N DIVISION’S THIRD ACT
Model Hyundai Kona N
Engine 1998cc 4cyl, dohc, 16v, turbo
Max power 206kW @ 5500rpm
Max torque 392Nm @ 2100-4700rpm
Transmission 8-speed dual-clutch
Weight 1510kg
0-100km/h 5.5sec (claimed)
Economy 8.5L/100km
Price $47,500
On sale Now
THOUGH MANY of us never venture much further off-road than the Woolies carpark, we’re obsessed with SUVs. Then there are those who want these bulky, high-riding load-luggers to also perform and handle like sports cars. To please them, engineers at Porsche, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Land Rover and Jaguar, among others, have spent countless hours on this Mission Impossible.
The Kona N is Hyundai’s attempt at rewriting the laws of physics, its first performance SUV.
Hyundai’s latest N model marries its strikingly styled small SUV with go-fast hardware from the im press ivei30N hot hatch, including the new 206kW and 392Nm iteration of the 2.0-litre turbocharged four banger and the N-spec version of the new eight-speed dual-clutch transmission.
The suspension features heavyduty components such as redesigned steering knuckles, plus new springs and electronically controlled dampers.
The front-wheel-drive Kona N also gets the N-spec electronically controlled limited-slip differential, a revised power-steering system with an e-motor mounted on the rack rather than the steering column to improve response and sensitivity, 19-inch forged alloy wheels wrapped in Pirelli P Zero 235/40 tyres developed specifically for the car, and bigger brakes – 360mm vented rotors up front and 314mm vented items at the rear.
Outside, the front and rear bumper fascias are similarly architected to those of the Kona N Line, but the front splitter has been extended 10mm, while at the rear exhaust outlets the size of bazookas now frame the faux diffuser.
Other visual cues include a large, double-wing roof spoiler extending from the roof and splashes of red on the lower edges of the bodywork and on the brake calipers.
Inside are the N-spec steering wheel, shifter and heavily bolstered seats, all finished in the familiar N palette of black trim with blue accents.
Hyundai’s N division was established by former BMW M chief Albert Biermann. And though Biermann is now head of R&D for the entire Hyundai-Kia group, its enthusiast credentials remain rock solid.
Take this little gem, quoted verbatim from the official press kit: “N is one of few hot SUVs with a manual handbrake instead of an e-brake, allowing
adventurous drivers to enjoy slides”.
The front-wheel drive Kona N gets the N-spec electronically controlled limited slip differential, a revised power steering system with improved response and sensitivity
Alexander Eichler, a former Bosch engineer now working at the HyundaiKia tech center in Rüsselsheim to hone the dynamics of all the company’s cars and SUVs, sums up the Kona N’s mission statement this way: “The target was to make it drive like the i30 N”.
Job done, at least in a straight line: By Hyundai’s own numbers the Kona N is only a tenth of a second slower than the i30 N to 100km/h, taking 5.5sec with launch control, and 6.4sec without.
But Eichler readily concedes you can’t argue with Isaac Newton in the twisty bits. Boasting the same 173mm ground clearance as the regular Kona, the Kona N is 120mm taller than the i30 N. It also weighs about 30kg more “The biggest challenge with the Kona N was its higher center of gravity and higher seating position,” he says, “so we had to make it quite stiff to be as sporty as the i30 N”.
Now, when a German chassis engineer tells you a car has stiff suspension, hold on to your kidneys. And with the dampers set in anything other than Normal mode, the Kona
N’s ride is indeed brutal, with heaves and humps instantly transformed into violent vertical body motions that can unsettle both car and driver.