{"id":29852,"date":"2022-10-04T12:34:37","date_gmt":"2022-10-04T16:34:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/?p=29852"},"modified":"2022-10-04T12:34:37","modified_gmt":"2022-10-04T16:34:37","slug":"payne-hot-hatch-hyundai-kona-n-line-is-more-show-than-go","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/2022\/10\/payne-hot-hatch-hyundai-kona-n-line-is-more-show-than-go","title":{"rendered":"Payne: Hot hatch Hyundai Kona N-line is more show than go"},"content":{"rendered":"

BMW makes an M-azing, M-asterful M3 sports sedan with gobs of horsepower, tires made from Superglue and a taut suspension. It\u2019ll also cost you an M-azing 80 grand. For those who don\u2019t need the full magilla, there\u2019s the BMW M-line which offers M3-like style but without the nuclear power plant under the hood. M style without the M-egaprice.<\/p>\n

The Hyundai Kona has decided to get in on the act.<\/p>\n

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\u2019ll crush your spine into the seat on its way to 4.9-second zero-60 launches. Sound like fun? No?<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n
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Then the Kona N-line might be your cup of Kia with all the N\u2019s styling cues and just enough horsepower \u2014 195 \u2014 \u00a0to make it interesting. Heck, it almost fooled me when I picked my tester up at the airport on a cold April evening.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

The N comparisons stop when you put your boot in it.<\/p>\n

VROOOOM-NAHHHH<\/em>, I don\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n
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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?<\/p>\n

At a whopping $10K south of Kona, the Elantra is a much more head-turning vehicle and is loaded with more modern amenities. I\u2019m talkin\u2019 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.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n
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They say Americans don\u2019t like sedans, but the Elantra has significantly more rear legroom for basketball players like me, and that trunk \u2014 well, it’s not a hatchback but it will swallow plenty of groceries.<\/p>\n

And don\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n
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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\u2019s that 100,000-mile Hyundai drivetrain warranty, always comforting to buyers on a budget.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Expect the Kona N-line to take over the lovable-if-quirky three-door Veloster\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n
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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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

2022 Hyundai Kona N-line<\/strong><\/p>\n

Vehicle type: All-wheel-drive five-passenger SUV<\/p>\n

Price: $28,425, including $1,245 destination charge<\/p>\n

Powerplant: 1.6-liter turbocharged inline-4 cylinder<\/p>\n

Power: 195 horsepower, 195 pound-feet of torque<\/p>\n

Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch automatic<\/p>\n

Performance: 0-60 mph, 7.3 seconds (Car and Driver); top speed, 130 mph<\/p>\n

Weight: 3,287 pounds<\/p>\n

Fuel economy: EPA 27 mpg city\/32 highway\/29 combined (AWD as tested)<\/p>\n

Report card<\/p>\n

Highs: Stylish looks, upscale interior<\/p>\n

Lows: Engine lacks pep; lacks value compared to competitors<\/p>\n

Overall: 3 stars<\/p>\n

Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or Twitter @HenryEPayne<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

BMW makes an M-azing, M-asterful M3 sports sedan with gobs of horsepower, tires made from Superglue and a taut suspension. It\u2019ll also cost you an M-azing 80 grand. For those who don\u2019t need the full magilla, there\u2019s the BMW M-line which offers M3-like style but without the nuclear power plant under the hood. M style […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,87],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29852"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29852"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29852\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":29853,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29852\/revisions\/29853"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29852"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29852"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29852"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}