- we spied the upcoming hyundai kona n testing on the nürburgring.
- we expect that the n variant of the hyundai compact crossover will be powered by the same 275-hp turbocharged four-cylinder found in the veloster n.
- expect the kona n to be priced somewhere around $30,000.
update, 12/29/20: ahead of christmas, hyundai dropped two teaser images and a video on instagram concerning the upcoming kona n. the video shows none of the actual vehicle and instead focuses on a cake that has been torn asunder, presumably by the power of the kona n. the two images are tiny glimpses into the look of the powerful little suv, neither of which are as telling as the spy photo above from march. still, for fans of powerful little suvs, the social post is a great sign that the kona n is still headed to showrooms at some point.
one of our favorite things about our long-term hyundai veloster n is the way its exhaust shouts back at you when you shift at its 6750-rpm redline. it's like someone is shooting a 12-gauge out the back. the veloster is currently the only hyundai that gets the full n treatment, though. but hyundai has other cars, too, including the kona compact crossover, and if that sounds boring, you might be excited that we spied an n variant testing on the nürburgring.
the hyundai kona is currently available with two gas powertrain options. the se and sel models are equipped with a 147-hp four-cylinder paired with a six-speed automatic transmission, while the limited and ultimate models are powered by a 175-hp turbocharged four-cylinder mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic. we expect that the kona n will be powered by the same 275-hp turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder found in the veloster n that we love dearly.
the kona test car we spied here is equipped with some serious dual-exit exhaust tips, making us hope the kona n's exhaust sounds similar to the veloster n's, which we said has "one of the best-sounding four-cylinder exhaust notes this side of a vintage alfa." and that's saying something. it also has the same five-spoke wheels as the veloster n, and we caught it driving on three wheels!
we expect to hear more about the kona's n variant soon, and we're really hoping to hear about a manual transmission option, too. expect the hyundai kona n to start at around $30,000, making it the same kind of performance bargain as the veloster n.