Geely E5 EM-i vs Hyundai Kona

A proper head-to-head in South Africa — we cover price, performance, petrol economy, safety and what it'll actually cost you to own each one long term.

Includes a historical vehicle

Current, upcoming and historical vehicles can be compared side by side. Historical records keep their verified specifications, while price labels show last-listed context rather than current new-car availability.

Hyundai Kona Discontinued model
Geely E5 EM-i in South Africa

Geely E5 EM-i

Apex Plug-in Hybrid Current
ZAR 679,999 ex-showroom
⚡ 73 kW 🔧 125 Nm
VS
Hyundai Kona in South Africa

Hyundai Kona

1.0T DCT Executive Petrol 7-Speed DCT Discontinued model
ZAR 565,900 last listed
Discontinued model Verified historical specifications remain visible for owner and used-car comparisons.
⚡ 88 kW 🔧 172 Nm ⛽ 15.5 km/l
＋ Add a 3rd car

Decision summary

Geely E5 EM-i vs Hyundai Kona: the short answer

E5 EM-i and Kona are close on the comparable published fields, so buyer priorities should decide.

Recorded price context E5 EM-i: current from ZAR 599,999 · Kona: last listed from ZAR 459,900

Five key differences

Exact selected derivatives
Specification E5 EM-i Kona
Maximum Power E5 EM-i73 kW Kona88 kW @ 5500 rpm
Maximum Torque E5 EM-i125 Nm Kona172 Nm @ 1500 rpm
Engine Size E5 EM-i1499 cc Kona998 cc
Combined Fuel Economy E5 EM-iNot Officially Disclosed Kona15.5 km/l
Ground Clearance E5 EM-iNot Officially Disclosed Kona165 mm

Strongest published figure in that row; no road-test winner is implied.

Evidence for Hyundai Kona 1.0T DCT Executive

Source type: Hagalu catalogue record

What Each Car Gets Right (and Wrong)

Specification evidence leader

E5 EM-i

Strengths
  • Better fuel efficiency
  • Stronger listed safety equipment
  • Stronger published practicality figures
Weak Spots
  • Less powerful engine setup
Best suited to: Published Efficiency Published Practicality

Kona

Strengths
  • More powerful engine output
Weak Spots
  • Lower fuel efficiency
  • Fewer listed safety features
  • Lower published practicality figures
Best suited to: Published Performance

Which One's Right for You?

E5 EM-i

  • Buyers prioritising the lower published fuel or energy use
  • Buyers prioritising the more complete listed safety equipment
  • Buyers prioritising the stronger published space and capacity figures

Kona

  • Buyers prioritising the stronger published powertrain figures

Full Specs, Side by Side

Archived cars use verified historical spec records. Rows remain comparable; unavailable historical values are shown plainly rather than estimated.

Spec E5 EM-i Kona
Model Introduced Year 2025 2018
Generation Current South African model / exact generation number not separately published Second generation Kona on Hyundai's K2 GEN platform; the design is more conservative than the first gen but better resolved
Facelift History No applicable South African facelift history established Second generation launched globally in 2023 and brought to SA; softened styling compared to the sharper first gen, improved interior quality and tech
Facelift Launched Since Not Applicable 2023
Facelift Version Ending Not Applicable Not confirmed
Body Style SUV Not confirmed
Model Year 2026 Not confirmed
Production Status active Not confirmed
Segment Passenger vehicle Not confirmed
Vehicle Type SUV Not confirmed
Tare Mass Kg - 1460 kg
Spec E5 EM-i Kona
Length 4740 mm 4355 mm
Width 1905 mm 1825 mm
Height 1685 mm 1570 mm
Wheelbase 2755 mm 2660 mm
Ground Clearance (Default) Not Officially Disclosed 165 mm
Ground Clearance (With Full Seating Load) Not Officially Disclosed Not confirmed
Fuel Tank Capacity 51 l 50 l
Boot/Cargo Space 528 l 466 l
Kerb Weight 1770 kg 1460 kg
Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) Not Officially Disclosed Not confirmed
Payload Capacity Not Officially Disclosed Not confirmed
Towing Capacity Not Officially Disclosed Not confirmed
Seating Capacity Not Officially Disclosed 5 seats
Number of Rows Not Officially Disclosed Not confirmed
Doors Not Officially Disclosed 5 doors
Minimum Turning Radius Not Officially Disclosed Not confirmed
Front Headroom Not Officially Disclosed Not confirmed
Rear Headroom Not Officially Disclosed Not confirmed
Front Legroom Not Officially Disclosed Not confirmed
Rear Legroom Not Officially Disclosed Not confirmed

In depth: how these cars differ

This E5 EM-i and Kona comparison uses the exact South African derivatives selected above. The catalogue index covers performance, efficiency, safety equipment, practicality and ownership cover only where comparable source-backed fields are present.

