hyundai elantra n and kona n 2022 starting at $38 924 and $41 824
A little over a month ago, we were at the Sonoma Tour pushing the Hyundai Elantra N and Kona N 2022 at full speed. We were impressed with their performance and also with the pleasure they generate behind the wheel. All they needed was a price. Hyundai Canada is finally announcing it, and it’s very aggressive.
When they arrive in dealerships over the next few months (if Hyundai does not experience supply problems), the Elantra N and Kona N 2022 will be offered starting at $ 38,924 and $ 41,824 respectively, including freight and delivery charges.
Manual or automatic transmission?
In other words, for just over $ 38,000, consumers will have in their hands a sporty compact whose 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine produces 276 horsepower and produces 289 pound-feet of torque. This unit is mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox that routes power to the front end through a limited slip differential.
Drivers who prefer to drive an automatic will be pleased to learn that the Elantra also offers the option of an 8-speed dual-clutch transmission. This box allows the car to receive N Grin Shift (NGS) technology. With the push of a small button on the steering wheel, the driver unlocks 10 horsepower boost, boosting the car’s total power to 286 horsepower for 20 seconds. During this mode, the transmission also shifts gears more quickly. The starting price for this version is $ 41,724, still including freight and delivery charges.
The SUV that thinks it’s a “hot hatch”
On the side of the Kona N, we receive roughly the same mechanical treatment, that is to say that it is driven by the same engine as its little sister. Horsepower and torque are also identical. The only difference is that the Kona N is only offered with the automatic transmission. According to Hyundai engineers during our first contact, its platform had never been designed to accommodate a manual transmission.
Equipped in this way, the Hyundai Kona N becomes the second high-performance subcompact SUV after the Mazda CX-30 Turbo. However, unlike the CX-30, it is a much more enraged and busted vehicle than its Japanese competitor, both for its more dynamic design cues and for the backfires it releases from its huge tailpipes. On the Sonoma circuit, I felt like I was driving a hot hatchback-style compact sports car rather than an SUV. Without wanting to, Hyundai has just given birth to a real rival of the Volkswagen Golf GTI with this model.
With now three models signed N (the Veloster N being the third) located below the $ 45,000 mark, it is clear that Hyundai risks giving a hard time to rivals like the Volkswagen Golf GTI and R, but also to the next Honda Civic Type R and to the Subaru WRX. In addition, these models demonstrate how seriously the manufacturer takes performance.
