After this week’s pre-Christmas unveiling of the new-generation 2024 Hyundai Kona, we were quick to wonder: Will there be another N hero?
So far, Hyundai has showcased the stunning new Kona in its petrol, hybrid and electric guises, with the sporty N Line variant revealed in a group shot.
One hero conspicuously absent was the Kona N, but since the current N model was a latecomer in the range, we shouldn’t expect it to be part of the second-generation launch lineup.
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The real question, though, is whether we’ll see an all-new Kona N, and whether it will be powered by a petrol or electric motor.
Talking to the media. At the recent N Festival at The Bend, Hyundai’s global ‘executive technical advisor’ Albert Biermann said that while there won’t be another petrol-powered i30 N hatch, the new i30 Sedan will join the new generation with the N petrol engine. .
However, we also know that Hyundai’s all-electric Ioniq 5 will soon be followed by a powerful N flagship. A new Ioniq 6 N, based on RN22e prototypeis expected to follow.
And, with key markets like Europe and, increasingly, the United States pushing brands to further electrify their lineups, it’s likely we’ll see more performance-oriented EVs in the Hyundai lineup. .
Indeed, if the company wants to maintain its momentum as a leader in electrification and a new king in the performance market, merging the two divisions is bound to be in ongoing talks in Namyang.
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Our impression of what the new Ioniq 5 N is likely to look like, and the spy photos (linked above) suggest we’re spot on!
And so we come to the idea of the Hyundai Kona Electric N.
Comfortably more powerful than any current N model, the electric Kona N will likely prove popular as a more affordable alternative to the Ioniq 5 N.
Of course, we could also see Hyundai take a middle ground, introducing a Kona hybrid n Or even one Kona Plug-in Hybrid ndepending on what he needs and wants to achieve in balancing emissions obligations against an affordable but capable model.
But, to address the Betterage’s Law The challenge in the title of this story…
I wrote earlier that there won’t be a new petrol Kona N, so an electric version seems like an easy solution, right? Not once you dig into the technical realities of performance-focused EVs.
As Biermann points out Drive In The Bend, the Ioniq 5 benefits from a larger battery and, more importantly, a 800V electrical architecture That allows faster charging and more consistent output without frying the battery and drive system.
The Kona Electric, as a cheaper model, will continue with the more common. 400V system And a small battery pack, somewhat hampers its performance potential.
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The Cupra Bourne offers a single-motor 170kW/310Nm package – which, in an EV, is hotter than hot.
Even the new Cupra Born, a sports EV from a new sports-focused brand in the VGA stable, drives more like a ‘hot hatch’ than any sort of performance hero (and the Cupra doesn’t). is marketing).
For now, all the fastest and most performance-oriented EVs are large cars that can be sold at a higher price to cover the costs of the technology, and even some of them still use 400V systems. are doing, like Pollster 3.
The Ioniq 5 N is likely to cost more than $100,000 (as the now-revealed Kia EV6 GT ), but it’s unlikely that buyers will pay that much for the electric Kona N when the current model is ‘only ‘ Be $50,000 – no matter how. Kona Electric N can be very fast.
Kona Electric doesn’t need an N model, as long as it offers something along the same N lines…
None of this is to say that the Kona Electric can’t be bloody fast – Bierman is just saying that its architecture isn’t suited to it. They Expect an electric N car. Which must be some truly epic numbers when you consider what a 400V EV can achieve.
After all, even one Sub N Kona Electric Online The 300kW/660Nm Polestar 2 can understandably boast dual motor output to match its 4.7-second 0-100km/h claim.
It’s also on a 400V system, you know, and its $69,900 price wouldn’t be an unreasonable target for a comparable Kona. It will still sit comfortably below the Ioniq 5 N, with the same power and price as the 430kW/740Nm EV6 GT – which claims a 0-100km/h time of 3.5 seconds.
Sounds like a happy Hyundai N family to me. Come on, Albert, let’s do it.