2022 Hyundai Kona N performance crossover teased with no camouflage
The Kona N will pack the same 275-hp turbo four as the Veloster N.
The Kona N looks hot.
Hyundai today released new teasers for the upcoming Kona N crossover, and while there aren't any real surprises -- it was teased with light camouflage back in January -- it's exciting nonetheless. The Kona N will be Hyundai's second N model in the US and the brand's first performance SUV, and it definitely won't be the last.
With the new teasers we've got a much better look at the Kona N's aggressive front end. It's quite similar to the recently unveiled Kona N Line, but the hotter model has a unique grille pattern, more open lower intakes and a red accent on the splitter. There's an N badge in the grille too, of course, and it looks like the Kona N will be offered with matte paint.
Check out that exhaust!
The Kona N also gets red accents that run along the splitter, rear diffuser and side skirts, a hallmark of existing N models. It's got body-colored fender flares like the N Line, and the N will also have unique wheel designs. But the biggest changes are at the rear, where the reshaped diffuser houses massive dual exhaust tips and there's a split-level wing design at the top of the hatch that also features a triangular brake light.
Hyundai is describing the Kona N as a "hot SUV," and it's certainly shaping up to be one. While we previously thought the Kona N would have all-wheel drive -- it is an SUV, after all -- prototype drive reports from our friends overseas indicate that the Kona N will only be offered with front-wheel drive. That's all right, though, as the front-drive Veloster N with which the Kona will share its powertrain is an absolute riot. Expect a turbocharged four-cylinder engine with 275 horsepower mated to a fantastic eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, and an exhaust note that will piss off your neighbors.
We don't yet know exactly when the Kona N will debut, with Hyundai only saying that more information will be revealed "soon." The Kona N should go on sale by the end of the year with a price tag of around $35,000,
