Official: Hyundai Confirms Kona N As First Hot SUV

At the end of last year, Hyundaiteased what appeared to be a Kona N, following numerousspy shotslast year of a camouflaged model being tested. However, Hyundai hadn't yet explicitly confirmed that the Kona would become the brand's first high-performance crossover. That all changes today - yes, the Kona N is officially on its way.

The Kona N adds some family-friendly practicality to existing N models like the i30 N (not sold in the US) and the quirkily styled Veloster N. We can now also confirm that theKona Nwill employ a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-pot and an eight-speed N dual-clutch automatic gearbox.

"We're excited to expand the recipe for success we've developed with the i30 N and, most recently, with the i20 N to one of our most popular SUVs on the market today," said Andreas-Christoph Hofmann, Vice President of Marketing & Product at Hyundai Motor Europe. Hyundai went on to confirm that the DCT transmission will be a wet dual-clutch unit; the same gearbox that was introduced for theenhanced Veloster Nlast year.

Hyundai hasn't confirmed output's for the Kona N's engine, but the 2.0-liter powerplant in the Veloster N produces up to 275 horsepower and 278 lb-ft of torque, which gives us an idea of what to expect. In a hilarious new video, Hyundai showcases the Kona N performing a variety of everyday crossover-like activities, interspersed with traffic light blasts and high-speed antics on a race track.