Currently reading: New 2021 Hyundai Kona N to be revealed on 27 April

Performance version of small SUV joins latest i20 N and recently facelifted i30 N, with more hot models to follow

The third addition to Hyundai's N performance line-up, the Kona N crossover, will be officially revealed on 27 April at a dedicated 'N Day' event. 

Due on sale before the middle of 2021, the Ford Puma ST rival - which Autocar has driven in prototype form - joins the recently revealed i20 N and well-established i30 N as the third pillar of the sub-brand’s range. Hyundai has promised news of other N-badged performance models at the reveal. 

Official prototype shots and renders reveal key performance-focused styling details including chunkier new bumpers and side skirt extensions, large twin-exit exhaust pipes, a new rear spoiler and a bespoke wheel design hiding enlarged brakes with red-painted calipers. 

Tthe Kona N is powered by a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine driving the front wheels, and will be offered with an eight-speed wet dual-clutch transmission, dubbed N DCT. 

Hyundai kona n teaser image 1

The use of the 2.0-litre engine, adapted from the i30 N, is interesting as expectations were that the model would use the 1.6-litre unit of the related i20 N, which puts out 201bhp. That was already more powerful than the Kona N’s main rival - the 197bhp Puma ST - so it remains to be seen if the model will be offered with the 247bhp or 276bhp outputs of the i30 N. 

While the car will initially be front-wheel-drive, the standard Kona can be specced with four-wheel drive on top models, so it’s possible the brand will leverage that. It will also feature a Launch Control system - a function substantially more effective in four-wheel-drive cars. 

Hyundai N also claims it will feature an “emotional sound experience” - likely to be a reference to digital sound generators to enhance the engine note. Till Wartenburg, head of N brand management and motorsport, claims the hot SUV will have “plenty of versatility as well as the driving pleasure like any other N vehicle. Enthusiasts will enjoy taking this car anywhere, from road to the track.”

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A bespoke chassis set-up will complement the power upgrade, with stiffer suspension and performance brakes fitted. The interior, too, will receive the usual N tweaks including sports seats, specific trim detailing and highly configurable drive modes.

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Felix Page

Felix Page
Title: Deputy editor

Felix is Autocar's deputy editor, responsible for leading the brand's agenda-shaping coverage across all facets of the global automotive industry - both in print and online.

He has interviewed the most powerful and widely respected people in motoring, covered the reveals and launches of today's most important cars, and broken some of the biggest automotive stories of the last few years. 

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