Performance index: E5 EM-i 39 vs Kona 40.

Efficiency index: E5 EM-i 79 vs Kona 62.

Safety-equipment index: E5 EM-i 91 vs Kona 87.

Practicality index: E5 EM-i 74 vs Kona 67.

Ownership-cover index: E5 EM-i not separately scored vs Kona 65.

These figures are Hagalu catalogue-comparison indicators, not customer ratings, crash-test scores, resale guarantees or a substitute for a road test. Each page shows its weighted source coverage beside the result.

Specification Evidence Index

A transparent comparison of published catalogue fields. This is not a road-test score, owner rating or editorial review rating, and it appears only when every vehicle clears the same comparable-data threshold.

Evidence / 100
Evidence-index readout

E5 EM-i leads by 6 points

E5 EM-i and Kona are close on the comparable published fields, so buyer priorities should decide.

Evidence leader 70 /100
Lead 6 points
Data 51% source coverage
70
#1 Evidence leader

E5 EM-i

51% source coverage 3 strong categories
Best at Safety 91 Check Performance 39
Performance 39
Efficiency 79
Safety 91
Practicality 74
Leads by 6 points
64
#2

Kona

89% source coverage 1 strong categories
Best at Safety 87 Check Performance 40
Performance 40
Efficiency 62
Safety 87
Practicality 67
Ownership 65
Performance 24% Safety 22% Practicality 22% Efficiency 17% Ownership 15%
Category leaders What moves the verdict
Performance Kona +1 Efficiency E5 EM-i +17 Safety E5 EM-i +4 Practicality E5 EM-i +7

Close catalogue match. Buyer priorities should decide the outcome.

Why this score View full breakdown
Evidence-index leader

E5 EM-i

Performance 39/100
Efficiency 79/100
Safety 91/100
Practicality 74/100

Kona

Performance 40/100
Efficiency 62/100
Safety 87/100
Practicality 67/100
Ownership 65/100

What the evidence means

Evidence index Geely E5 EM-i leads the specification evidence index with 70 pts vs 64 pts for Kona

In Hagalu's specification evidence index, E5 EM-i leads. However, Kona may suit buyers prioritising different confirmed fields. Ultimately, the right choice depends on your driving priorities in South Africa.

Related comparisons

Continue with closely related South African models and comparable body styles.

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VS
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E5 EM-i vs Tiggo 8 Pro →
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E5 EM-i vs J7 →
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Kona vs Territory →

E5 EM-i vs Kona questions

There is no universal winner. Use the comparison table to match the exact South African derivatives on price, safety equipment, space, powertrain and ownership cover. The category indicators summarise published catalogue data; they are not a road test or customer rating.

Compare the published consumption or mileage rows for the exact derivatives using the same unit and test basis. A catalogue figure is useful for like-for-like comparison, but traffic, speed, load, weather and driving style can change actual fuel use.

Compare only equipment explicitly listed for each derivative, including airbags, stability control and driver-assistance systems. Confirm the exact trim with the manufacturer, and treat any independent crash-test result separately because equipment and ratings can differ by market.

A reliable five-year total cannot be calculated from catalogue data alone. Add the exact purchase and finance cost, fuel or electricity, insurance quotes, scheduled servicing, tyres and expected resale value. Check whether the selected derivative includes a service or maintenance plan.

Use the seating, boot or load-space, ISOFIX and safety rows as a first check. Then test the exact cars with your child seats, passengers and typical luggage, because published dimensions do not show every access or comfort difference.

Compare the published power, torque and 0–100 km/h rows when they are available for both exact derivatives. Vehicle weight, gearing and power delivery also matter, so catalogue outputs alone do not establish real-world overtaking or response.