The Craziest Small Crossover | 2022 Hyundai Kona N Review
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- Опубликовано: 6 авг 2024
- It's not too odd to have a compact or mid-size crossover on the market with over 280 horsepower, but the Kona is a subcompact with 286 peak ponies in overboost, an 8-speed dual clutch transmission, torque vectoring differential, adaptive sports suspension, standard summer tires and big brakes. All that adds up to the Kona N being the ultimate hot... something. Since AWD isn't on offer if you select the N engine, I'm tempted to call it the only subcompact hot hatch in America, but I'm not sure if that's right either. Whatever you want to call it, this N is a blast.
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I giggle at the fact that he looks like a banker or accountant, but has silly fun thumbnails and always crawls into the trunk and then appears close the lid and trap himself inside as a transition to his next chunk of good info. Probably my favorite car reviewer just because he doesn't act the way he looks 😁
Not sure many bankers or accountants wear jeans in their offices but I understand where you’re going
I like this better than the Elantra N. Looks much better.
Thanks for another thorough review. I'm about the same height as you and I really appreciate that you go through the back seats where many reviews skip right over that haha. I like to go on road trips with friends and several of us are over 6 foot tall.
Waiting on the Venue N 😂😭
And the Tucson N, since Volkswagen will not give its customers the Tiguan R or the T-ROC R.😁
That would be amazing. I would love it. The smaller the better as far as I am concerned.
It's too bad Hyundai doesn't make the Entourage anymore that as an N would be interesting.
@@damilolaakanni No T-ROC in North America at all.
@@afcgeo882 that’s exactly what he said
Because of your review I just bought this car, and after 600 miles of driving I love it.
I agree about the three "whatever they are" at the front just below the hood line. Make them useful of eliminate them (I would light them with the DRL's).
Just got one of these for my wife this past weekend. We both love it. Went from 2020 veloster with the performance pkg. got tired of the manual, really like the extra room and the dct
Just bought one LOVE it!
Toyota: it's very expensive to develop a sports car, so we had to hire BMW to make the Supra.
American brands: people aren't buying sedans anymore, so we have to stop making them.
Honda: imposible to add turbo to the HRV is a Family oriented CUV.
Hyundai: LET ME SHOW YOU, HOW GREAT I'M!!!
All Facts. Nicely Stated.
@@baldheadlogic I appreciate you!🙏🏼
I do not disagree... BUT.. Hyundai has mainly just put the same engine and suspension on other vehicles that they already have, and do not get me wrong its awesome to see this, but it is really the same car that can fit different lifestyles as oppose to many sports car options. again, still dope.
@@poppachoppa8956 Exactly, they figured it out! I totally see your point.✌🏼
Now Imagine a Supra with it's own Toyota inline v6, and then they make it fit into an Avalon TRD, I'm 100% it wouldn't have being discontinued, oh, and by the way, we made it fit into a Highlander TRD that is competing vs MDX type S and the Ms and AMGs, of Europe. Wouldn't that be amazing?🧐
@@HappyCarReviews Honestly, anything to get these engines in consumers hands at a reasonable price before electric vehicles become so widespread that it takes center stage. The Veloster N powertrain being used everywhere is a really cool proof of concept for other manufacturers to follow suit, fingers crossed!
very exciting, another Great Informative Review from Alex =) (shame there is no AWD with all the power)
Civic Type R has more power and doesn’t need AWD
Alex, great review but please dont fall for the "SUV" marketing nonsense. This is a good front wheel drive hot hatch - the only difference is they have raised the seat floor with blocks to fool drivers into thinking its an SUV as they sell well.
The ground clearance is nothing like an SUV - most including the RAV4 etc have over 8 inches of ground clearance. Fun fact - the low slung Kia Stinger GT has more ground clearance than this and that offers AWD!
Yes! Check out the clearance on a Kia Niro 😆
If it's officially recognized as an SUV it's an SUV.
Alex had already reviewed the Kona N some weeks ago and the thumbnail text did address the nebulousness of what this vehicle does or looks like vs what Hyundai markets it as (crossover): "Whatever it is...its fun!"
@@scott8919 There’s no such thing as an “official recognition.”
It’s kind of moot. Basically “everything” is an suv/cuv these days-“cars” are basically gone because they don’t sell.
