- we spied the upcoming hyundai kona n testing on the nürburgring.
- we expect that the n variant of the hyundai compact crossover will be powered by the same 275-hp turbocharged four-cylinder found in the veloster n.
- expect the kona n to be priced somewhere around $30,000.
one of our favorite things about our long-term hyundai veloster n is the way its exhaust shouts back at you when you shift at its 6750-rpm redline. it's like someone is shooting a 12-gauge out the back. the veloster is currently the only hyundai that gets the full n treatment, though. but hyundai has other cars, too, including the kona compact crossover, and if that sounds boring, you might be excited that we spied an n variant testing on the nürburgring.
the hyundai kona is currently available with two powertrain options. the se and sel models are equipped with a 147-hp four-cylinder paired with a six-speed automatic transmission, while the limited and ultimate models are powered by a 175-hp turbocharged four-cylinder mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic. we expect that the kona n will be powered by the same 275-hp turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder found in the veloster n that we love dearly.
the kona test car we spied here is equipped with some serious dual-exit exhaust tips, making us hope the kona n's exhaust sounds similar to the veloster n's, which we said has "one of the best-sounding four-cylinder exhaust notes this side of a vintage alfa." and that's saying something. it also has the same five-spoke wheels as the veloster n, and we caught it driving on three wheels!
we expect to hear more about the kona's n variant soon, and we're really hoping to hear about a manual transmission option, too. expect the hyundai kona n to start at around $30,000, making it the same kind of performance bargain as the veloster n.