Key considerations
- Available for £23,000
- 2.0-litre inline-four petrol turbo, front-wheel drive
- Mid-five second 0-62mph times on overboost
- Compact and wieldy, but rides stiffly in sportier modes
- Not much roll but there’ll probably be some rattle
- Very reliable and they only made it for two years, so it’s rare
Take the DNA of Hyundai’s excellent GTI-chasing i30 N, inject it into an SUV body and what have you got? The 2021-on Hyundai Kona N. Over 275hp from a smooth 2.0-litre turbo four, twin-clutch gearbox, beefed-up chassis and full family practicality. What’s not to like?
Well, if there is something not to like we should find out what that is in the course of this buying guide. The fact that the Kona N was 12cm taller than the i30 N sounds like an early sign of disappointment because, all else being equal, extra height usually means extra handling woes. Other SUVs got around this by adding weight low down with a big battery pack or a sackful of all-wheel drive hardware, but the Kona N received no such centre-of-gravity-lowering help. Its power went through the front wheels only and it wasn’t hybridised so there was no AWD or battery ballast.
What it did have was the results of the best efforts of Hyundai’s N department to tie it down to the road. As you know, ’N’ signified both the location of the team’s R&D centre in Namyang, South Korea and the Nürburgring, where a great deal of development mileage was put in on these sporty models. For the Kona N, enhanced body stiffness was identified as a key element, so more welding points and powertrain mounts were added along with revised electronically monitored adaptive suspension, an electronically controlled diff and a sharper steering rack.
It wasn’t as big as you might have thought, either. Perhaps surprisingly, it was 12cm shorter than the i30 N hatch. This compactness made it usefully wieldy on the open road as well as in the city. The driving position was a good compromise between driver engagement and visibility, the cabin was well put together and well equipped, and there was plenty of tinkering fun to be had in there too. With the rotary dial on the centre console, the ’N’ drive mode selector paddles on the wheel and the touchscreen you could customise the hell out of the suspension, steering, transmission, throttle and differential.
Excitingly, you also had a big red NGS button, NGS standing somewhat cringingly for N Grin Shift. That put the car into a 20hp overboost map and dropped the gearbox down the lowest possible cog for 20 seconds. If that lot wasn’t enough for you there was NPS (N Power Shift) to add a thrungeing sensation to upshifts and NTS (N Track Sense Shift) which optimised the gear selection points for your individual driving style. It all added up to a proper performance crossover in a physical package that UK users could easily manage on their often twiddly and frequently terrible roads. Some said that the Kona N was a better proposition than the similarly-sized sports crossovers that BMW, Audi and Nissan had shoved into the smaller ends of their ranges.
If you like the idea of a used Kona N today (October ’24) you’ll need to have your wits about you because it was prematurely killed off in 2023 after just two years in production by a combination of emissions regs, the switch to electricity as a power source and, seemingly, the buying public’s reluctance to engage with the whole idea of a compact performance crossover. As a result, the Kona N is a rare car. Nobody is really sure how many there are. All we can pass on to you is Hyundai’s own statement to the effect that 5,375 Kona Ns were sold worldwide in the first ten months of 2022. That number represented just 3 per cent of all Kona sales. In Europe the percentage of Ns in the Kona landscape was even lower, with 1,420 of them in an overall total of nearly 70,000 cars.
What we can say with some certainty is that the Kona N is the lowest-volume ’N’ model to go on sale in the UK. With less certainty, we can say that it might be the rarest N full stop. In the spring of 2021 Kona Ns cost just over £35k new. Ford’s competing Puma ST was more than £4k cheaper, but it was beaten by the Hyundai in both power and equipment. VW’s T-Roc R used AWD and the same power output as an overboosted Kona to deliver a 4.9-second 0-62mph time, but it was £10k more expensive than the Korean car. You could make that £11k more expensive if you wanted adaptive suspension. The Audi SQ2 was dearer still, despite being nothing special to drive.
This sharp pricing by Hyundai, plus a fine reliability record, has kept used Kona N values strong. Today, the normal entry price will be around £25k-£26k. Higher mileage (35,000 plus) examples do occasionally pop up for under £23k, but you’ll need to move fast when that happens because they won’t be around for long. Late, low-mileage examples will cost you more than £30k.
SPECIFICATION | Hyundai Kona N (2021-23)
Engine: 1,998cc inline four 16v turbocharged petrol
Transmission: 8-speed twin-clutch auto, front-wheel drive
Power (hp): 280@5,500-6,000rpm
Torque (lb ft): 289@2,100-4,700rpm
0-62mph (secs): 5.5
Top speed (mph): 149
Weight (kg): 1,585
MPG (official combined): 33.2
CO2 (g/km): 194
Wheels (in): 8 x 19
Tyres: 235/40
On sale: 2021-23
Price new (2021): £35,395
Price now: from £22,750
Note for reference: car weight and power data is hard to pin down with absolute certainty. For consistency, we use the same source for all our guides. We hope the data we use is right more often than it’s wrong. Our advice is to treat it as relative rather than definitive.
