Hyundai’s expansion plans of its N
performance lineup include a hot version of the Kona crossover, which was
spotted once again doing some development laps at the Nurburgring wearing heavy
camouflage.
The Korean automaker is also working on
the mid-life facelift of the Kona, which explains the covers on the test car
pictured here. In addition to the styling revisions of the facelift, the
upcoming Hyundai Kona N will feature model-specific bumpers with more aero and
bigger air intakes, deeper side sills and a rear roof spoiler in a similar
fashion with the i30 N.
The new Hyundai Kona N will ride on bigger
wheels shod in stickier rubber and feature bigger brakes to match the power of
the engine. Speaking of which, that’s expected to be the same 2.0-liter
turbocharged four-cylinder unit as found in the i30 N, offered again in two
power guises: 247 HP in the base N model and 271 HP in the
faster Performance derivative.
The performance version of the Kona will
also feature a model-specific suspension setup to help it go around corners
more like its i30 N and Veloster N siblings while the dual exhaust tips
hopefully will provide a vivid aural experience. Last time we heard, Hyundai
was going to offer the Kona N with front-wheel drive and manual transmission
only, but that decision could have changed in light of the recently launched
competition in Europe.
The only other small crossover with
similar sporty credentials at the moment is the VW T-Roc R, which employs a 296
HP 2.0-liter turbo engine sent to all four wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch
transmission.
The new Hyundai Kona N is expected to be
revealed towards the end of the year, alongside the also under-development i20
N hot hatch, with sales to start early next year.
