Hyundai Kona N gets tough hot hatch look

If you thought the first SUV tuned by Hyundai’s N hot shop was going to be a sticker kit and big wheels, think again.

Launching in Australia from around August this year, the first official images of the 2021 Hyundai Kona N reveal a seriously butch look, with an aggressive front-end design featuring much larger air dams than vanilla versions of the compact SUV.

These will be required to funnel more oxygen to the fiery 2.0-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder engine, which should be good for at least 206kW and 392Nm like the Hyundai i30 N.

However, all-wheel drive and an all-new eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission tailored for performance should give it significantly more stomp in a straight line.

Other visual upgrades include larger alloy wheels, expected to be 19 inches in diameter, shod with super-sticky high-performance tyres, side skirts with red pinstripes and a tough new rear-end design with a large double-wing roof spoiler that delivers “enhanced downforce”, according to the Hyundai press statement.

A subtle rear diffuser is in place, flanked by two big-bore exhaust outlets. Expect plenty of acoustic drama from the (switchable) sports exhaust system.

The 2021 Hyundai Kona N will also benefit from bigger, stronger brakes and stiffer, lower suspension which has been finetuned at the Nurburgring road circuit in Germany.

Hyundai’s N division will also upgrade the cabin with sports seats, a new steering wheel and various other features to match its boosted exterior visuals and driving dynamics.

Pricing for the pint-sized South Korean bottle rocket hasn’t been revealed yet, but it’s likely to go close to $50,000 in Australia.

It doesn’t have any direct rivals per se, but is similar in concept to high-performance small SUVs like the Audi RS Q3 ($92,900), MINI Countryman JCW ($61,915) and Mercedes-AMG GLA 45 ($108,100) – albeit more affordable.

Hyundai is launching four new N models in Australia this year, including the i20 N, i30 N facelift, i30 Sedan N and Kona N.

More broadly, another four Hyundai N Line products will launch in 2021, offering similar eye candy but less performance at a more affordable price point.

The Hyundai Kona has been the number-two small SUV in Australia since 2017, behind the Mitsubishi ASX.

However in 2021 the Kona has closed to gap to its Japanese rival and could be poised to overtake it once the hero N model generates more press later in the year.

“As our first SUV to carry the now iconic N badge, we extremely excited to welcome Kona N as the newest member of our rapidly expanding N and N Line range. We are expecting big things from this small SUV,” said Guido Schenken, Hyundai Australia’s PR senior manager.

Stay tuned for more details and drive impressions.