Hyundai Kona N Teased As Company Confirms 2.0-Liter Turbo And 8-Speed DCT

[subyski]

Originally Posted by heavyD

I imagine it came down to cost but IMO it's a missed opportunity for Hyundai. Most people would be better off buying the Kona N-Line that has 200 hp and AWD. Love the big tailpipes on the rear though as it's kind of a striking little vehicle.

I have to agree too. Even if it didn't have AWD, it could have offered a MT option. But I don't think this was unexpected. It's the consolation prize for not getting the i30 N here. Too bad.

The N-Line is probably the sweet spot for this little CUV considering it has AWD, good power, decent performance, and price.

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[4S-TURBO]

why carry around AWD all year?

Yeah Subaru.

[botbs]

I wish manufacturers spent $ into performance hatch/wagon than CUV/SUV.

Kona N, why not JCW Countryman 300hp AWD with LSD? JCW Countryman starts at 43k CAD and most of the time Mini can give you few k off MSRP.

[SCRAPPYDO]

nobody else.. really...

[Kostamojen]

Could they have made it any more ugly?

[4S-TURBO]

Yes it's called the Veloster.

[chanomatik]

I like the way it looks. I'm a fan of the standard Kona design too.

I especially like the Veloster N design.

Just wish either were offered with AWD and the DCT + engine.

[dwf137]

All-wheel drive would seem natural here. But Hyundai's head of R&D Albert Biermann explained why only two wheels are driven. "Front-wheel drive can be good all year round," said Biermann. "Put winter tires on and it's a beast, you can just keep the fun going. Plus, why carry around AWD all year?"

Why Mr. Biermann?

Because I drive past signs like this at least 30 times a year:



I really like the styling of the Kona... kinda quirky, but not as quirky as something like the cube or soul.

No awd, no sale. End of story. Moving along...

[RealDealTarheel]

Originally Posted by dwf137

I really like the styling of the Kona... kinda quirky, but not as quirky as something like the cube or soul.

No awd, no sale. End of story. Moving along...

Yep. This is a "performance is defined in the sedan segment" grade decision.

[heavyD]

Originally Posted by chanomatik

I like the way it looks. I'm a fan of the standard Kona design too.

I especially like the Veloster N design.

Just wish either were offered with AWD and the DCT + engine.

It is offered in the Kona N-Line. It uses the 1.6L turbo engine but it gets a HP boost to 195 hp which is pretty good for a vehicle this size. As I said before this will be the better option for most people as it will be reasonably quick and offer AWD which people kind of expect in an CUV/SUV.

[Doobie Scoo]

Originally Posted by dwf137

Why Mr. Biermann?

Because I drive past signs like this at least 30 times a year:



I really like the styling of the Kona... kinda quirky, but not as quirky as something like the cube or soul.

No awd, no sale. End of story. Moving along...

Ahhh. So you would rather take an MPG and handling hit all year round instead of spending 3 minutes chaining up.

When I was in Japan I used to take my Supra and MR2 up to Mt. Hakkoda to go snowboarding. Two sandbags in the frunk to give me some weight for steering and a set of chains and I was good to go.

[dwf137]

Originally Posted by Doobie Scoo

Ahhh. So you would rather take an MPG and handling hit all year round instead of spending 3 minutes chaining up.

I think I made that pretty clear...

[chanomatik]

Originally Posted by heavyD

It is offered in the Kona N-Line. It uses the 1.6L turbo engine but it gets a HP boost to 195 hp which is pretty good for a vehicle this size. As I said before this will be the better option for most people as it will be reasonably quick and offer AWD which people kind of expect in an CUV/SUV.

My friend has one and they seem to really enjoy it. I was just hoping for an AWD Veloster N, but oh well. I remain waiting for whatever the future may hold come 2022.

[Doobie Scoo]

Originally Posted by dwf137

I think I made that pretty clear...

I went the other way. When I was in TX I bought a WRX because I was moving to WA, and figured I'd need something that goes in the snow.

After I moved here I realized we don't get nearly enough snow to need AWD. I was only able to put up with the WRX for two years before I couldn't take driving the understeering pig any longer, and ditched it for another MR2.

