The potent Hyundai Kona N will be coming to South Africa in early 2022. Here’s what you can expect.
The Kona N was officially revealed in April 2021 and it’ll be the brand’s first hot SUV. At the recent SA launch of the Hyundai Staria, representatives of the brand confirmed the Kona N will be arriving in January/February 2022.
It features a 2.0-litre turbocharged 4-cylinder petrol engine which produces 206 kW and 392 Nm. All of that goes to the front wheels via an 8-speed dual-clutch gearbox. This is not a straight-line specialist either with Hyundai supplying a high-performance suspension, electronic limited-slip differential and performance brakes to help it take corners at pace.
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Hyundai says the Kona N is good for a 0-100 kph of around 5.5 seconds, thanks to a neat overboost trick that increases power to 213 kW for a few seconds. Like the Hyundai i30 N, the Kona N features 5 drive modes which all offer variations in engine responsiveness, steering feel, stability control grip and even exhaust sound.
The car features plenty of N badging as well as some great-looking sporty wheels and twin exhaust pipes. Inside, the Kona N features racing seats, a 10-inch digital dashboard and a large infotainment screen that features performance data like lap times and G-Forces.
What about the Hyundai i30 N? While the lack of a dual-clutch transmission may have turned some customers off, we loved our time with the Korean brand’s first attempt at making a performance hot hatchback. The great news is that the Hyundai i30 N has not been forgotten and the updated model you see here will be arriving alongside the Kona N.
>Read More: Hyundai i30 N Review: Better than a GTI?
It too will feature the 2.0-litre turbocharged 4-cylinder petrol engine as before, but this facelifted model now has 206 kW and 392 Nm, up from the 202 kW and 353 Nm. The big news is that the facelifted Hyundai i30 N will feature an 8-speed dual-clutch gearbox, which gives it better acceleration figures. The pre-facelift was said to hit 100 kph in 6.1 seconds, with this update 5.9 seconds is the claim.
When is the Hyundai Kona N being launched in South Africa?
Hyundai SA says its new Kona N as well as the updated i30 N will be launched locally in January/February 2022. After our first experience with the Korean brand’s first N product, we’re quite excited.
