The Hyundai Kona N will be the company’s first SUV N family member. The company has released new teaser photos of a camoflauged version of the Koan N traversing a variety of terrain including a race track and trail. The Kona N is expected to be a global model that will be available for sale in the U.S.
“We’re excited to expand the recipe for success we’ve developed with the i30 N and, most recently, with the i20 N to one of our most popular SUVs on the market today: Kona,” says Andreas-Christoph Hofmann, Vice President of Marketing & Product at Hyundai Motor Europe. “The addition of Kona to the N family will bring our high-performance brand to the next level.”
Hyundai will give the Kona N the same power plant that’s in the Veloster N, a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder that’s paired with an eight-speed wet dual-clutch transmission. Look for it to make around 275 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque in the Kona N.
Hyundai is promising that the model will come with a variety of performance centric equipment and features, not just exterior and interior design accents, including Launch Control and what they call “an emotional sound experience”.
Details about wheels and all-wheel drive are pending. Expect the SUV to get a fresh suspension setup and bigger brakes, something that’s pretty status quo for N models.
The exterior and Interior of the Kona N are likely to feature unique accents but come from the same refreshed Kona design that debuted late last year.
“The all-new Kona N is the first ‘hot SUV’ from the N brand,” says Till Wartenberg, Vice President and Head of N Brand Management and Motorsport Sub-division at Hyundai Motor Company. “As a ‘hot SUV’, it will have plenty of versatility as well as the driving pleasure like any other N vehicle. N-thusiasts will enjoy taking this car anywhere; from road to the track.”