Yes, the niro is just a raised unibody hatchback, but so are 80% of the new vehicles made now.
big fun, small package! my perfect description
“Absolutely Magnificent Review, Quite Informative and Entertaining…😊
the KonaN looks so much better than the ElantraN
I know and I had to decide between the two of these vehicles last weekend and I ended up buying a Kona N. I was replacing the VN DCT and I went to a much more comfortable vehicle and I am so pleased with the purchase.
Price is $35,425 including destination.
This thing looks awesome! I kind of want a stubby little daily with some zip like this. I was looking at Stingers but I cant find a 4 banger new and the price/fuel economy on the v6's are a bit yikes. Probably wont be able to find this thing at MSRP either, with the current car market, though =/
I owned a stinger 3.3TT GT for a year.This is a better vehicle for all around use.The stinger sits very low and is really a sports car.The skirts etc--had dings and nicks on it and I am a careful driver and ceramic coat the car.I sold it for a huge profit 6 months ago--bought a CX-30 premium plus turbo--and just traded the mazda today--even trade on a 22 KONA N--paid 1k for the taxes and fees and the KONA is just way better overall then a stinger because of the ride height--better fuel mileage.The stinger--I have videos of me at public drag---- does have insane performance.I have 100s of hours of track time and for a daily driver the KONA N is perfect--I am starting a learning curve and will shoot videos after the break in period for the KONA--but for something under 40k--it has exceptional performance--also the brakes are fantastic--i plan on putting cross drilled and vented rotors on mine soon to make it totally track level.
I got mine at MSRP by walking away and then calling back and telling them if they didn’t lower the price I would wait.
The veloster is gonna sail off into the sunset because in 2020 they only sold 7,000 of them and in 2021 so far they haven't even broken 2,000 in sales. It wouldn't surprise me if they replaced the veloster and veloster N with an elantra hatch and hatch N, since the veloster shares a platform with it already. Tbh it might just end up being a rebrand the same way the subaru outback completely took over the legacy wagon sales despite them being functionally the same
tell Hyundai Corp, I was in California Concord Hyundai dealer trying to buy a Kona N, they wanted + $10K for a $35K car almost 20-25% over MSRP !!!! that CRAZY !!!
Kona N needs AWD and I’m sold!
I love this car.
Front end designer: “let’s just put a bunch of stuff on the front”
So would you cross shop this vs. a GTI?
Kona N and Elantra N are my favorite N models from Hyundai.
Any chance of a refreshed Kona EV review? Would love to see what you think of the differences
grrrr wanna love this car . . . the DCT is fine, the lack of AWD is a problem as I live in a cold, snowy climate and I'd really miss that moon roof.
Really would like to see the N Line review over this. Since that’s the car a vast majority of people will get.
@@anonymous00117 The N Line Kona is the same as the Limited 1.6T. The Elantra N Line actually does have suspension tuning changes (Stiffer front spring rate and shock tuning), multi-link rear suspension, and some other small tweaks over base Elantras including the 1.6T engine. The Kona N Line and Tucson N Line are the two fully appearance based N Line's so far. All other N Line models have very functional upgrades over their base counterparts.
Didn't know the Kona N had a torque vectoring differential. Really interesting, especially at this price point. Do any competitors come with it? All I'm aware of are the Golf R and TLX, which aren't direct competitors.
It's an e-LSD and it's available on the Veloster N and now, the Elantra N too. The later model GTIs (2018+ Performance Packs) have them along with the Focus ST (the current model that we don't get in the US) does too. Although the GTI mk7.5 doesn't lock as hard as a Veloster N. The GTI mk8 can lock as hard and is adjustable via the infotainment, just like the Veloster N. There's also the Corvette C7 (don't know which models) that comes with an e-LSD and is currently the only car that I know of that is RWD with the e-LSD. Lookup "VW VAQ" if you want to know more on how it works as they are all clutch type LSDs and they all work the same.
Is the Kona N available in that blue colour like the Elantra?
My next vehicle!!!
Kona looks awsome but your statement that the Kona is better than the Veloster N is asinine! The veloster and the elantra have a better center to gravity unlike the kona which make them better track cars! The kona is marketed for a more reserved/family vehicle with a less aggressive but still good performance. As for the Veloster N, it's not going anway! Lol. It's still thier first and most popular in the N series.
On the fence with this one. I like some aspects of it, but don't like other parts of it. Love the looks, but really don't like the fake vents and lights and lack of sun roof. Lots of power without AWD and no manual. Would you guys go with this or GTI?
