Payne: Hot hatch Hyundai Kona N-line is more show than go

Posted by Talbot Payne on October 4, 2022

BMW makes an M-azing, M-asterful M3 sports sedan with gobs of horsepower, tires made from Superglue and a taut suspension. It’ll also cost you an M-azing 80 grand. For those who don’t need the full magilla, there’s the BMW M-line which offers M3-like style but without the nuclear power plant under the hood. M style without the M-egaprice.

The Hyundai Kona has decided to get in on the act.

Right next door in the alphabet, the Kona N offers a fire-spitting hot hatch with a loud 286 horsepower, stiff springs, $35K sticker price and N-grin launch control that’ll crush your spine into the seat on its way to 4.9-second zero-60 launches. Sound like fun? No?

The 2022 Hyundai Kona N-line replaces the Hyundai Veloster with a more practical, roomier four-door hatchback design.

Then the Kona N-line might be your cup of Kia with all the N’s styling cues and just enough horsepower — 195 —  to make it interesting. Heck, it almost fooled me when I picked my tester up at the airport on a cold April evening.

Lots of black mascara like the Kona N. Signature three-slot hood like the N. Rear diffuser, hot wheels, cladded rocker panels, red-trim and N-embossed sport seats. Just like the N. N-ice.

The N comparisons stop when you put your boot in it.

VROOOOM-NAHHHH, I don’t think so. Despite an upscale, dual-clutch transmission hooked up to the four-banger under the hood, the engine lacks urgency. I confined my enthusiastic driving to 90-degree turns where the N-line rotated nicely before setting off for … the autocross course? No, the grocery. There the Kona showed off its hatchback utility.

The 195-horse turbo-4 in the 2022 Hyundai Kona N-line lacks pep despite a 7-speed dual-clutch tranny.

However, for a stiff $31K, the N-line made my mind wander to the $20,995 Elantra in the Hyundai aisle. You want affordable style?

At a whopping $10K south of Kona, the Elantra is a much more head-turning vehicle and is loaded with more modern amenities. I’m talkin’ standard wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, blind-spot assist, and auto tranny. And Elantra has its own N-line for 2022 that uses the same turbo-4 as Kona N, and is $1,400 less than the Kona. Uh-oh.

The 2022 Hyundai Kona N-line is a tighter fit in back compared to its Elantra sedan stablemate.

They say Americans don’t like sedans, but the Elantra has significantly more rear legroom for basketball players like me, and that trunk — well, it’s not a hatchback but it will swallow plenty of groceries.

And don’t get me started on hot hatches like the VW Golf GTI, which starts at a similar price to the N-line and will run rings around it in the fun department while delivering better utility.

The 2022 Hyundai Kona N-line sports a modern interior with tablet display and useful dials.

If SUV it must be, however, then Kona N-line is easy to learn with its tablet screen, useful knobs and digital displays. SPORT mode turns the instrument display red to match your blood temperature. All-wheel drive is a useful feature in the winter months, and the Elantra is just a front-wheel driver. And then there’s that 100,000-mile Hyundai drivetrain warranty, always comforting to buyers on a budget.

Hyundai has hardly been shy with designs. The Elantra and Tucson are unlike anything else on the market and the three-door Veloster has been a joyful addition to my favorite segment, the hot hatch.

Expect the Kona N-line to take over the lovable-if-quirky three-door Veloster’s mantle, given its more accessible four-door setup. That accessibility should mean better sales numbers for the Kona N as well, which in turn will lead more folks to the more accessible N-line. You can see where product planners are going with all this.

The 2022 Hyundai Kona N-line bears a typically unique Hyundai design.

With its funky wardrobe, the N-line is worth a walkaround in the parking lot. The menacing slit running lights draw you in, then you notice the headlights at mid-fascia. The bulging fenders look like biceps honed in the gym. The twin tailpipes look like a double barrel shotgun out back. N-teresting.

And with the money you save getting 29 mpg in the 1.6-liter turbo-4 … well, one of these days you might be tempted by a full-blown N so you can go harass those smug BMW Ms.

2022 Hyundai Kona N-line

Vehicle type: All-wheel-drive five-passenger SUV

Price: $28,425, including $1,245 destination charge

Powerplant: 1.6-liter turbocharged inline-4 cylinder

Power: 195 horsepower, 195 pound-feet of torque

Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch automatic

Performance: 0-60 mph, 7.3 seconds (Car and Driver); top speed, 130 mph

Weight: 3,287 pounds

Fuel economy: EPA 27 mpg city/32 highway/29 combined (AWD as tested)

Report card

Highs: Stylish looks, upscale interior

Lows: Engine lacks pep; lacks value compared to competitors

Overall: 3 stars

Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or Twitter @HenryEPayne

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