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

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Andrew Chesterton
Contributing Journalist
11 May 2020
2 min read

Hyundai has been spied putting the Kona N through finishing school at Germany's infamous Nurburgring, and the Korean brand's new go-fast SUV sounds pretty damn good as it is put through its paces. 

The Kona looks finished, with the only task left to strip off the camouflage cladding ahead of a reported July unveiling. Just as important, it sounds finished, too, and it appears to have been fitted with same exhaust that makes the i30 N hatch such a hoot to drive through tunnels. 

We should know for ourselves soon enough, with Hyundai in Australia telling CarsGuide it wants an "N performance family" that includes the Kona.

"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.

The Kona N is expected to borrow the same turbocharged 2.0-litre engine as the i30 N, which packs a 202kW and 353Nm wallop. You can expect AWD, sportier suspension, extra body stiffening and a booming exhaust, too.

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

This film follows reports the Hyundai Kona N could debut as early as July, and will be packing  an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox when it does. 

That "unbelievable" gearbox, which has been some time in the making, is the same that will power automatic versions of the i30 N, as well as upcoming go-fast product. But it's not exclusive to the performance side of the business, with the group's N Division chief Albert Biermann confirming the gearbox will also find a home in other Hyundai products. 

"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.”

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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