N-ergised Hyundai Kona will have all fours gripping

Hyundai will expand its performance N moniker to the Kona from July this year according to a new report from South Korea.

While already seen on several online platforms wearing heavily layers of disguise while undergoing pre-production testing, the Korean Car Blog has indicated that the Kona N, aside from bespoke interior and exterior trim pieces, will become the first model N model to come as standard with all-wheel-drive.

A departure from the front-wheel-drive only i30 N hatch and fastback, the Kona N will keep the 202kW/353Nm 2.0-litre turbocharged engine and six-speed manual gearbox, but offer the new eight-speed dual-clutch ‘box as an option.

When it premiers, expect updates to the chassis and possibly even a tweaked drive mode selector to accommodate the all-paw gripping system. At present, a local market debut is unknown.

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