2021 Hyundai Kona N officially teased – hot SUV with 2.0L 4-cyl turbo, 8-speed DCT; 280 PS and 392 Nm? - Latest Car News, Bike news & Reviews, Auto News

Hyundai has officially begun teasing the range-topping Kona N, a car which will go on to be the first ever high-performance SUV for the Korean automaker. At launch, it will join the i30 N, i20 N and Veloster N as the most hardcore models Hyundai has to offer.

While output figures continue to elude use, we now know that the Kona N will be powered by a 2.0 litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine that’s paired with an eight-speed wet dual-clutch transmission. The four-potter is expected to match the i30 N in terms of output, thus making anywhere from 250 PS and 353 Nm to 280 PS and 392 Nm.

The eight-speed N DCT is the same one that Hyundai developed (in-house) for the i30 N, so you can expect similar features such as the N Grin Shift, N Power Shift and N Track Sense Shift to be featured here as well. Hyundai has also confirmed the availability of Launch Control, plus an “emotive soundtrack” as well.

The Kona N will be based on the facelifted model, albeit dressed in a far more aggressive suit. There should be a combination of black and red accents littered around the exterior of the car, plus red N brake calipers, 19- or 20-inch wheels, and two massive exhaust tips.

Expect the safety kit to be carried over as well. This includes the Hyundai SmartSense driver assistance systems, which comes with autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane centring assist and blind spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert.

Hyundai Motor Europe vice president of marketing and product, Andreas-Christoph Hofmann said: “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. The addition of Kona to the N family will bring our high-performance brand to the next level.”