The Hyundai Kona N Line is so good at looking the part of a sporty, high-performance cute ute that until I put my foot on the gas pedal, I thought the car delivered to me was the fire-breathing Kona N. Yeah, there was some poor reading comprehension and perhaps a dose of excitement that caused me to mislead myself, but it was the sporty looking trappings that really sent me for a loop. Show Once my disappointment subsided, the Kona N Line revealed itself as the same likable sub-compact Hyundai has been selling for years, albeit in a pair of Air Force Ones rather than loafers. The style makes big promises, but don't hold the Kona to them – it’s a sporty looking drive that doesn’t sacrifice drivability. A vehicle's ratings are relative only to its own segment and not the new-vehicle market as a whole. For more on how Motor1.com rates cars, click here. Quick Stats 2022 Hyundai Kona N Line Engine Turbocharged 1.6-Liter I4 Output 195 Horsepower / 195 Pound-Feet Fuel Economy 27 City / 32 Highway / 29 Combined Trim Base Price $27,145 As-Tested Price $31,545 Gallery: 2022 Hyunda Kona N Line: Review
Introduced as part of the Kona's 2022 model year facelift, the N Line demands a trained eye to spot the differences between it and a full-bore Kona N model. The mesh grille and three-vent nose, swollen body-color wheel arches, and cute-as-a-button rear diffuser are identical from N Line to N. The only real differences are the N Line's chromed Hyundai badge, 18-inch birds nest–style wheels, and single-sided dual exhaust – the N has a gloss black badge, 19-inch wheels, and a single exhaust tip on either side of the rear bumper. Props to Hyundai for doing so little to dilute the Kona N's visual menace. Hyundai did precious little to distinguish the Kona’s cabin across its disparate trims. The overall layout is identical across the Kona family, while the N Line adorns the base Kona's interior with red accents rather than adding the actual sporty touches from the N. That means a simple and uninteresting steering wheel and flat, uninspiring front seats with cloth upholstery. And overall, the Kona N Line's cabin is a rather dark and drab place filled with cheap-feeling black plastic.
The Kona N Line suffers on most parts of the Comfort segment. The ride is brittle and unrefined, struggling to isolate the steering from imperfections, although it's compliant and pleasant on smoother surfaces. The front seats are unsupportive while retaining enough padding that their flatness doesn't grow too exhausting on longer journeys. The turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder is a member of the long-in-the-tooth Gamma engine family, which remains as buzzy and coarse as ever. All that said, tiny crossovers like this are not renowned for their comfort. While the Kona could be noticeably better in a few key areas – I'm looking at you powertrain refinement – relative to the class, it's largely average. Headroom (Front, Rear) Legroom (Front, Rear) Cargo Volume Hyundai Kona 39.6 / 37.8 Inches 41.5 / 35.2 Inches 19.2 / 45.8 Cubic Feet Chevrolet Trailblazer 40.0 / 38.4 Inches 40.9 / 39.4 Inches 25.3 / 54.4 Cubic Feet Honda HR-V 39.4 / 38.0 Inches 41.9 / 37.7 Inches 24.4 / 55.1 Cubic Feet Jeep Renegade 41.1 / 40.5 Inches 41.2 / 35.1 Inches 18.5 / 50.8 Cubic Feet Mazda CX-30 38.1 / 38.3 Inches 41.7 / 36.3 Inches 20.2 Cubic Feet Technology & Connectivity7/10
Hyundai upgraded the Kona's infotainment system as part of its recent refresh, adding a standard 10.3-inch digital instrument cluster to the N Line, Limited, and N. It's the same attractive setup found in the Elantra, offering three basic skins for the digital tach and speedometer, and featuring information pages in between. The themes are linked to drive modes, or drivers can set them independently. Still, I'd like to see more customization – a full-screen map setting is a must. A $2,500 Tech pack replaces the base 8.0-inch touchscreen with a 10.3-inch unit that's shared with every other new Hyundai/Kia product from the past two years. The graphics are crisp and attractive, and the screen's response to inputs is prompt. Still (and honestly I'm getting tired of writing this) the lack of wireless Apple CarPlay in such a new and advanced infotainment setup is bewildering. Performance & Handling6/10
