---
title: "The New 2021 Kona N Is Hyundai’s First High-Performance SUV"
description: "You knew this was coming: Hyundai's hot N branch finally did an SUV."
date: "2021-01-11"
modified: "2021-01-11"
authors:
  - name: "Stef Schrader"
    job_title: "Contributor"
    link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/stef-schrader"
url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/38666/the-new-2021-kona-n-is-hyundais-first-high-performance-suv"
categories:
  - "Hyundai News"
  - "News"
  - "News by Brand"
tags:
  - "compact"
  - "Hyundai"
  - "Kona N"
  - "sports car"
  - "suv/crossover"
---

# The New 2021 Kona N Is Hyundai’s First High-Performance SUV

![](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/images-by-url-td/content/2021/01/k-ona_970x546.jpg>)
*\<em\>www.thedrive.com\</em\>*

Some things are simply inevitable in the 2020s: death, taxes and automakers releasing ever-higher trim levels of their SUVs. As soon as Hyundai started its [performance N brand](<https://www.thedrive.com/new-cars/37727/2021-hyundai-elantra-n-prototype-review-a-275-hp-compact-built-to-go-racing>), you knew there would be an N SUV sooner or later. That day has come, as Hyundai confirmed today that the Kona N will be its first-ever high-performance SUV.

Hyundai Europe released some teaser shots of a camouflaged Kona N ripping around a race track along with some limited information on it. As the next N-branded model and the first N SUV, the Kona N will feature a turbocharged 2.0-liter engine mated to an available eight-speed N wet [dual-clutch](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/37482/the-34k-hyundai-sonata-n-line-packs-a-dual-clutch-transmission-and-290-hp>) transmission.

![message-editor%2F1610418670986-hyundaikonanprototype4.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content-b/message-editor/1610418670986-hyundaikonanprototype4.jpg>)
**Hyundai**

Hyundai's current 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder engine makes 275 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque in the Veloster N, [*Car and Driver*](<https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a35183258/hyundai-kona-n-prototype-specs/>) notes. No power or torque figures for the Kona N were released at this time, but Hyundai said the popular SUV will pack performance features like launch control and "an emotional sound experience."

The [teaser video](<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGliY7Gbmeg>) for the SUV sounds decently gurgly, and whil that matches up to the decent vroom coming from the [earlier](<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XyDZFIzDt7Y>)

[spy videos](<https://youtu.be/1UNUO802XfU>) of the Kona N ripping around the Nürburgring, those real-life noises are a tad quieter than the exhaust note in Hyundai's video.

https://youtube.com/embed/pGliY7Gbmeg

More details are coming soon, but Hyundai has been [expanding](<https://www.thedrive.com/new-cars/32977/2020-hyundai-veloster-n-review-a-hot-hatch-that-forgets-its-a-daily-driver-too>) its N-branded vehicle lineup in recent years, so branching out into a fast SUV simply makes sense.

*The Drive* reached out to a Hyundai N spokesperson for the U.S. to see if we'll get the N as well, as there is no information on it currently on the U.S. press site. We'll update this if we hear back, but it feels like a no-brainer to eventually send the Kona N to the land that absolutely eats up stuff like the Ford Edge ST and [Porsche](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/31686/hyundai-n-division-wont-rule-out-competing-with-porsche>) Macan GTS. Maybe if it does well in Europe, we'll get it over here.

![message-editor%2F1610418873835-hyundaikonanprototype1.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content-b/message-editor/1610418873835-hyundaikonanprototype1.jpg>)
*Hyundai*

![message-editor%2F1610418894738-hyundaikonanprototype3.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content-b/message-editor/1610418894738-hyundaikonanprototype3.jpg>)
*Hyundai*

![message-editor%2F1610418907399-hyundaikonanprototype5.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content-b/message-editor/1610418907399-hyundaikonanprototype5.jpg>)
*Hyundai*

![message-editor%2F1610418920647-kona\_n\_keyvisual\_bbpit\_03copy.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content-b/message-editor/1610418920647-kona_n_keyvisual_bbpit_03copy.jpg>)
*Hyundai*

![message-editor%2F1610418935853-kona\_n\_keyvisual\_bbpit\_04copy.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content-b/message-editor/1610418935853-kona_n_keyvisual_bbpit_04copy.jpg>)
*Hyundai*

![message-editor%2F1610418952446-kona\_n\_keyvisual\_bbpit\_08copy.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content-b/message-editor/1610418952446-kona_n_keyvisual_bbpit_08copy.jpg>)
*Hyundai*

![message-editor%2F1610418963354-kona\_n\_keyvisual\_bbpit\_09copy.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content-b/message-editor/1610418963354-kona_n_keyvisual_bbpit_09copy.jpg>)
*Hyundai*

![message-editor%2F1610418979266-kona\_n\_keyvisual\_bbpit\_16copy.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content-b/message-editor/1610418979266-kona_n_keyvisual_bbpit_16copy.jpg>)
*Hyundai*

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## Author
Stef Schrader is a former senior staff writer for The Drive. She started writing about cars in 2013 after meeting Jalopnik's editor-in-chief at a race track, where Stef can be found at every available opportunity.

### Author social links  
[LinkedIn](<https://www.linkedin.com/in/stefschrader/>)  
[Instagram](<https://instagram.com/stefthepef>)  
[Twitter](<https://twitter.com/stefthepef>)