Hyundai talks about new Kona N powertrain

After a series of teasers showing its upcoming Kona N SUV, Hyundai has revealed some interesting details about its engine and transmission.

The performance crossover will get the same 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine rated at 280 PS (276 hp / 206 kW) as the i30N, but will not be available with manual transmission. Instead, it will only ship with an eight-speed N DCT technically similar to those of the diesel-powered Hyundai Santa Fe and Kia Sorento. The Veloster N and the i30 N are already available with this box type.

The Kona N will have three transmission modes to switch between: N Power Shift for everyday driving, N Track Sense Shift for racing, and N Grin Shift. The latter is an extreme mode that you can only activate for 20 seconds to switch gears at lightning speeds before going into a 40-second cooldown period. In the Manual mode, the gearbox will not switch automatically even upon reaching peak RPM count, so drivers will have to use paddle shifters or the usual selector themselves.

Then there are five electronically assisted drive modes called Eco, Normal, N, Sport, and Custom. Launch control is also on the list.

The biggest issue that remains unaddressed is the drive type; it looks like the Kona N might inly debut in a front-wheel drive guise. At any rate, more news should be coming soon.