Hyundai reveals its performance future

A game-changing performance car has donated its turbo power to a new breed of SUV – and this is only the first of many more to come.

Hyundai’s Kona N is on the way to Australia.

Hyundai is shaping up to reset the performance car scene with a broad range of fast cars. The brand is set to have 18 high-performance N and sporty N-Line models on sale by the end of next year, including the new Kona N performance SUV.

Based on the compact Kona crossover, the new Kona N is powered by the same hardware as the upcoming Hyundai i30 N DCT.

Hyundai’s Kona N shares its hardware with the i30N hot hatch.

That means it has a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo engine with 206kW and 392Nm, which rises to 213kW during brief periods of overboost.

Power goes to the front wheels through a new eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission with paddle shifters and launch control.

The Kona N has customisable drive modes.

Hyundai defended the decision not to offer the car with all-wheel-drive on economic grounds, saying it prioritised affordability over the ultimate performance offered by the likes of Audi’s RS Q3 or the Mercedes-AMG GLA 45.

Hyundai research and development boss Albert Biermann says the Kona N attempts to maximise every customer’s “fun per dollar”.

Hyundai promises the Kona N will be capable on track.

Thomas Schemera, the manufacturer’s global chief of marketing, says Hyundai’s N Division must “stay very affordable and accessible”.

“There is no real competitor to the Kona N,” he says.

“We believe the Kona N will have a good success with front wheel drive.”

Schemera is right to say affordable high-performance SUVs are thin on the ground. Subaru’s Forester is no longer available with WRX power, and manufacturers with hot hatch expertise such as Renault, Peugeot, and Honda have not attempted a high-riding performance car.

Volkswagen will give it a crack with the upcoming T-Roc R, which is set to combine a 221kW engine and all-wheel-drive next year.

The car’s development took place at Germany’s Nurburgring circuit.

Hyundai’s Schemera says the brand will offer has more performance cars in the pipeline. But the potential for fire-breathing SUVs with powerful combustion engines must be weighed against the global push for greener cars.

“We are moving to eco-friendly vehicles to come,” Schemera says.

“One of Hyundai’s top priorities is electrification.

“You can easily imagine where we are heading. We are ready to deliver, so please stay tuned for more.”

Biermann says Hyundai is examining the possibility of electric vehicles with hydrogen fuel cell power as a range booster.

Hyundai has flirted with several midship Veloster concepts.

That might take the form of a rear-wheel-drive coupe inspired by Hyundai’s wild-looking the RM20E concept car, though the brand isn’t convinced it can convince people to pay Porsche-rivalling prices for a Korean sports car.