{also piping hot}
Hyundai will equip the Kona N with a 247-horsepower turbocharged fourcylinder, which should be good for a zero-to-60-mph time of 5.1 seconds. PHOTO: HYUNDAI
• Kona receives the performance treatment: Hyundai’s compact crossover is a jack-of-all-trades machine available with a mild-mannered 147-horsepower 2.0-liter four-cylinder or an available 175-horsepower turbocharged 1.6. There’s also a 201-horsepower electric motor with a maximum range of 250 miles. A fourth variant — the Kona N — will join the trio later this year as a 2022 model. This performance model will get a 247-horsepower turbocharged 2.2-liter four-cylinder and an eight-speed automatic transmission. According to Hyundai, the Kona N will hit 60 mph from rest in very respectable 5.1 seconds.
• VW spills the beans on the Buzz: Of the many electric models slated for production by Volkswagen, one of the most eagerly anticipated is the ID.Buzz. This reincarnation of the Volkswagen Microbus that once transported families to school and hippies to rock concerts was expected to arrive in electrified form to North America in 2022. VW now says the ID.Buzz will arrive a year later in passenger and two-seat commercial versions (minus side windows). The ID. Buzz, which will be built on the same platform as the ID.4 hatchback coming this spring, will reportedly have front and rear electric motors that produce a combined 374 horsepower. Range is expected to be about 250 miles. • A new Bronco model appears to be in the planning stages: The Sleuth has learned that a third version of Ford’s iconic off-road nameplate will join the recently launched Bronco Sport and the stouter Bronco model arriving this summer. The four-door Bronco pickup that joins the group in mid-2024 will use a relatively short cargo bed. It’s also likely that a factory-installed removable roof section will be offered — either as standard or optional — a feature available for the competing Jeep Gladiator pickup from the aftermarket. The Bronco’s 270-horsepower turbocharged 2.3-liter four-cylinder and optional 310-horsepower turbo V-6 are both likely to be available for the pickup.
Vinfast from Vietnam plans to sell a trio of electric vehicles in North America, beginning with the VF33 utility vehicle. PHOTO: VINFAST
• Never heard of Vinfast? You will soon: This Vietnam-based multi-national car company has been in existence for less than four years and is embarking on an ambitious plan to export electric vehicles to North America by 2022. The first of a planned trio of models will reportedly begin with the VF33 utility vehicle that’s roughly the size of the Chevrolet Traverse. The VF33’s 402-horsepower motor uses a 106-kilowatt-hour battery that’s claimed to deliver more than 300 miles of range. The vehicle offers three rows of seats plus a spectrum of dynamic-safety technologies and semi-autonomous driving assistance. Also expected is the smaller VF32 tall wagon that uses a more modest power system. Pricing and sales specifics are currently unknown.
Alpha Motor Corporation: The Irvine, Calif. startup’s all-wheeldrive Ace Coupe Performance Edition has two electric motors claimed to propel the vehicle to 60 mph from rest in 4.6 seconds. The range is projected to be 250 miles. Pricing starts at $32,000 with deliveries beginning in 2023.