How the Hyundai Kona N compares to other SUVs for the same price

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Hyundai has rolled out a new, sporty version of its Kona crossover called the Kona N.

As a “hot SUV” – as Hyundai puts it – the Kona N is geared toward high performance, alongside Hyundai’s other performance vehicle, the i30 N.

For R750,000, owners get a four-cylinder, 2.0-litre, turbocharged petrol engine, producing 206kW and 392Nm.

Power is delivered to the front wheels via an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, giving the car a 0-100km/h acceleration time of 5.5 seconds, a top speed of 240km/h, and a combined fuel consumption of 8.9l/100km.

Furthermore, the SUV allows the driver to switch to manual and use either the gearstick or paddle shifters to maintain control over the car’s revs.

The car is also fitted with an Electronic Limited Slip Differential (e-LSD) to improve cornering and five drive modes – Eco, Normal, Sport, “N,” and custom.

Similarly, four traction modes can be cycled through to account for dry, wet, snowy, or muddy conditions.

Hyundai fitted a “rev-matching” system, too, which “synchronizes engine speed to the input shaft speed for the next gear, reducing wear and enhancing durability.”

The Kona’s “N Grin Control system” then includes three high-performance functions aimed toward enhancing the driving experience, comprising:

N Power Shift – Mitigates reduction in torque to deliver maximum power
N Grin Shift – Additional 7kW of overboost and 20 seconds of high-performance acceleration
N Track Sense Shift – Selects the correct gear and shift timing

Finally, a series of sporty design choices and exterior features were added.

This includes a double-wing roof spoiler, 19-inch alloy wheels, a low-body profile to improve centre-of-gravity, an active variable exhaust system, and high-performance tyres and brakes.