Test bench | Hyundai Kona N: old pleasures

There are still vehicles for those who delight in being jolted around corners, acutely feeling road deformations, and brawling with a brutal steering wheel. The N version of the Hyundai Kona is one of them.

Eric LeFrancois
special collaboration

Sport at altitude

A pocket utility with a big heart. That sums up this Kona N, radical in the first sense of the term. A vehicle that remains stubbornly attached to the roots of motoring pleasure: a pushing engine, an efficient chassis, clear technical options and a relatively affordable price. He does not pretend to reinvent the wheel. And that’s good !

A limited-slip differential takes care, among other things, of absorbing, or even eliminating, the effect of torque in the steering. This will probably be less true in the fall (let’s not talk about winter yet, please) when the wet roads will be made even more slippery by dead leaves.

Anyone who will have the idea of ​​exploiting the potential of this vehicle will sometimes have their hands full to contain the wanderings of the front axle, where the only driving wheels are. Unlike the N-Line, decaffeinated version of this model, the N is a simple pull. Understeer is nothing to write home about and the rear end pivots quite well, so the Kona N is fun and nimble enough to take on Autocross competitions.

A real treat

That said, if you re-accelerate a little too soon out of a corner, the Kona N does not always give off an impression of homogeneity. In fact, it could potentially shake more than one when it comes to facing snow or ice. Luckily, the braking turns out to be muscular.

On back roads, the Kona N is a real treat, but you have to keep both hands on the wheel for quick and precise steering. The mechanics are vigorous and brutally fulfill their commitments, as long as the Eco mode is not selected, of course. The other side of the coin, the consumption of the Kona N can easily reach, like prices at the pump, record levels. Worse still, this utility requires premium gasoline to unleash its full potential.

The reinforced rigidity of the chassis, the quality of the tires and the hardening of the suspension elements also contribute to the efficiency of this vehicle in sporty driving.

On the other hand, on a daily basis, one ends up exhausting oneself from feeling the slightest imperfections of the roadway and from hearing the backfires of the exhausts which pierce an insufficiently soundproofed body.

The frills, now

A car to drive rather than a car to live in (the rear seats and the trunk are cramped), the Kona N openly displays its dissent from the other models in the range. In addition to the quantity of “N” pinned on the bodywork and in the passenger compartment, a less observant eye will instantly spot the transformations made. Starting with the three additional perforated air intakes at the base of the bonnet. Next, the scarlet stirrups. Further to the rear, the spoiler, of which nothing is known of its aerodynamic efficiency, nor of the diffuser which is at the very bottom, surrounded by very round exhaust outlets.

If we greatly appreciate its wild and uncompromising side, we would have liked a more rewarding presentation. Especially considering the asking price. On board, some plastics are cheap and easily scratched, while some controls – the interior pull to unlock the fuel tank valve, for example – betray the age of its design. The equipment is complete – no factory options as long as the vehicle is painted white. The other five exterior tints each incur an additional outlay ($200).

No sunroof, but multiple possibilities to configure its space (instrumentation block), and everything necessary to connect the mobile phone is there. Some will not fail to note that the CarPlay or Android Auto interface necessarily requires the use of a USB cable. We’ll deal with it. All the same, the Kona N should not become a watered-down sportsman, because what we like above all about him is his fund of rusticity and his unvarnished personality.

Technical sheet

Engine

• L4 DOHC 2.0L turbocharged
• Power: 276 hp between 5,500 and 6,000 rpm *
• Torque: 289 lb-ft between 2100 and 4700 rpm

* 286 hp (NGS key / for a period of 20 s)

Performance

• Weight: 1515 kg
• Acceleration (0-100 km/h): 5.3s
• Top speed: 240 km/h

Gearbox

• Standard: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
• Optional: none
• Drive mode: traction

Tires

Tank capacity and recommended gasoline

Dimensions

• Wheelbase: 2600mm
• Length: 4215mm
• Height: 1565mm
• Width: 1800 mm (excluding exterior mirrors)

Origin and notoriety

Former manager of BMW’s M subsidiary, Albert Biermann now oversees the technical development of Hyundai’s sports branch. Curiously, the latter adopts the N. The South Korean manufacturer justifies the choice of this letter by recalling that this entity was born in the Namyang district and that its products are then tested on the Nürburgring circuit. To increase the visibility and notoriety of its N models, Hyundai relies on motor racing. In North America, the Elantra N (our photo) defends the colors of the brand in the Michelin Pilot Challenge (IMPC) of the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA).

Follow them tracks

No doubt, the Kona N digs the furrow opened by the Juke Nismo RS (our photo) from Nissan. This Japanese model, which disappeared from our lands too soon, was one of the first to inject a lot of performance into an urban utility. In its RS version, the Juke Nismo managed to extract 215 hp and 210 lb-ft from its four-cylinder engine. Only a six-speed manual transferred power to the front wheels, which used a limited-slip differential. For the record, when it was launched in 2014, the Juke Nismo RS was offered at $28,295.