New Hyundai Kona N: 2021 hot crossover officially confirmed

Hyundai has gone official with the third addition to its N performance line-up: the Kona N crossover.

Set to be revealed in the coming weeks and go on sale before the middle of 2021, the Ford Puma ST rival joins the recently revealed i20 N and well-established i30 N as the third pillar of the sub-brand’s range. 

Official prototype shots reveal key performance-focused styling details including chunkier new bumpers and side skirt extensions, large twin-exit exhaust pipes, a new rear spoiler and a bespoke wheel design hiding enlarged brakes with red-painted calipers. 

Confirmed technical details are scarce, but Hyundai has said the Kona N is powered by a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine and will be offered with an eight-speed wet dual-clutch transmission, dubbed N DCT. 

The use of the 2.0-litre engine, likely to have been adapted from the i30 N, is interesting as expectations were that the model would use the 1.6-litre unit of the related i20 N, which puts out 201bhp. That was already more powerful than the Kona N’s main rival - the 197bhp Puma ST - so it remains to be seen if the model will be offered with the 247bhp or 276bhp outputs of the i30 N. 

First drive: Hyundai i20 N prototype

Another unknown is whether the model will feature front- or four-wheel drive. Every Hyundai N model to date has been the former, but the standard Kona can be specced with four-wheel drive on top models, so it’s possible the brand will leverage that. We do know it will feature a Launch Control system - something substantially more effective in four-wheel-drive cars. 

Hyundai N also claims it will feature an “emotional sound experience” - likely to be a reference to digital sound generators to enhance the engine note. Till Wartenburg, head of N brand management and motorsport, claims the hot SUV will have “plenty of versatility as well as the driving pleasure like any other N vehicle. Enthusiasts will enjoy taking this car anywhere, from road to the track.”

A bespoke chassis set-up will complement the power upgrade, with stiffer suspension and performance brakes fitted. The interior, too, will receive the usual N tweaks including sports seats, specific trim detailing and highly configurable drive modes.

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