Brian, I feel the same way. If it had AWD and a manual transmission option I think it would be a great alternative to the GTI.
I think it will all come down to price. If it's going to be the same MSRP as the GTI, I think people will choose the GTI. Other than the infotainment unit of the new GTI, I think VW has the upper hand over this vehicle.
If Hyundai prices this 2-3 thousand dollars less than the GTI, it may take some sales away from VW but still not enough to be a serious sales threat.
I've seen reviewers say no one would cross shop this with a GTI. This literally is a GTI. Nearly identical width, length, cargo space; the GTI has better rear legroom; the N is 2" taller. The GTI's motor is underrated, and the N's motor is overrated... net result the quarter mile is nearly identical. GTI gets better mpg and is cheaper. So sure - Hyundai did a good job making this, but the GTI has existed for a long time.
Just got the GR Corolla with a manual transmission and AWD.
Okay so I keep hearing conflicting things on this: does this thing come with adaptive cruise control or no?
Not in US
If this had AWD, I'd be interested
This won't do much in the rain
There are 100 vehicles I'd rather spend a sunny day on than a FWD Kona
Agreed, by the time they put in AWD and beef up the DCT to handle said AWD, it will cost as much as a Golf R. In that case I might as well just buy the Golf R.
@@thomaschan4981
Hyundai wants you to spend $40k on a Tucson N instead of a Kona N.
Bought one.. fastest fuel gauge I've ever seen
FYI
Price: ~$34K + $1,200 destination (+ dealer markup, YMMV)
0-60 in ~5s
You are cool Alex!
Why not AWD?
Hey Alex, when do you expect to complete the FULL REVIEW?!
I really dislike DCTs so I would prefer a manual or normal auto, but the thing I can't wrap my head around is Hyundai not making AWD available in these performance vehicles. That's the deal breaker to me.
I wonder Why they didn't they use a black rear badge to match the front and other black trim ?
Sadly my issue with this car is just purely on a daily drive basis. Why? If we hit the EPA rated 23 average MPG with the itty-bitty 13.2 gallon tank we are talking a comical 303.6 mile range if we use every bit of gas in the tank. Leave a gallon in reserve and we are talking the hilarious number of 280.6 for range. Ouch that’s getting gas a lot.
Hey Alex, could you sometimes have a short person review the seats for comfort please? Have any short women driven this car? How about fitting a purse or two close at hand? I'm 5'3". In the 2012 Camry it feels like the driver's seat was designed for a tall man. It provides little back support and it can create pain points.
If this was manual with awd I would be all in.
veloster N and elantra N are also great
But it’d be well over 35k at that point
@@GHinWI since it wouldn’t have competition it would be worth it
@@D.mo7 just buy the golf R
It’s alright
Amazing car! Is the dual clutch transmission any good? Those transmission are a little jumpy between first and second gear on heavy traffic. Is that problem solved in this car?
It is not bad at all
As an owner of the KN, it is leagues better than their previous 7-speed DCT, but you can sometimes catch first gear being a little rough. Doesn't happen often though.
Wait….no moonroof/sunroof I swore that was a feature that was announced. That’s a huge dealbreaker…
Not really. 90% of people with moonroofs rarely open their moonroof.
@@sabrimo4020 Not true. I use my all the time minus cold weather
@@sabrimo4020 It doesn't need to open for it to serve the purpose. Just need it to exist so you can have natural light come in and make the cabin feel open. Otherwise it feels like you are in a dungeon when you are on long trips - like what Compact SUVs are USED FOR. No one wants to be driving in a dark lit cabin for 7 hours. That's the point of the moonroof it to make it feel spacious and airy. This is why Tesla cars feel so great because you feel like you are driving around in a glass house. Stupid oversight by Hyundai here for their CUV product...
It adds weight
@@anonymous00117 I didn't speak for anyone, but myself. Please troll on somewhere else.
Wonder how durable these DCTs will be in city/stop and go heavy traffic. That is a lot of clutch slipping to start. Hopefully it is easy to change the fluid.
Yeah abut the fluid change. If it’s one of those “fIlL fOr LiFe” systems, where the life of the whole transmission is defined by how long the fluid lasts, that’d be a real fail.
My wife has an '18 Soul turbo, with the 7-speed DCT, which I believe was Kia/Hyundai's first effort at a DCT. It's awful, especially off the line and when moving slowly. I suspect they've gotten better by now, and this is obviously a different unit being 8-speed.