The MR2 has done just fine the last 12 years as a daily driver around here. I do find it quite funny to pass all the AWD SUVs on the highways and mountain passes in my MR2 at the speed limit while they are all driving the AWD SUVs at 40 mph because of the snow.

Our other year round driver is a NA Miata, two sandbags in the trunk on snowy days and that does just fine too.

[dwf137]

Eh. It's wet here for like 4 straight months. Enough so that moss grows on the less driven roads. There's a lot of benefit to awd, especially when you drive like an asshat like I tend to do . I like being able to go wfo even when it's wet out. Just lots of wheel spin in a powerful fwd when you do that.

And no way I feel like stopping on the side of the mountain passes and chaining up. More concerned about the nitwits driving up in their outback and bald tires losing control and hitting me than I am anything else. Plus, on a powder day, I just want to get there and not have to worry about driving 25 mph up the hill and letting everyone pass me as the parking lots fill up. I also drive a lot for snow - up through the Canadian Rockies. There would be much longer periods of time that I'd need to be chained up than just the passes here in WA. So for me, its awd plus snow tires.

For the rain-free summer, I dd a motorcycle. It's really only when the weather turns sour that I jump back into a cage, and as noted above, I like awd for that.

[4S-TURBO]

The WRX has 50:50 full time. That's like the golden chariot math ratio.

[VarmintCong]

I’m ok with FWD but no manual eliminates it.

[VarmintCong]

Clearly Hyundai wants this to be $34-35k max and not pushing $40k. I suspect they’re working on an AWD system that’s why they didn’t announce it was FWD til now.

So I think a manual and/or AWD could be offered in the future if demand is there.

[chanomatik]

Reviews have been gradually released. Fairly high praise from what I have seen or read thus far. Still FWD, unfortunately, but the transmission and power are good.

"2022 Hyundai Kona N Is Devilishly Fun" https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews...-kona-n-drive/

[VarmintCong]

Originally Posted by chanomatik

Reviews have been gradually released. Fairly high praise from what I have seen or read thus far. Still FWD, unfortunately, but the transmission and power are good.

"2022 Hyundai Kona N Is Devilishly Fun" https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews...-kona-n-drive/

Good reviews but it gets no interest in the forums. I think the type of people who want a car like this want AWD, or manual or conventional hatch configuration. This is none of those and I think it’ll be a flop.

[Sid03SVT]

Originally Posted by VarmintCong

Good reviews but it gets no interest in the forums. I think the type of people who want a car like this want AWD, or manual or conventional hatch configuration. This is none of those and I think it’ll be a flop.

This.

[subyski]

AWD is the missing key for the vehicle. It would really separate it from the Veloster N.

[VarmintCong]

Originally Posted by subyski

AWD is the missing key for the vehicle. It would really separate it from the Veloster N.

They could have brought the i30N, which would have attracted GTI and hatch fans.

Or an AWD Kona N, which would have attracted WRX fans.

Instead they chose some kind of FWD mini SUV, which attracts no one.

[AVANTI R5]

00000

First drive review: 2022 Hyundai Kona N doesn’t know how to turn down the volume
Brian Wong
Hyundai’s N performance division has previously only turned its gaze toward passenger cars, but that changes with the introduction of the 2022 Kona N. The high-performance small SUV debuts alongside the Elantra N and gives Hyundai a unique vehicle that doesn’t really have any true competitors.

The only other small performance SUVs are luxury models like the Mercedes-Benz AMG GLA35 or the BMW X2 M35i, but those vehicles exist in a completely different tax bracket. The Mini Countryman John Cooper Works comes closer, but it starts north of $40,000 as well. That gives the Kona N and its estimated mid-$30,000 pricetag a market all to itself.


2022 Hyundai Elantra N and Kona N
I traveled to Sonoma Raceway, just north of San Francisco, to put the Kona N (as well as the Elantra N) to the test on the track, an autocross, and the streets to get a complete picture of the performance SUV’s potential. Those three environments each revealed something different about the Kona N, for better or worse.

The Kona N doesn’t have the same racy looks as the Elantra N, but it sports some performance hints. A small wing spoiler sits at the top of the liftgate, red N accents decorate the nose and sides, and the rear adds a diffuser and dual exhaust tips. Hyundai also mounts 19-inch wheels with a unique design and an N logo in the middle, wrapped in Pirelli P Zero summer tires.


