For those of you that love some affordable horsepower but don’t want to miss out on the daily driving versatility of an SUV or crossover, Hyundai has got you covered. Enriched with one of the best performance packages on the market today, the Kona N got some serious horsepower mated with a very pretty design. The powertrain, the overall look, the safety rating and its affordable price tag, the Kona N is what you get when you look for optimal performance and unmatched style.
Here, we will take a closer look at the Kona N, and how Huyndai has elevated the 4-cylinder turbocharging, and how does this 2022 hot hatch stack up against some competitors at a much heftier price tag.
N Performance Sparks Power And Efficiency
The Kona N will join the performance fleet of Hyundai, bringing the Kona alongside the famous Veloster N and other countless N models. According to Hyundai, the Kona N has the same engine as the Veloster N and can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 5.5 seconds: that’s 0.1 seconds faster than the smaller Veloster. This is a 2.0-liter turbocharged GDI engine that spreads power to the front wheels, sadly as everyone was expecting this will be the only downfall when it comes to buying a Kona N over a Golf R. Anyway with that being said the Kona N also pushes 10 more horses when over boosting, which brings the power rate to 276hp and 289 lb-ft of torque.
The transmission found on the Kona N is an 8-speed dual-clutch automatic and sadly there is no option to go manual. That however doesn’t let down the Kona N because the car always feels and drives in the right gear - it also offers some quirky buttons to spice up its responsiveness in corners and down the road.
A Deep Dive In Some Performance Specs
The Kona N comes in three exclusive drive functions: Power Shift (NPS), N Grin Shift (NGS), and N Track Sense Shift (NTS), all of which maximize exhilarating driving pleasure. N Track Sense Shift automatically engages when accelerating hard, making it possible to adapt shift points and gear selections to best support performance driving. Power Shift brings the joy of owning a manual on a DCT, allowing the driver to push to higher rpm and boosting more to the next gear change.
N Grin Shift, labeled NGS by a red button on the steering wheel, creates 20 seconds of overboost, which allows the car to bump 10 more horses from the base 276-hp. This is probably one of the coolest features of the Kona N, and we sure think this is a Fast & Furious inspired button
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Fun Fact: The Car And Driver Magazine compared the Kona N to the Tasmanian devil of Looney Tunes.
Game Like Features
Another very interesting feature of the Kona N is the new 10-inch infotainment system, which brings a game-like driving experience. With this infotainment system, drivers can view information such as lap time and N track map. The rest of the interior doesn’t fall behind either. The Kona N can be optioned with heated and cooled seats, a panoramic moonlight roof, a sport steering wheel, performance-blue color accents, sports seats, and metal pedals.
You Can’t Blend The N With Other Konas
A significant update over the base model Kona makes up for a dramatic presence. The 19-inch forged alloy wheels and N badges around the front and rear end separate the Kona N from its siblings. The front gets an upper grille with N logo and tinted chrome Hyundai emblem, while the rear carries a large double-wing roof spoiler for increased downforce and a more stable ride at high speed.
The lower edge of the side skirt and front and rear bumper features an N-exclusive red accent. Inside the Kona N, two “N” buttons on the steering wheel, the NGS red button and N labeled gear knob make a proud expression of their performance badge. The rear also gets a dual-tip exhaust, which provides plenty of pop and bangs.
How Does The Kona N Stack Up To The Competition?
At first glance, what got us thinking, and most probably many others - is this better from a GTI Golf? Both cars feature turbocharging as their backbone for making power, both are front-wheel drive, yet the Kona can be seen as half SUV, half Crossover but doesn’t bring any of their all-wheel-drive characteristics. On paper, the Golf is 0.4 seconds faster, not considering the Golf R which does 0-60 mph in 4.7 seconds, yet the Kona N still brings some excitement over other competitors. Marked at $35,000 base price, the Kona N offers some serious power.
According to Car And Driver the Kona N goes teeth to teeth against BMW X2 M35i, the Mercedes-Benz GLA35, and GLB35, and the Mini Countryman John Cooper Works All4. Considering the Kona brings the most power per dollar, costs the least out of their competitors, and carries extra features which you would pay extra if you were to go with any of the competitors, that is why the Kona N deserves an honorable place in the budget performance cars for 2022.