Our road test of the 2023 Hyundai Kona N where we tell you what's it's like to drive and compare it to other performance vehicles.
do exhibit a small amount of torque steer, the Kona N seems to do a little less to quell it. If you can get into the humor of a tiny crossover having so much power that it can yank you around under acceleration, then you may find it charming. Nobody is trying to set fast lap times with the Kona N, so consider it added character.
You’re getting an absolute hoot of an SUV for the money. Hyundai’s 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that makes 276 horsepower and 289 pound-feet of torque is on hand, and just like in other N models, the Kona N’s exhaust is utterly hilarious. You can drive around in a custom drive mode that keeps the valves open and the outrageous bang-and-backfire soundtrack on at all times, or you can shut it all up for quieter, albeit still loud, cruising.
When you’d rather go left or right, the Kona N is happy to oblige. It has an electronically-controlled adjustable suspension with varying levels of stiffness. They range from “stiff” to “wow, my back is starting to hurt” levels of firmness. The Kona’s short wheelbase inherently means a choppier ride, and adding the handling capability expected from an N model means even more compromise to daily driving comfort.
Grip from the 235-section-width Pirelli P Zero summer tires is more than sufficient, and the upgraded Nyank this tall hatchback to a stop quickly with a stiff pedal that can handle a beating without fade. Calling it a tall, hot hatchback is really the best way to sum up how the Kona N drives. As someone who prefers the lower seating position that a car offers, the Kona N can be a little off-putting, but driving it hard makes it difficult to dislike.
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