Yahoo Autos 2023 Hyundai Kona N Road Test: Finally, an affordable, hot crossover
DETROIT, Mich — For all the SUVs and crossovers on sale, there’s a distinct lack of affordable, non-luxury performance options. You’ll find no shortage of them in the luxury space with prices above and beyond $75,000, but what about the person who wants some extra zest with more practicality on a budget? Say hello to the 2023 Hyundai Kona N.
And before you head to the comments, yes, calling the Kona “practical” is certainly a stretch, perhaps even the N’s undoing. The actual usability of its cargo space and rear seat is about on par with what a VW GTI offers. However, it does have the higher seating position and greater ground clearance that American SUV buyers enjoy. Plus, it serves a practical purpose in Hyundai’s N division lineup. With the Veloster N dying, the Kona N takes over as the only N model with a liftgate. The Elantra N may have a spacious backseat, but there’s no denying the added usefulness of a hatch with foldable rear seats to create a big, airy dumping spot for all your stuff when you’re not hotfooting it on your favorite roads.
Slam the throttle down from a stop in the Kona N, and the front tires light up as soon as boost builds, sending you into a minor skirmish with the steering wheel. Yeah, there’s torque steer on tap here. While the Veloster N and Elantra N do exhibit a small amount of torque steer, the Kona N seems to do a little less to quell it. If you can get into the humor of a tiny crossover having so much power that it can yank you around under acceleration, then you may find it charming. Nobody is (well, maybe nobody) trying to set fast lap times with the Kona N, so consider it added character.
Of course, I’m sure there are many — including others on staff — who would rather see the Kona N with an all-wheel drive system that’d completely eliminate torque steer and enhance performance. A torque-vectoring rear differential à la Golf R would be the icing on the cake of said AWD system, too. There’s no doubt the Kona N would be a more controllable and competent vehicle with power to both axles, but it would come at the expense of added cost and weight. As is, the Kona N costs $36,285 and weighs 3,340 pounds. I’d rather not see either of those numbers increase.
You’re getting an absolute hoot of an SUV for the money. Hyundai’s 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that makes 276 horsepower and 289 pound-feet of torque is on hand, and just like in other N models, the Kona N’s exhaust is utterly hilarious. You can drive around in a custom drive mode that keeps the valves open and the outrageous bang-and-backfire soundtrack on at all times, or you can shut it all up for quieter, albeit still loud, cruising. Expect plenty of double takes with the Kona N in its extroverted mode, as few expect these noises from a tiny Hyundai SUV.
Beyond the theater of sound, the Kona N has fun enthusiast-oriented features like the “N Grin Shift” mode that gives you 20 seconds of extra performance via an overboost function (with 10 extra horsepower). It’s activated via a button on the steering wheel, just like Porsche’s “Sport Response” button, that’ll instantly ready the car for maximum performance. With N Grin Shift activated, Hyundai says the 0-62 mph sprint takes 6.4 seconds. You get there via the quick-shifting eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. Said transmission is happy to be subjected to plenty of launch control starts, where the Kona N jumps off the line adeptly for a front-drive car. Just keep a tight hold on the wheel under acceleration to keep it pointed straight.
When you’d rather go left or right, the Kona N is happy to oblige. It has an electronically-controlled adjustable suspension with varying levels of stiffness. They range from “stiff” to “wow, my back is starting to hurt” levels of firmness. The Kona’s short wheelbase inherently means a choppier ride, and adding the handling capability expected from an N model means even more compromise to daily driving comfort. On Michigan’s broken roads, the Kona N can become grating to even those with a tolerance for stiff-riding cars.
