Hyundai’s Kona N packs a mighty punch

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Hyundai’s performance N-division is on an upward trajectory. We recently reported on not one, but two, concept models that look stunning — the electric-hydrogen Vision 74, which pays homage to the 1974 Hyundai Pony Coupe, and the RN22e, based on the recently unveiled IONIQ 6 point at the future of Hyundai N. 

It’s great to see it making the N-brand a part of the performance automotive landscape into the future. 

However, today’s subject is the Kona N, the South Korean marque’s take on the compact performance SUV. Being its first SUV/crossover for the enthusiast, the Kona N takes all the learning from the i30 N and crams it into a higher-riding, but more popular, body form. And it’s not the bad idea you’d think it would be. 

It’s said to follow the N division’s three design pillars: corner rascal, everyday sports car and racetrack capability. Quite apt, as we came to discover during our test drive.

The Kona N looks sharper than its regular siblings, thanks to a slightly hunkered-down stance and 19” alloy wheels, wrapped in 235/40 profile tyres, which house red N-emblazoned brake callipers. 

There are signature red piping elements on the front splitter, while the gloss-black N mesh grille and the deeper, lower airdam aid cooling. At the rear, dual-circular bazooka tailpipes emit an awesome battle cry when the exhaust flaps are opened.

The cabin appointments are similar to the i30 N, with N-embroidered leather seats. The tiller, replete with N performance-enhancing buttons, is both functional and awesome to handle. There is an infotainment screen with various functions, including the tailoring of performance parameters like steering weighting, engine response and suspension firmness. 

The aluminium foot pedals remind you this is no garden-variety Kona. 

Overall build quality is exemplary at worst and the cabin architecture is very driver-centric in execution.

Under the bonnet still beats that familiar 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine making 206kW and 392Nm via a slick-shifting eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.

The Kona N manages to blend the practicality of a small SUV with the performance of a hot hatch.

Out on the road, the Kona N feels a tad stiffer than its siblings, even in its slackest suspension settings. 

The steering is mostly light and feels a little too artificial in its sportiest setting. I found Comfort mode offered the best compromise. 

The adaptive suspension can be switched from “bearable” to overly stiff and jarring in the ESC Sport mode. Thankfully, you can customise each parameter, via the two buttons on the steering wheel, so you can keep the suspension in Sport, which is perfect for on-road exploits.

Performance-wise, the engine is great. It’s linear and punchy for the most part, with just a hint of turbo lag at the bottom of the rev range. However, once the tacho needle sweeps above 3 000r/min, the Kona N becomes a proper mover and shaker, while emitting a fruity exhaust note.

It relishes being pitched into corners — yes, there’s a hint of body roll but not enough to detract from the overall dynamic experience. With power only going to the front wheels, torque steer is prevalent as the electronics try their darndest to quell the steering tugging in your hands and I reckon a mechanical LSD, as in the i30 N, would be good here, too. 

The Kona N, priced at R749 900, is a hoot to drive and will please those who like their performance car to have a bit more ground clearance. 

Hyundai’s performance N-division is on an upward trajectory. We recently reported on the news of not one, but two concept models that look absolutely stunning. Both the electric/hydrogen Vision 74 – which pays homage to the 1974 Hyundai Pony Coupe concept – and the RN22e based on the recently-unveiled IONIQ 6 point at the future of Hyundai N. Great to see the intent on making the N-brand a part of the performance automotive landscape, well into the future. 

However, today’s subject is that of the Kona N, the South Korean marque’s take on the compact performance SUV topic. Being the company’s first SUV/Crossover for the enthusiast, the Kona N takes all the learnings from the i30 N and crams them into a higher riding, but decidedly more popular body form. And it’s not the bad idea you’d think it’d be. It’s said to also follow on the N division’s three design pillars – corner rascal, everyday sports car, and racetrack capability. Quite apt adages in fact, as we came to discover during our test tenure.

Cosmetically, the Kona N looks ever so sharper than its regular siblings. Thanks to a slightly hunkered down stance, 19″ alloy wheels wrapped in 235/40 profile tyres, which house red N-emblazoned brake callipers. There are signature red piping elements on the front splitter, while the gloss black N mesh grille, together with the deeper lower airdam, aid better cooling. At the rear, dual-circular bazooka tailpipes emit an awesome battle cry when the exhaust flaps are opened.

The cabin appointments are very similar to the i30 N, with N-embroidered leather seats. The tiller, replete with N performance-enhancing buttons, is both functional and awesome to handle. There is an infotainment screen with various functions, including the tailoring of performance parameters like steering weighting, engine response, and suspension firmness. Aluminium foot pedals remind you that this is, indeed, no garden-variety Kona. Overall build quality is exemplary at worst and the cabin architecture is very driver-centric in execution.

Under the bonnet still beats that familiar 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine making 206 kW and 392 Nm via a slick-shifting 8-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. Power goes to the front wheels only, while an eLSD is in place to keep the front wheels in check when on it. Performance SUVs are somewhat of a misnomer, but manufacturers continue to refine the recipe to become even delectable for those shopping in this segment. The Kona N is no exception to the rule as it manages to blend the practicality of a small SUV with the performance of a hot-hatch.

Out on the road, the Kona N, from the onset, feels a tad stiffer than its siblings, even in its slackest suspension settings. The steering is mostly light in operation and does tend to feel a little too artificial in its sportiest setting, I found Comfort mode offered the best compromise here. Meanwhile, the adaptive suspension can be switched from “bearable” to overly stiff and jarring in ESC Sport mode. Thankfully, you can customise each parameter, via the two blue buttons on the steering wheel, so you can keep the suspension in Sport, which is perfect for on-road performance exploits.

Performance wise, the engine is great. It’s linear and punchy for the most part, with just a hint of turbo lag at the bottom of the rev range. However, once the tacho needle sweeps above 3,000 r/min, the Kona N becomes a proper mover and shaker, all the while emitting a fruity exhaust note. .

It remains keen to play corner tug, relishing being pitched into corners with verve. Yes, there’s a slight hint of body roll, but not much to detract from the overall dynamic experience. With power only going to the front wheels, torque steer is prevalent as the electronics try their darndest to quell the steering tugging in your hands, and I reckon a mechanical LSD as that used in the i30 N would be better suited here, too. 

That aside, though, the Kona N, priced at R749 900, is an absolute hoot to drive and will appease those who prefer their performance car with a bit more ground clearance.