The Hyundai Kona N will not have a manual gearbox

The world of sporty SUVs should no longer surprise us, especially considering how many models this segment already has. Hyundai has wanted to contribute its share by offering a proposal that, on paper, sounds very promising. We are referring to the Hyundai Kona N, the performance version of the South Korean SUV that was first anticipated through rumours, then teasers, and now with great expectation that has yet to fully materialise. The Korean brand has not yet announced an arrival date for the Kona N, but it has already given us some disheartening news for the most petrolheads.

We should recall that the exhilarating N family was born with its firstborn, the Hyundai Kona N, a sporty compact that changed the rules of the game with very sporty tuning and a value for money that is hard to beat. Following closely behind is the Hyundai i20 N, and now it is the turn of the Kona N, which appears to follow a very similar recipe.

Before taking this step, the South Korean company gave both the conventional Kona and the entire i30 range a major facelift. With it, the i30 N not only gained aesthetic and equipment improvements, but also began offering, as an option, an eight-speed DCT dual-clutch automatic gearbox.

In the case of the compact, this is complemented by the well-known six-speed manual transmission that suits it perfectly. Given the similarities the Kona N will share with its compact sibling, one would have expected both gearboxes to be available too, but the crossover does in fact forgo the gearbox that every true petrolhead looks for in a sporty car: the manual.

No mechanical changes are expected, where the turbocharged four-cylinder that also powers the i30 N will take centre stage. This translates into a 2.0-litre engine capable of delivering 275 CV and 378 Nm of torque, figures that should provide even better performance thanks to the 8DCT dual-clutch automatic gearbox.

Either way, we still do not know the exact date for the official debut of the Hyundai Kona N. What we are sure of is that the South Korean brand is ready to shake up the crossover segment with a vehicle that will go head-to-head with the Volkswagen T-Roc R, Cupra Formentor VZ and company.

Technical specifications of this car

CrossoverHyundai Kona18 versions · from 30,190 €