The 247bhp Hyundai Kona N Is Itching For A Fight With The Puma ST
The Hyundai N family is about to get a whole lot bigger. Up until now - N-Line cars excluded - its offerings have been limited to the i30 N and the i30 N Fastback. Which are essentially the same thing.
Soon, though, we’ll have a Fiesta ST-rivalling i20 N, and a Kona N which will do battle with…another Ford - the incoming Puma ST.
It’s been spotted undergoing testing at the Nurburgring, and although the prototype is caked in camouflage, there’s no hiding those big tailpipes or the larger wheels. A drop in ride height relative to the standard Kona is clearly visible, too.
Speaking to Car Throttle sister publication Auto Express back in 2018, N boss and former BMW M Division man Albert Biermann as good as confirmed that the hotter Kona would receive the i30 N’s 2.0-litre inline-four engine. “We already know that it has to be that car’s engine (the i30 N’s) and gearbox for the Kona N,” he said.
If the output remains the same, this would point to a 247bhp base version, with a Kona N ‘Performance’ developing 271bhp. The pokier variant will likely get the same standard-fit electronically-controlled differential as the most potent i30 N.
We should see the car sans camo before the year is out, just before the reveal of the i20 N.
Growing up on a diet of World Rally Championship highlights and lengthy Gran Turismo 2 sessions, a life in cars was as good as inevitable for Matt.
Comments
The most pointless and useless type of cars - sporty suvs
correction, there is a point - making high-performance engines more available on the used market
Good. Every car needs a performance model, imo.
“Sans camo” mais oui Mr Robinson Baguette Croissant
It’ll be interesting to see how it’ll drive: the Kona isn’t much higher or much bigger than the Elantra. If it’s getting the AWD system of the top-spec Kona, it’ll be a very interesting alternative to a smaller hot-hatch, plus the Kona is also getting sold in North America, so it might get exported here as well.