The Hyundai Kona N is pitched as a hot hatch SUV. Before you dismiss the styling or the concept, you should see how it drives.
- Great turbo engine and twin-clutch gearbox combination
- Grippy tyres, great brakes, awesome handling
- Tall driving position, cabin practicality
- Adventurous styling is an acquired taste
- No air vents for back seat passengers
- You’ll spend time explaining what it is
Introduction
The 2022 Hyundai Kona N has established a new niche: a hot hatch take on the small SUV.
Before you dismiss it out of hand based on looks or the concept, it’s worth paying closer attention. This is one of the surprise packets of 2021.
While we have seen high-riding, high-performance, high-end SUVs from the likes of Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Lamborghini and others, the smallest, most affordable SUV with hot hatch DNA until now has been the Volkswagen Tiguan R (already on sale in Europe but due in local showrooms next year).
The Hyundai Kona N shares its turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine (206kW/392Nm) and eight-speed twin-clutch automatic gearbox with the Hyundai i30 N hot hatch.
Both the new Hyundai Kona N and recently updated Hyundai i30 N take advantage of a power boost to the turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder that arrived with the original Hyundai i30 N in 2018 (now with an extra 4kW and 39Nm).
Although the Hyundai Kona N has SUV proportions – and pretensions – it is squarely targeted at the tarmac and is front-drive only. The low-profile tyres and lowered suspension should be the other giveaways this really isn’t an SUV. It’s a high-riding hot hatch.
Customarily, a taller centre of gravity would be considered a drawback. But thanks to the wonders of tyre, suspension and steering technology, as we would discover, the Hyundai Kona N is surprisingly capable in corners.
Instead, think of it as a hot hatch with extra occupant space and a taller driver’s view (though the Kona has a smaller boot than the i30, in case that question ever comes up at a trivia night).
There are two models in Australia: the Hyundai Kona N priced from $47,500 plus on-road costs, and the Hyundai Kona N Premium from $50,500 plus on-road costs. The only options are metallic paint ($595) and matte paint ($1000).
On Hyundai Australia’s website as this article was published, drive-away prices ranged from $52,000 to $56,000.
| Key details | 2022 Hyundai Kona N |
| Price | $47,500 or $50,500 plus on-road costs ($52,000 to $56,000 drive-away) |
| Colour of test car | Performance Blue |
| Options | None |
| Rivals | Hyundai i30 N | Volkswagen Golf GTI | Ford Focus ST |
Inside
The base-model Hyundai Kona N has sports seats, a sports steering wheel, a stubby N-labelled automatic gear lever, and alloy pedal covers.
Both the base and Premium models are equipped with two 10.25-inch widescreen display screens, one for infotainment and the other for instruments. Each display has custom settings.
And both versions of the Hyundai Kona N come with a sensor key with push-button start. Sensors are located on the front external door handles but not the rear.
The rest of the interior is typical of regular versions of the Hyundai Kona, with a tall roof, reasonable back seat space for this class of vehicle, though a smaller 361L boot than the Hyundai i30 hatch, with 381L, on which the Kona is based (a skinny space-saver tyre is stowed under the boot floor).
Comfort and convenience items include one-touch power windows for front-seat occupants, tinted rear glass, and vanity mirrors with ticket holders behind both sun visors.
The side mirrors have a power folding function so you know the car is locked just by looking at it.
There are two ISOFIX child-seat mounting points and three top-tether strap locators, which means an old-school child seat can be fitted in the centre of the back seat.
Single zone air-conditioning is standard on both model grades of the Hyundai Kona N, and there are no vents to the rear seats.
The Premium version adds a plastic head-up display screen on top of the dash, suede leather seats, front parking sensors, auto-dimming mirror, power adjustment for the front seats, a panoramic sunroof, ambient cabin lighting, heated and ventilated front seats, and a heated steering wheel.
| 2022 Hyundai Kona N | |
| Seats | Five |
| Boot volume | 361L seats up / 1143L seats folded |
| Length | 4125mm |
| Width | 1800mm |
| Height | 1565mm |
| Wheelbase | 2600mm |
Infotainment and Connectivity
You could get lost trying to navigate the functions embedded in the 10.25-inch infotainment screen and 10.25-inch instrument cluster, both of which have a vast choice of options and display settings.
As with the Hyundai i20 N and i30 N hot hatch siblings, the Hyundai Kona N has embedded lap-timing and track maps for those keen to test their skills on a track day.
The Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connections are wired (rather than wireless), which is a good thing given the gremlins in wireless smartphone connectivity. However, there is a wireless phone charging pad, as well as one 12V socket and one USB charge port up front, and one USB charge port for back seat passengers.
