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Hyundai Kona N Spied With Less Camo, Rumored to Have AWD

The Veloster N is already a sweet little package, but Hyundai has something more practical planned, the Kona N. This was spied undergoing testing with less camo than before, revealing some of the juicy performance enhancements.
Hyundai Kona N Spied With Less Camo, Rumored to Have AWD 17 photos
Photo: SB-Medien
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The first Hyundai N model was the i30 hatchback, but that's mainly for Europe and Australia. They also made a Fastback version of that. The Veloster N shares the same powertrain, but has one less door.

Everybody knows it's a bad idea to sell a hatchback in America, but put some black body cladding and people will think it's a crossover. Job done!

So on the face of it, the Kona N is like a Golf GTI crossed with a Subaru Crosstrek. It's even supposed to have AWD. The latest rumors support this, and it's hardly surprising, considering you can already have AWD with the 1.6-liter turbo engine.

Speaking of which, the hot Kona is supposed to get a 2.0-liter turbo too. It should have the same old power outputs with the base model getting 250 hp. Honestly, we'd recommend the 270 hp model. Not only is the extra power nice, but you also have bigger brakes and better tires.

Also, there is a rumor going around that the base 250 hp model doesn't pass California emissions targets. On the other hand, the more powerful 270 hp model has a butterfly valve on the exhaust and that apparently helps it pass the smog test.

In terms of performance, the Kona N should take about 6 seconds from 0 to 60 mph. Not only would the AWD help, but Hyundai has just launched its first weight-clutch DCT automatic gearbox that's ideal for quick launches. Considering the entire package can probably be yours for around $35,000, it really puts the WRX and Golf R to shame. Expect a full reveal later this year as a 2021 model.
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About the author: Mihnea Radu
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Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida.
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