while a 100kw can drastically reduce that time to 54 minutes.

We just hope that infrastructures like public charging stations will become more available and accessible especially when hybrid and fully electric vehicles like the Kona Electric become more popular and that is inevitable if we go by the trends sweeping the automotive world today.

The Hyundai Kona Electric's styling and design remains largely the same with the non-electric Kona

Inside the 2019 Kona SUV and the Kona Electric SUV one can find very modern features and creature comforts like a seven inch touchscreen infotainment system that has Apple Carplay and Android Auto which is also navigation ready, a good amount of storage space which take the form of a bin in front of the front passenger and two cup holders on the center console.

Safety wise, both versions of the Kona have a decent amount of driver assist systems and airbags. Both the combustion and EV version of the Kona has won the 2019 North American Utility Vehicle of the Year marking the first time a subcompact crossover SUV has won the award.

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2. Hyundai Palisade 2019

 Another major release for Hyundai is the 2019 Palisade. A very large, futuristic SUV for the premium market and as such will be slated to compete against the likes of the Toyota Land Cruiser and Ford Explorer.

When Hyundai first drew the curtains from the massive SUV, what immediately greets you is the vehicle’s massive, grille, almost slit thin LED headlights, and a set of fog lights down below which are actually three individual light positioned on top of each other and housed inside a rectangular casing. What’s noteworthy also is the lack of fake vents which is always a welcome change in today’s vehicles.

The Hyundai Palisade's beautiful yet tough looking front end.

Under the equally massive hood (which comes up to an averagely tall human’s stomach) is a turbodiesel 2.2-liter engine which can make up to 197 horsepower and about 441 nm of torque. At those figures, some people might even use the Palisade to tow boats or jet skis.

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As for the transmission, the Palisade receives an 8 speed automatic. Power is then driven to an all-wheel-drive system that can be tweaked with the vehicle’s multiple terrain control and its driving modes.

Once you enter the Palisade’s lush, comfortable interior you get to feel and lounge on seats covered in real leather and not be bothered by hitting your head on the roof or your knees getting squished as the vehicle has loads and loads of space for up to seven people.

A view of the Hyundai Palisade's rear end

Cargo also is not an issue as the Palisade has about 500 liters of cargo space. Up front, the Palisade’s dash comes equipped with a ten-inch touchscreen display which has Apple Carplay and Android Auto, USB and AUX ports, a CD player, and a wireless charging system.

For safety, the 2019 Hyundai Palisade SUV comes fully equipped with many drivers assisting technologies and a generous amount of airbags. Other safety features include parking sensors, door ajar warning, door lights, and cruise control

In conclusion, Hyundai’s program for the 2019 MIAS was a very exciting event for the Philippine auto market.

This was further made more festive as the reveals of both vehicles discussed were made live to millions of people via streaming and as such made huge waves further than the confines to the Metro Manila World Trade Center and as such Hyundai has indeed “rocked” this year’s MIAS.

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