AM/FM and digital radio are standard, as is embedded navigation with live traffic updates.
Safety and Technology
The regular version of this-generation Hyundai Kona earned a five-star safety score when it went on sale in 2017. But the Hyundai Kona N is unrated because it hasn’t been crash-tested in this configuration.
Further, if it were tested to 2021’s more stringent safety standards, it is unclear if it would repeat its previous five-star safety result. Nevertheless, it has the same ingredients as the Hyundai Kona when it earned a five-star rating in 2017.
Standard safety technology includes six airbags, autonomous emergency braking, radar cruise control, lane-keeping assistance, rear cross-traffic alert, blind-zone warning, safe-exit door warning, tyre pressure monitors, a rear-view camera and rear parking sensors.
Front parking sensors are only available on the dearer model (a bit rich given these are considered a basic feature these days).
Conspicuous by its absence: speed sign recognition technology, which is available on the Hyundai i20 N, but hasn’t yet been adapted to the Hyundai Kona N and Hyundai i30 N.
| 2022 Hyundai Kona N | |
| ANCAP rating | Hyundai Kona N is unrated |
| Safety report | Regular Hyundai Kona range received a five-star rating in 2017 |
Value for Money
The warranty is five years/unlimited kilometres and you’re covered on track days as long as it’s not a race, you’re not racing against the clock, the car is well-maintained, and the car hasn’t been modified or abused.
Service intervals are 12 months/10,000km (whichever comes first). Most passenger cars have service intervals of 12 months/15,000km for routine maintenance, but performance cars are known to require more frequent visits (hence the 10,000km limit).
The cost of routine maintenance is not cheap, but not the dearest in the business, capped at $335 per visit for the first five years and 50,000km.
| At a glance | 2022 Hyundai Kona N |
| Warranty | Five years / unlimited km |
| Service intervals | 12 months / 10,000km |
| Servicing costs | $1005 (3 years), $1675 (5 years) |
| Fuel cons. (claimed) | 9.0L/100km |
| Fuel cons. (on test) | 9.0L to 11.0L/100km |
| Fuel type | 95-octane premium unleaded |
| Fuel tank size | 50L |
Driving
Confession: I went into the Hyundai Kona N preview drive with low expectations. I was soon proven wrong.
On the road it has the firm-ish suspension typical of hot hatches but was more comfortable than, say, the Hyundai i20 N we drove the same day on the same preview drive.
The power advantage the Hyundai Kona N has over the smaller Hyundai i20 N is also apparent when you’re driving both cars back-to-back, especially as the eight-speed auto slams through each gear and gives the car a nudge forward with each ratio.
Then there is the handling. It’s quite remarkable what engineers can do with access to the latest tyre and suspension technology. These particular Pirelli P Zero tyres (235/40R19) were calibrated for this car and this suspension.
The Kona N has superb grip and great braking performance and pedal feel.
There are floating brake callipers front and rear, but the brake pad has a large swept area and the discs have grown since the original Hyundai i30 N, to 360x30mm up front and 314x20mm at the rear (versus 345x30mm up front and 314x20mm at the rear previously).
With its unusual design, the Hyundai Kona N might look like a cartoon drawing, but it means serious business.
Hyundai Australia reckons it’s as fast around Wakefield Park Raceway as the original Hyundai i30 N – but concedes the updated Hyundai i30 N has stepped the pace up a notch.
When you’re splitting milliseconds, a lower centre of gravity and a slightly lighter weight can feel like a big difference.
The Hyundai Kona N tips the scales between 1510kg and 1569kg; the latest Hyundai i30 N weighs between 1480kg and 1541kg (leaving a difference of between 28kg and 30kg between the Hyundai i30 N and Hyundai Kona N).
But judging the Hyundai Kona N by the seat of the pants, it’s still an absolute hoot.
| Key details | 2022 Hyundai Kona N |
| Engine | 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol |
| Power | 206kW @ 5500-6000rpm |
| Torque | 392Nm @ 2100-4700rpm |
| Drive type | Front-wheel drive |
| Transmission | Eight-speed twin-clutch automatic |
| Weight (kerb) | 1510kg to 1569kg |
| Turning circle | 11.66m |
Conclusion
I approached this car thinking it was an oddity. Having tested it on road and track, it now makes perfect sense to me.
So can we all please just decide right here and now that it’s not a hot hatch SUV? Instead, it’s a high-riding hot hatch.
With some exceptions, such as the unusual styling and a few missing items on the spec sheet (front parking sensors and speed-sign recognition, for example), the Hyundai Kona N makes a compelling case for a new type of fun car – and, potentially, a new vehicle category.
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