ENGINE & GEARBOX
The Kona N’s 2.0 turbo petrol four started off life in the i30 N, which believe it or not made its debut in 2016. Doesn’t seem that long ago, does it? Anyway, the Kona N’s headline outputs were up on those of the 2017MY i30 N, which was rated at 250hp (or 275hp in the Performance version) and 260lb ft. For the Kona the figures were 289lb ft and 280hp. The 290hp that was available in 20-second bursts on overboost was what you needed to tap into to hit the Kona N’s claimed 0-62mph time of 5.5 seconds. Otherwise, it was quoted at 6.4 seconds, the same as the i30 N, a surprising claim for the SUV bearing in mind the fact that the hatch was a good 150kg lighter. The hatch also had a considerably better official combined fuel consumption figure, 40.4mpg versus the Kona’s 33.2mpg.
The T-GDi engine has been described as ‘boosty’ which you could see as a good or a bad thing depending on your overall view of turbocharging. Max power in the Kona came in 500rpm earlier than it did on the i30 N, but the max torque arrived 600rpm later at 2,100rpm. Still good numbers mind, but it was hard to get excited about the underlying sound the engine made while producing them. Beneath the various mode-driven exhaust snaps, crackles and pops it was a bit bland.
Any problems otherwise? Not really. The turbo inlet pipe has been known to blow off. The Hyundai dealer fix was to put the standard clamp back on. The recommended home fix was to put a stronger clamp on it. In answer to an internet question from somebody who was wondering where his pops and bangs had gone, somebody else on the internet said that you didn’t get them in N mode when the air con was running. We can neither verify nor explain that, but a more knowledgeable PHer might be able to.
Maybe it was something to do with the Kona N’s ‘octane learning’ which, unless the fuel was identified as premium, limited boost pressure from the potential maximum of 19-20psi to something nearer to 15-16psi in order to protect the engine. Helpfully the owner’s manual gave you precise instructions on how to circumvent this. It involved driving at a constant speed within the very specific range of 68mph-99mph in 8th gear for 5 minutes or more, or in 4th gear with a more complicated regime of throttle inputs, again for 5 minutes or more. Alternatively you could probably get around it by modding the ECU, a popular move on N cars which we won’t go into here. Suffice to say there are a lot of aftermarket tuning options out there from the likes of Forge.
There have been two recalls for the powertrain. The most recent one was in summer 2024 to sort out faulty high pressure fuel pumps which could allow too much fuel into the engine at low speeds. It was strange to see that problem come up again, given that it had been a thing on 2019-on Veloster Ns in the US and on i30 Ns from the very start. Despite that degree of foreknowledge, Kona N owners were given long wait times – months rather than weeks – for appointments to carry out the official fix, which (they were advised) would be an ECM software check followed if necessary by the free fitment of a new HPFP, irrespective of warranty status.
Loose battery terminals had caused misfires and other running troubles on early i30 Ns but that hasn’t been an issue for the Kona N. Some 2022 Konas did have a knock sensor problem in heavy rain or in a car wash, generating a check engine warning and a code (P132600). Again, this issue wasn’t unknown on earlier Hyundais. Turning the engine off and on again after a short wait to let the sensor dry out, or disconnecting the battery for a bit, would usually fix it. You could then clear the code yourself with an OBDII scanner. Odd injector failures have been reported. Everything we’ve seen seems to have been fixed by Hyundai without quibble. One owner thought his water pump was making a funny noise. Hyundai replaced it.
There had been odd problems with the manual transmission on the i30 N (5th and 6th gear assemblies and synchro rings, slipping clutches) so in some ways it wasn’t that much of an issue to not have it even as an option on the Kona N, which came exclusively with the N-DCT 8-speed twin-clutch transmission. Like most DCTs the Kona’s was a bit snatchy at low speeds but those who had experience of both this one and Hyundai’s 7-speed 'box said the 8-speeder was superior. There was a recall in late 2022 for Kona Ns built in that year to put right a transmission oil pump malfunction that could move ‘limp’ mode on to the next stage, ie a complete loss of drive. The PCB failure that had been a problem on the i30 N didn’t affect the Kona N because it didn’t have stop-start. One owner reported hearing an odd high-pitched noise in 4th gear from 2,700-3,500rpm, but there was no follow-up post to that so we’re assuming it was resolved or went away of its own accord.
In the UK, Hyundai offers fixed-price servicing for cars that are out of warranty, i.e. more than five years old. No Kona Ns need to avail themselves of that facility at the time of writing (Oct ’24) but at that point in time the figures mentioned on Hyundai’s UK website were ‘from’ £199 for a core service (oil and filter) or ‘from’ £299 for a major service. Not sure how the use of the word ‘from’ in this context qualifies it as fixed-price, but we’ll let you enjoy that argument with the dealer.
CHASSIS
Other road users presuming that an SUV couldn’t possibly handle with anything like the same level of panache as a hot hatch were soon shown the folly of their ways by the Kona N. Anyone doubting the stiffness of the body should seek out the pic of a test car rounding a track bend with not one but two inside wheels waving a good foot in the air. The steering was synthetically heavy but there was lots of agility and grip.