@@BrakRulesAll It's that dct a dry one??? I believe it is, and a wet dct makes a difference.
@@Retiredmco 7 speed is dry yes.
@@princesiraj1 Yes the Kia soul turbo has 7 speed dry dct. But Kona N is a wet dct 8 speed.
I really like so much about this car. From the "you can't always get what you want desk", manual transmission. Looking to replace my '05 WRX hatch next year for something that has some zip to the right pedal and comes with a third pedal.
You can from the GTI or the Integra.
@@afcgeo882 I would add the Civic R but when it lands the dealers will have "market adjustments"
@@stevethomas760 The Civic Type R is a higher category of performance, closer to the Golf R and the WRX STi, but there are no standards really.
@@afcgeo882 I agree, higher standard = $$
no adaptive cruise control???
What if I want to take my bbq auto-crossing?
Finally something reliable that also fast
You have reliability data on a new car?
@@GHinWI It's more of a Brand thing, you can ask your mechanic
I think fake vents on cars spoil them but I would like to see on the Konami n that the ones on the front should be opened up for use of an induction air kit that I think would sound good
It’s not periwinkle.
"PerformaNce PeriwiNkle"
If they had done AWD they would have had a hit on their hands. BTW, we love our little Kona Limited.
Maybe with the 2023 facelift upgrade, there will also be an AWD model of the Kona (Kona N) with an electric motor in the rear axles. 🤔
If they made this AWD I would trade my Veloster N for it right now. This could have been a Korean Focus RS lol but alas the Veloster N is still the best driver's experience you can get under $40k (Type Rs are all being marked up closer to $50k everywhere)
I want a electric Kona N
Get the existing electric Kona + aftermarket coilover?
Kona N price just released. They all come fully loaded.
$35,425
$400 more than the Veloster N with the DCT.
Beautiful styling except for the lower rear lights. Impressive performance figures
It should be liiegal for a subcompact vehicle to net 23 mpg in 2021.
Not with that type of power.
The front could use at least three more grills and six more fake vents
…also needs more headlight modules on the front…4 just doesn’t get it anymore
Alex is your vehicle size scale by centimeters for each dot? I'm always confused
It's a relative comparison rather than an absolute metric.
@@AAutoBuyersGuide got it
While I agree the scale is a great idea, I also have the same issue…it seems to exaggerate differences between fairly similar cars. I wonder if it might be more useful if it covered the full scale off passenger vehicles, e.g., from a Mini Cooper on the left & Chevy suburban on the extreme right.
No fog lights because it needs extra cooling? But blocked off anyways?
The internals are different so supposedly the fog lamps would have interfered with the changed cooling paths behind the bumper.
If it had a regular manual, it would be a no-brainer.
Nice review #Hyundai
The styling is overwrought. I definitely prefer the more mature and balanced GTI
👍🏻
In terms of performance this CUV is still leauges better lmfao.
I snagged an outgoing Mk 7.5 Autobahn and LOVE IT. And its footprint with what it offers is got about the most practical, functional space available in North America. I also wanted it for the tow capacity. I did a lot of in-depth research and it's got the identical Transmission, clutch, engine and tune that you get out of the European version and it's rated to tow 700kg unbraked and 1600 kg with trailer brakes... so for us Americans: you can tow in excess of 1,500-3,500lbs and be within "factory spec".
Remembering the laws are different over there and driving conditions can be very different depending on where you're at, I would shave a bit off this if I was going to hit the freeway with semis and pickup trucks with massive campers on going 80mph without anti away hitches, but you should be able to tow 2,000 pounds without any issue if you're responsible.
@@NoZenith Good points but the consumer market for towing with either the GTI or the Kona N is limited enough to hold national conventions in a Holiday Inn ballroom.
@@stephenhendricks103 😆 too right! Everybody here needs a pickup truck to even think about going to pick up a grill from Walmart😆
Just tell the wife that this is a practical Asian reliable CUV that is easy to park so you get her buy in. Win/win. Btw, Alex keeps referencing the Golf R, that hot hatch is way more expensive, like $40k.
and this is 35k. not that much more
I also wished Hyundai would at least color-match the area between the top lights.
These N cars will be marked up by dealers. The $35k Veloster N is marked up to $45k at a dealer near me...
🤣 goodnight
Living in Minnesota, if this had AWD, it would be a very difficult vehicle to ignore.