All shirt and no trousers. All hat, no cattle. All Kona, no N. The N Line might borrow the letter signifying Hyundai's motorsports arm, but its turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder packs just 195 horsepower and 195 lb-ft of torque. Performance is ample for the segment, but not for the checks its sporty body work is trying to cash. There's a fair amount of lag from a standstill, and the responsiveness of the seven-speed dual-clutch transmission just compounds matters. Like some other recent Hyundai/Kia product, the lack of response left me dialing in additional throttle, only to find an unintended and unpleasant surge of power once the powertrain woke up. Things are better once underway – the 1.6 offers peak torque from 1,500 to 4,500 rpm – but wind the engine out too much and its buzziness grows grating. Par for the course with the 1.6-liter Gamma, then. Cornering is a surprising bright spot with this all-wheel-drive Kona. All N Line models feature brake-based torque vectoring, while all-wheel drive swaps out the standard torsion beam with a multi-link rear end. Ask the Kona N Line to change directions and tight body motions and well weighted steering overcome the initial dullness of the response. The Kona N Line isn't Mazda CX-30 good, but it's certainly not far off. Hyundai need only provide sharper reflexes on center. Hyundai's Hot N Models:
The Kona N Line earns high marks for safety owing to its extensive roster of active safety equipment. Automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane keep assist, and blind-spot monitoring are all standard. The $2,500 Tech pack, featured on my tester, adds automatic high beams and Hyundai's excellent Highway Driving Assist system, which adds adaptive cruise control for level two driver assistance. HDA remains an extremely well-integrated system, responding well to surrounding vehicles and keeping the Kona moving down the road with little in the way of lane ping-ponging.
City Highway Combined 2022 Hyundai Kona N Line AWD 27 32 29 2022 Chevrolet Trailblazer RS AWD 26 30 28 2023 Honda HR-V AWD 25 30 27 2022 Jeep Renegade AWD 23 29 26 2022 Mazda CX-30 2.5 AWD 24 31 26
Prices for the Kona start at a reasonable $22,595, but the N Line adds $4,550 to that for a price of $27,145. From there, add in $400 for my tester's Lunar White paint, $1,500 for all-wheel drive, and $2,500 for the tech package. You can save a few pennies by ditching the premium paint, but it's hard to overstate what the remaining $4,000 in options yields. Yes, all-wheel drive provides surefootedness in slick conditions, but it also swaps out the primitive torsion beam rear suspension for a more modern multilink arrangement. And Tech pack's Highway Driving Assist system and 10.3-inch touchscreen are worthwhile on their own, but this pack also adds automatic high beams with LED headlights and a Harmon Kardon audio system. You're getting quite a bit for your money. And among vehicles in the class, there are few that look so overtly sporty. While the Kona could go further in backing up its looks, this is a realistic alternative to the Mazda CX-30 if all you care about is driver engagement. Then again, at $31,545 for a fully loaded Kona N Line, you're less than $4,000 away from the $35,495 Kona N, which will blow the doors off cars like the CX-30 and broadly match the N Line's everyday drive experience. Trim Base Price Competitive Price w/Options 2022 Hyundai Kona N Line AWD $27,145 $31,545 2022 Hyundai Kona N $35,495 $35,495 2022 Chevrolet Trailblazer RS AWD $28,595 $31,525 2023 Honda HR-V Sport AWD $28,395 $28,395 2022 Mazda CX-30 Carbon Edition AWD $29,815 $29,815
Is The Hyundai Kona N Line All-Wheel Drive? Yes, Hyundai offers the Kona N Line with an optional all-wheel drive system. It adds $1,500 to the price tag. What Is The N Line Trim On The Hyundai Kona? N Line, named after Hyundai’s motorsports arm, N, is a style and appearance package available on the Kona and other Hyundai products. It fits sportier wheels and unique body work to mimic the high-performance N models, while retaining powertrain and suspension setups with broader market appeal in mind. How Much Is A Hyundai Kona N Line? The base price for the Kona in N Line trim is $27,145, including the $1,295 destination charge. That’s $4,550 more than the Kona range’s $21,700 base price. Is Hyundai Kona worth buying?Is the 2024 Hyundai Kona a Good SUV? Yes, the 2024 Kona is a very good subcompact SUV. It offers a generous amount of cabin and cargo space and gets great fuel economy. Does Hyundai Kona Turbo need premium gas?The Hyundai Kona runs on regular unleaded gas. How much horsepower does the Kona 1.6 Turbo have?Both the N Line and Limited get the Kona's step-up engine: a 190-hp, turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder that's now mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission instead of the previous seven-speed dual-clutch automatic. The new gearbox is a welcome change. What is the gas mileage on a 1.6 turbo Hyundai Kona?2022 Hyundai Kona. |
