With Hyundai expanding their fantastic lineup of IONIQ EVs, it’s easy to forget about the Kona, which has been available in all-electric form since 2019. In fact, this second-gen Kona was designed as an EV from the get-go and adapted to employ ICE powertrains for those who are either not ready or not willing to go down the full EV path. It’s a great strategy, one we’re about to dive further into.

As we nudge closer to the theoretical end of the internal-combustion engine for our personal transportation, it’s vehicles like this 2024 Hyundai Kona, available with both ICE and electric powertrains, as in this Kona Electric, that are best equipped for this transition, allowing consumer demand to be the sales driver.

All Kona Electrics are front-wheel drive, available in SE, SEL, and Limited trims. The base SE gets a 133-horsepower motor and a range of 200 miles from its 48.6-kWh battery. SEL and Limited get a larger 64.8-kWh battery, and a bigger 150-kW motor producing 201 horsepower and 188 lb-ft of torque. This Limited is rated for 261 miles, but based on our highway-heavy driving loop, we’d put the actual range closer to an impressive 290 miles. With DC Fast charging, the Kona Electric can get to 80 percent in 43 minutes, and with the charge port mounted right up front, we like the convenience of being able to just pull right up to the charger without worrying about which side the port is on.

Now, this is not the kind of EV that feels crazy fast wherever you go, but like most EVs it clearly has an edge over gas-fueled competitors. And it was plenty quick at our test track, where despite a hesitation to deliver full power immediately off the line, 60 mph arrived in just 7.1 seconds; plenty quick for a commuter car and half a second quicker than its turbocharged ICE counterpart. Power did seem to taper off towards the end of the track, but we still managed to clear the quarter in a decent 15.6 seconds at 92 mph. Stops from 60 were well-controlled and consistent, averaging 110 feet with good initial bite, and an acceptable amount of nosedive.

Carrying its powertrain weight down low instead of over the front axle, the Kona EV felt even more stable in our handling course. The front end will start to slide as you reach its limits, but we’ll chalk that up to the hard, eco-minded tires as much as the chassis. The steering feel tightens up quite nicely in Sport Mode.

This second-generation Kona is much roomier inside than the first gen, and while there are some EV-oriented aspects to the new design, the overall layout appears fairly traditional, and it shares everything with the ICE version. Front seats are firm but supportive, and covered in H-Tex simulated leather, helping top Limited feel a tad more lavish than it should at its price point. The large horizontal 12.3-inch touchscreen display with navigation sits more in front of the dash than on top of it, and merges directly with the 12.3-inch digital driver’s display; both are standard.

Using 29-kWh of electricity per 100 miles, the Kona Electric is quite efficient. Pricing starts at $34,070; that’s about eight-grand over a base ICE Kona, but certainly at the low end when it comes to battery electric vehicles. Top Limited comes in at $42,440. A sportier N Line version is set to arrive next year.

The Kona design is a great package, made even better with the option to go Electric. And even with all the push to go full EV, there are still relatively few inexpensive options for buyers to choose from. This 2024 Hyundai Kona Electric is one of the best yet, making it one of the easiest ways to join the EV lifestyle.

If you’re into fixing up old Jeep Wranglers, a popular retrofit is to drop in a HEMI V8. Well, Jeep has actually been doing that for us since 2021! That’s when they added a V8 engine into the powertrain mix for the first time since the CJ days. It’s called the Rubicon 392, and since it will soon also be history, you better get one while you can.

This is the 2024 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 Final Edition, and yes, it’s got a HEMI in it. Now, the only way to get this HEMI goodness in a Wrangler is with Rubicon trim and a 4-door body. It’s called the Final Edition because 2024 is the last year the V8 will be available, or is it? More on that later.

This 4th gen Wrangler got a sizable freshening for the 2024 model year, including a boost in capability, a revised 7-slot grille, stealth antenna integrated into the windshield, 10 new wheel designs, side curtain airbags for the first time, and a revised instrument panel that makes room for a larger 13.2-inch Uconnect touchscreen with available trail guide mapping.

Rubicon models went further with beefier axles, plus the ability to stuff in some larger tires and add a Warn winch.

The Rubicon 392 first arrived for 2021, and features the 6.4-liter version of Chrysler’s HEMI V8 with unique tuning for duty here in the Wrangler. Output is 470-horsepower and 470 lb-ft. of torque through an active dual-mode free-flowing exhaust. It works exclusively with an 8-speed automatic.

Final Editions start at the Wrangler’s most extreme end with the Xtreme 35 Tire Package included, along with Selec-Trac dual-range full-time 4-wheel-drive and Dana 44 axles.

Then they send the HEMI out with a bang by sporting an extra half inch of lift, unique rock sliders, triple-loop grille guard, special leather seats, a fold out table integrated into the swing gate, an 83-piece tool kit, unique shifter medallion, and lots of logos inside and out; plus, bronze 17-inch wheels with 35-inch BFGs.

We were instantly keen to spin up those meaty tires at our Mason Dixon test track.

There’s was indeed a lot of rubber meeting this well-prepped pavement. There was great grip off the line, and the 392 felt plenty quick on take-off. We hit 60 in 5.2-seconds; a bit shy of the 4.5 claimed by Jeep.
Gear changes in the 8-speed automatic were timely and smooth, and for being this high off the pavement, the 392 felt plenty stable at speed and didn’t really need a whole lot of correction going down the track. Our best ¼-mile time was 13.9 at 98 miles-per-hour.

With minimal sound deadening in place and lots of hard surfaces, it sounds absolutely fantastic at wide open throttle, whether it’s echoing throughout the cabin, or you’re allowing some of the noise to escape the available SKY One-Touch Power-Top.

Despite the soft suspension feel, nosedive during panic braking was not bad, and stopping in 121-feet from 60 miles-per-hour is more than acceptable. Stability was good, fade minimal.

Hammering lifted rigs through a handling course often requires restraint, but this Wrangler felt well-planted and controlled, and we were quickly gliding through the cones with ease. Body roll was not unsettling, though speeds weren’t really high enough to experience noticeable amounts of oversteer or understeer.

The absurdity of this rig just makes it a blast to drive around on any surface; it’s like someone else made an exotic, dare we say, “better version” of the Wrangler.

Government Fuel Economy Ratings are 13-City, 16-Highway, and 14-Combined. We averaged just 12.9 miles-per-gallon of Premium. That’s a much worse than average Energy Impact Score with annual oil consumption of 21.3-barrels and 10.5-tons of CO2 emissions.

Saying good-bye is not cheap as this 2024 Rubicon 392 is priced at $101,890. But despite being called the Final Edition and limited to 3,700 units, due to anticipated demand, the Rubicon 392 will also be available in the 2025 model year for what is sure to be the final Final Edition. Or will it? Though buyers of ‘25s will not get the grille guard or tool kit.

It’s easy to wonder why any reasonable person would drop 100K on a Wrangler. But upon further reflection, buying a Wrangler is rarely rational, it’s more about the feeling you get when you’re rolling down any kind of road in a beastly square-bodied throwback rig that really can take you just about anywhere on the planet.

And experiencing the wrath of a monster V8 engine when you rip into the throttle is a whole new level of freedom, we’ll enjoy no matter how long it lasts.