2022 Hyundai Kona N
Power comes from the same 2.0-liter turbo-4 found in the Elantra N and the Veloster N, making the same 276 hp and 289 lb-ft of torque. Unlike the Elantra N, however, Hyundai doesn’t offer a manual; the front-wheel drive Kona N only comes with an 8-speed wet dual-clutch automatic transmission. Power can temporarily be boosted to 286-hp via the N grin-shift (NGS) button on the steering wheel, which opens up the exhaust and makes the transmission shift even more aggressively for 20 seconds. After that, it has to cool down 40 seconds before you can hit the button again.

The Kona N scoots forward confidently off the line with a hint of wheelspin carrying through the end of first and into second gear if you bury your foot in it. To control the spin, activate the launch control via the N performance screens in the multimedia system, and the Kona N will scoot from 0-60 mph in an estimated 5.2 seconds, 0.2 second off the pace of the Elantra N. The exhaust is also controllable via this screen. When dialed up, it provides a fitting soundtrack of burbles and pops. It’s a vehicle that doesn’t like to stay quiet for too long.



Despite its much taller bodystyle, the Kona N is only 44 pounds heavier than the Elantra N at 3,340 lb. That explains why the acceleration figures are so close between the two, but also why the Kona N feels very nimble for an SUV. The electronic power steering system’s motor has been moved down to the steering rack to provide better feedback and responsiveness, and just like its other N brethren the Kona N feels very dialed in through the steering wheel.

The standard electronic limited-slip differential contributes to this sense of security. The Kona N can detect when you’re cornering to send more power to the outside front wheel. The effect is pronounced on track, where you can get on the throttle earlier in long sweeping turns and feel the nose tuckdown toward the apex, which lets you carry more speed on exit.

The Kona N falls behind its sedan counterpart in suspension tuning, on both the track and the street. The Kona N isn’t as stable as the Elantra N on track, due to its shorter wheelbase, taller ride height, and older generation platform (the Elantra N is on the new K3 sedan platform, the Kona N on the SUV-B platform).
2022 Hyundai Elantra N

2022 Hyundai Elantra N
On Sonoma’s very challenging track, the Kona N had a tendency to understeer when cresting hills, and the suspension had some trouble settling down the vehicle. It's not an issue of stiffness; I felt all of Sonoma’s pavement seams and bumpy braking zones. But it takes an extra beat to really settle the Kona N and that busyness makes a big difference on a circuit, as you can’t really roll onto the throttle until the SUV recaptures its composure. This makes the Kona N thrilling to drive on track in that dangerous, bull riding type of way. The way it wiggles underneath you as the suspension reloads and under hard braking turns your knuckles white.

Things don't get much better on the street. Though the adjustable dampers have three settings, none of them are really comfortable. The softest setting is probably what the Sport setting should be, and even in that mode the ride jostles passengers and road noise is ever-present. It’d be a tough vehicle to drive daily, especially in areas where the roads aren’t perfectly maintained.
The Kona N proved the most at home on an autocross course, where its short wheelbase, superb steering, and punchy acceleration made it an absolute blast. I am sad that the Kona N comes with the Pirelli tires, instead of the grippier Michelin Pilot Sport 4S summer tires found on the Elantra. Those would make turn-in that much sharper and give the Kona N a bit more edge.
2022 Hyundai Kona N

2022 Hyundai Kona N
2022 Hyundai Kona N

2022 Hyundai Kona N
2022 Hyundai Kona N

2022 Hyundai Kona N
The Kona N doesn’t offer any options other than the paint color, but comes very well equipped. It features a pair of 10.3 inch screens for the cluster and infotainment system, N sport seats, LED head and taillights, a wireless charging pad, blind-spot monitors, and active lane control (though, curiously, adaptive cruise control is missing).

As fun as piloting the 2022 Kona N can be, the fact that it won’t ever really calm down makes it hard to recommend for daily duty. It’s a hyperactive puppy that's cute and really fun for about 20 minutes, until you need to sleep or do anything else other than play with it. Then it eats your sofa.

[AVANTI R5]

Figures we would get that POS. The rear is ugly.