New Hyundai Kona N 2020: Fire-breathing SUV to debut in July with 202kW of power and eight-speed automatic - reports

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Fire-breathing Hyundai Kona N set for July.
Andrew Chesterton
Contributing Journalist
20 Apr 2020
2 min read

The incoming Hyundai Kona N could debut as early as July, with international reports now confirming the go-fast SUV will be fitted with the i30 N's turbocharged 2.0-litre engine and an eight-speed automatic gearbox.

Reports from thekoreancarblog have today suggested the Kona N could be revealed to the public as soon as July, and that it will be fitted with the N Division's long-awaited  automatic option, an eight-speed dual-clutch gearbox that will also feature in the i30 N. 

That gearbox won’t be an N-exclusive product, with performance chief Albert Biermann confirming it would be shared with the rest of the Hyundai range. But he promises the DCT will perform very differently in an N-badged car than it would in a regular Hyundai vehicle.

Read More:  Hyundai snapped testing new N performance engine: 2.5-litre turbo could mean even more grunt for Korean performance family

"It will also go into other vehicles, not only into an N. But when it lives in an N it (feels) a different transmission," he says.

"It’s our own in-house development, and we did it so it can meet many cars, but the way we’re applying it and tuning it in an N is a whole different story to how we would for an SUV.

”You could never tell it's the same transmission. The ’N Mode’ is unbelievable.”

Mr Biermann has previously confirmed a Kona N would borrow the same turbocharged 2.0-litre engine as the i30 N, which packs a 202kW and 353Nm wallop. Expect AWD, sportier suspension, extra body stiffening and a booming exhaust, too.

Read More: Watch: Hyundai Kona N sounds the business at the Nurburgring ahead of expected July reveal

While Hyundai in Australia is yet to confirm the Kona N telling CarsGuide it wants a "N performance family".

"We've made no secret of the fact our focus is on building an N performance family, and so we will of course be studying the business case for any new product that should become available, including an AWD SUV" says Hyundai Australia spokesperson Guido Schenken.

Andrew Chesterton
Contributing Journalist
Andrew Chesterton should probably hate cars. From his hail-damaged Camira that looked like it had spent a hard life parked at the end of Tiger Woods' personal driving range, to the Nissan Pulsar Reebok that shook like it was possessed by a particularly mean-spirited demon every time he dared push past 40km/h, his personal car history isn't exactly littered with gold. But that seemingly endless procession of rust-savaged hate machines taught him something even more important; that cars are more than a collection of nuts, bolts and petrol. They're your ticket to freedom, a way to unlock incredible experiences, rolling invitations to incredible adventures. They have soul. And so, somehow, the car bug still bit. And it bit hard. When "Chesto" started his journalism career with News Ltd's Sunday and Daily Telegraph newspapers, he covered just about everything, from business to real estate, courts to crime, before settling into state political reporting at NSW Parliament House. But the automotive world's siren song soon sounded again, and he begged anyone who would listen for the opportunity to write about cars. Eventually they listened, and his career since has seen him filing car news, reviews and features for TopGear, Wheels, Motor and, of course, CarsGuide, as well as many, many others. More than a decade later, and the car bug is yet to relinquish its toothy grip. And if you ask Chesto, he thinks it never will.
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