Hyundai Kona N to get 280 hp, 2.0-litre turbo-petrol with eight-speed DCT automatic

First announced earlier this year and rumoured to be available in all-wheel drive form and with a bump in power over the rest of the N Performance range, the Hyundai Kona N will continue to use the 2.0-litre Theta T-GDi from the i30 N in its current tune, and likely be offered in front-wheel drive form only. However, while the i30 N offers 280 hp when specced with the Performance Package (250 hp standard), the Kona N will offer that power output as standard. Torque should remain unchanged at 392 Nm between 1,950-4,600 rpm as in the i30 N (with Performance Package), though Hyundai claims “more torque and power at mid- to high-range rpms”. The new i30 N with the Performance Package clears the 0-100 kph run in 5.9 seconds and the Kona N should offer similar performance. [caption id=“attachment_9512581” align=“alignnone” width=“1600”]  The Hyundai Kona N will be the company’s first crossover to wear the N badge. Image: Hyundai[/caption] The Kona N will only offer the wet-clutch eight-speed N dual-clutch automatic, a variation of the Hyundai transmission with unique gear ratios and tuned for better durability, quicker shifts and higher torque loads. Tuned by the N Performance Division, it’s clearly meant for on-the-limit driving, clear in the functionality if offers. It allows for negligible torque loss between up-shifts, something Hyundai calls N Power Shift (NPS), engaged when shifting with more than 90 percent throttle. Further, N Grin Shift (NGS) offers a slight boost in torque and maximum gearbox performance for 20 seconds, activated via a button on the steering wheel, which can then be further activated after 40-second intervals, useful for drivers looking to eke out the best lap time on a track, for example. Similarly N Track Sense Shift (NTS) promises near-perfect adaptive shifting automatically on the racetrack, based on motorsport data and the driver’s behaviour. The N DCT ‘box also allows drivers to turn off the auto creep function, allowing a driver to stay in drive and take his foot off the brake without the car creeping forward. Hyundai’s N Grin Control system will continue to offer five drive modes: Normal, Eco, Sport, N and Custom.