The only downside to the generally very successful efforts of Hyundai’s N department to nail down the Kona’s handling was a stiffish ride in any driving mode, down to and including the comfiest one, insightfully named Comfort. Sport should maybe have been called Nobbly and N mode was best reserved for trackdays, or of course the Nürburgring. In either of those environments it had the talent to shock most sniggerers.
There were literally thousands of driver setting combinations available for the Kona N chassis. If you couldn’t be bothered to get involved in all that there was no harm in sticking it in normal mode and forgetting all about it. Fortunately it was possible via the custom mode to keep the steering and suspension settings separate, so you could combine sharp with soft, a bit like sweet’n’salty popcorn.
The Kona’s overall ride package was generally softer than the i30 N’s, thanks in part to the higher-profile P Zero tyres that were supposedly developed specifically for the Kona by Pirelli. Although these tyres worked really well when warm and on tracks, albeit with a lifespan of 7,500 miles or less depending on your driving style, some owners were disappointed by the level of grip they provided in colder (i.e. UK winter) conditions. Continental Extreme Contact DWS06 Plus tyres have been strongly recommended by several owners as excellent all-season replacements. These Contis also seemed to get rid of the tyre ‘skip’ that could happen in tight, slow turns. They’re not cheap though at nearly £200 a corner from your friendly online tyre supplier.
Old-school fans would have been pleased to see a conventional handbrake between the Kona N’s seats. They might have been less pleased by the sometimes squeaky OEM brakes. The standard pads did work very well on the track but EBC Red Stuff brake pads have had good reviews as replacements, both for their stopping power and for the reduction in brake dust production compared to the OEM pads.
BODYWORK
Some Kona windows have shown a liking for lowering without being asked. Changing the switch or even the control module has not always done the trick.
Quite a few owners have reported horn failure. That comes to most of us at some point in our lives. In the Kona’s case it’s been put down to wonky software or, if you prefer a more old-fashioned explanation, the horn unit pointing the wrong way and thereby being directly in the path of weather and road debris.
INTERIOR
It wasn’t wildly exciting inside but the Kona N’s build quality was good. There was an engineered feel to it, the heated and ventilated seats were supportive and the controls were pleasant to use. These are not the quietest cars on the road though. Apart from the engine noise there’s a fair amount of hardish plastic in the cabin and you will almost definitely hear the odd rattle and squeak in a used one. It is possible to buy aftermarket sound-deadening kits from firms such as Shark Racing in Korea, but you might actually like the performancey feel that a bit of cabin noise gives you. For different noises you had both Apple CarPplay and Android Auto. Sat nav, voice control, head-up display and a wireless charging pad were all thrown in.
Although the 10.25-inch infotainment screen graphics weren’t especially snazzy you didn’t need a teenager to explain the system to you. Adaptive cruise, lane-keep and change assist, a reversing camera and parking sensors at both ends were all part of the standard equipment. The rear seats were heated too but you didn’t get masses of head- or legroom back there. Although the 361-litre boot was easy to access it was nearly a hundred litres down on the Puma ST and there wasn’t that much in the way of cabin storage to make up for it.
UK cars were fitted with Krell 8-speaker subwoofed audio systems. Some owners found the bass to be too mushy. Anecdotally the Harmon Kardon option wasn’t that great either, even after prolonged experimentation with the EQ settings.
On a related tack, the relentless dinging of the Intelligent Speed Limit Warning & Assist system caused some owners to tear their hair out as there didn’t seem to be any way of disabling it. It may be that there is a method buried in the menus somewhere but the drivers who were being maddened by it hadn’t managed to find it. One said the bonging was so bad they wouldn’t have bought the car if they’d known about it.
It was a pity that the market didn’t quite get the notion of the Kona N, but that shouldn’t devalue Hyundai’s laudable decision to keep it on the right side of the line that separates fun from function. These are entertaining cars.
Many pooh-poohed the notion that an SUV could ever get anywhere near a well-sorted hot hatch in terms of driving engagement but the Kona N, an authentic ’N’ car, casually exposed that kind of lazy thinking. If your needs were for dynamism, daily-ability and delivery wagon drudgery without the weight penalties of hybridisation or all-wheel drive it was right up there with the best of them in this admittedly small market sector. The small number built, plus an excellent reliability record with very little going wrong, is Kona N keeping values strong. It’s not beyond the wit of man/woman/person to imagine the depreciation curve flattening right out in the future. They might even become sort after (sic).
As mentioned in the overview, in October 2024 you could find Kona Ns in the UK for under £23k if you were prepared to wait for the right car to come along – which could take a while – and if you were happy to accept higher mileages (35k plus). Hyundai doesn’t offer Kia-style 7-year warranties but its standard coverage of 5 years/60,000 miles and 10 years/100,000 miles for the powertrain should be a more than sufficient source of comfort.
The most affordable N on PH Classifieds was this ’22 car with 11,000 miles at £26,998, followed £1,300 or so later by this ’23 example with just over 6,000 miles. Both those cars were in classic Hyundai Performance Blue, but if you fancied a different sort of blue you could go for this ’23 6,000 miler in the very light and not at all hedgehog-ish shade of Sonic Blue at £30,750.
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