Some snow tires w/ the eLSD at it will be just fine.
heated and cooled not in the regular spot
Does Hyundai actually have torque vectoring (as in overdriving one of the wheels with gearing) or is it the brake-based kind?
It's a clutch type LSD that locks via an electric motor.
There's some doubt that Hyundai will be making the Kona N in 2024. They always make cars that end up being discontinued. At any rate the styling of the 2024 Kona will be dramatically different. I'll keep my GTI thanks.
Holy cow you're talking fast, its almost too much to keep up with. Luckily they're other reviews out there, a rare miss Alex.
Hey Alex, is there any reason why there was such little coverage from the LA Auto show?
Even because I'm a N fan, I don't understand Hyundai's direction with it. Why does Kona N have different blue color from all other N models? Why does it have a more powerful engine, but have basic seats instead of those with lighting N logo? 🤔
$
I love the blue on the Veloster N, but the freaking blue on this is a whole different kind of blue. Love both of them actually
They actually made the PP blue in other regions. The Sonic Blue color that we get in the US, is also available in other regions and it was intended to become the N color for N-SUVs over the PP Blue. Basic seats have a lot of bolstering, and the intent was for these to focus a bit more on comfort... the EN/VN seats look nice, but don't feel as comfortable as the KN seats. I do agree that they should've added a lighting N logo to them... that was just a cruel move.
The way the gauges are tucked into that hole it makes the dash look dated. I drove the turbo Kona a while back and it was a fun little car
Excellent product! Hyundai is killing it 🔥🔥🔥
Fortunately, Hyundai's resale value plummets, so it'll be better to wait 2 years and get a better deal on a one owner lease with low mileage and a clean Carfax.
That's how my buddy got his avalon
Kona N vs Gla 45 amg????
Huge difference. The GLA 45 AMG is in the same category as the Porsche Macan GTS/Turbo, not the Kona lol
Really disappointed the Kona N doesn't have a manual option
i20 and i30 N are more suitable for autocross thanks to their lowered ground clearance...but no thanks because not available in NA.
impressive this little kona is more powerful than that much bigger and expensive $70000 mercedes gle350
Anyone else read the title as Hyundai Korea North on their first pass?
Why can’t we get a sonata N, with 375 hp. Hyundai’s version of the stinger. Put all the N trim on it, it would look awesome. I think that would sell.
Considering that KIA is discontinuing the Stinger as a result of slow sales, I'm sure it gives Hyundai pause in terms of a full "N" version of the Sonata as you suggest.
I can’t believe the Elantra GT died for this
How long will the grill last in city street parking?
Ummm forever
31-33 Yeah if only. Honestly for 35k you don't get a lot of physical car for the price
A better SQ3 ?
This Kona N or a base Porsche Macan?
Dude, base macan is like $60K... gtfo
@@karmahunden That wasn't the question.
I still love my 2016 Veloster R-Spec. It has less power than the Kona N, but just as much cargo capacity. It gets better fuel mileage and uses 87 octane. OK, not quite as fast, but greater practicality. I have no need to "upgrade".
Kia should make a Seltos GT. It has so much potential to be a really cool, fast crossover.
Seems like a quick and versatile vehicle. I may get one and take Woodstock to visit my brother Spike in Needles CA
Thank you, Hyundai! Race cars don't need sunroofs
Conan!!!
For me, they missed the mark without making it AWD.. Speaking of the Kona N that is
They hellah missed the mark in general, they should've just slapped on some sort of AWD, the masses and females would've eaten it up.
Darn no AWD
They actually listened to suggestions that were made. biggest problem will be what happens when dealers get them, i expect those greedy ones will tack on ADM stickers to hijack additional pure profit over msrp. 🙄😤🤮
It's definitely ugly. But is it so ugly it's kinda cute?
😆
An interesting pair of reviews of Hyundai's "N" offerings today. As a GTI owner the more interesting to me is the Kona N. In fact, the Kona N strikes me as the most direct rival of the GTI in the US market. Calling the Hyundai a "crossover" or "SUV" stretches the definition of that category to or beyond the breaking point. The Kona N is a "hot hatch." Period. I haven't driven the Kona N, of course. Nor the MK8 GTI for that matter. So I'll reserve judgment about their respective strengths and weaknesses. But while my experience and biases favor the VW, I have to admit that the Kona N is the only vehicle I'd cross shop versus a GTI.