Currently most of the sales are concentrated in SUV bodies. What seemed like a fashion is now a trend that has come to stay and that has made manufacturers focus their efforts on launching models with these characteristics. We have always said that these crossovers are usually at odds with sports sensations for purely physical reasons (height, weight, etc). However, the Hyundai Kona N is a model that wants to be the exception that confirms the rule with a very marked character.
The first thing to say is that “sports SUVs” until now had models very big, very powerful and very expensive always launched by premium brands. Given the growing demand, more compact and logical copies have been made, and even general manufacturers have launched a vehicle. That’s where Hyundai has used his experience in competition to increase the N family with a version of the Kona that has surprised many, including us.
We had the opportunity to test it recently and the truth is that it differs greatly from the other versions of the Kona family. The first is in the aesthetic section, where we have a very aggressive design that stands out for details such as the black grill, the 19-inch wheels, the rear spoiler or that marked diffuser with two generous exhaust outlets. The same happens with its interior, which stands out for the sports seats or by the steering wheel with specific buttons, a detail that dazzles.
Although the truth is that the best thing about the Hyundai Kona N is not how it looks, but how it behaves. It is one of the few SUVs capable of offering strong sensations thanks to the combination of the engine and the tuning of the chassis. It carries the 2.0 T-GDI four-cylinder linked to the N DCT automatic transmission and reaches 280 hp and 392 Nm of torque. It offers some very interesting features, but what ends up convincing is what it transmits in each curve.
The Kona N is configurable in practically all aspects, including the engine, gearbox, suspension, steering or e-LSD limited slip differential. It has functions that this type of model does not usually have, such as the N Grin Shift or Launch Control. And it is especially effective in curves due to its rigidity, even becoming uncomfortable in the city. All this for €45,600a price that is very high to be a general SUV, but that is not so much if we compare it with other premium direct rivals that are 10,000 euros above.
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