2022 Hyundai Kona N Line FWD Review & Test Drive : Automotive Addicts

With today’s dominance of crossover utility motor vehicles (CUVs), producers are locating innovative strategies to make their present lineup stand out in a crowd so attracting a broader range of probable prospective buyers. Hyundai has joined the bandwagon to insert a new sporty attractiveness to extra vehicles with the Kona remaining a person of the 1st CUVs to get these treatment method in a new N Line trim, which falls in between the SEL and Confined trims.

General performance and Driving Character

The new 2022 Hyundai Kona has presently been an interesting supplying amongst sub compact crossovers and a new N Line trim it allows bridge a hole between the mid-level SEL trim and the prime Confined trim. Only, the Kona N Line doesn’t do a great deal to add any performance to what you discover in the Kona Restricted, which gets the identical 195 horsepower and 195 lb-ft torque 1.6-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder motor. Possessing the 195-horsepower engine about the Kona SEL trim’s 147-horsepower is an added gain in particular when you choose for the Kona N Line front-wheel-drive design like my check auto. Opting for such a configuration will get substantially superior gasoline economic climate around the all-wheel-travel Kona N Line or Restricted trim with 29 mpg town, 35 mpg highway, and a put together EPA estimate of 32 mpg. The all-wheel-travel Kona N Line or Constrained trims get 27 mpg town, 32 mpg freeway, and 29 mpg merged.

The turbocharged motor gets mated to a 7-velocity automated dual-clutch transmission, which is good for the direct relationship and gasoline economic system but can be a tiny unrefined when you find by yourself creeping alongside at small speeds.

Driving the new Kona N Line is generally a thoughtless practical experience right up until you have to navigate by heavy crawling visitors where the twin-clutch transmission demonstrates its faults with considerably of a jerky feeling with it engaging the automated clutch. Crawling close to 5 to 10 mph is not precisely a enjoyable encounter if you are not careful and comfortable with your throttle software. That direct relationship, aside from rather of a lag upon first choose-off from a prevent, is part of the sporty perspective in the Kona N Line. There is ample torque that frequently breaks the entrance wheels unfastened upon reasonable to total throttle inputs coming out of a change at minimal speeds. In a way, the Kona N Line is enjoyable and lively with its rather stiff suspension that can be a little bit punishing at periods. Zero to 60 mph requires about 7.4 seconds if you’re in a position to restrict entrance wheel spin with traction manage disabled. There’s hardly ever a lack of ability through the midrange and outside of and you are going to truly feel a great deal assured in leaping out in freeway-velocity visitors.

Hyundai’s “N” nomenclature is setting up to be shared by way of a very good portion of the lineup with the Kona now obtaining the N-therapy for both of those an N Line design and a whole-on Kona N with even far more electric power (276-horsepower) and a sporting activities-tuned suspension setup. With the Kona N Line, there’s much more of a athletics visual appearance modify that sets it apart from the relaxation of the Kona trims. As far as machines, the Kona N Line splits the big difference in the SEL and Minimal trims but receives a couple of goodies in hopes that the N Line will become a hugely sought-immediately after trim degree, alongside with the extra-potent engine that’s in the Constrained trim.

Inside and Tech

For the additional machines, the new Kona N Line not only gets the extra powerful engine and almost the very same gasoline economic climate in FWD model as the less-impressive SEL and SE trims, but it will get the highlighted include-on tools of a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster, larger 18-inch wheels that are one of a kind to the trim, sporty heated entrance seats, and somewhat of a one of a kind exterior visual appeal that can make the Kona glance sportier and a lot more high quality than the two reduced trims.

The place the appearance departs from the premium facets is the in general inside concept the place there’s very little but difficult plastics adorning the dashboard with the only smooth-touch space, aside from the seats, is the middle armrest. There is a neat enjoy on the plastic trim obtaining a texture and the big 10.25-inch infotainment touchscreen, part of the optional Tech Bundle, that does properly to continue to keep your consideration from the plastics. The infotainment system continues to be to be the person-friendly set up that I’ve raved about in the past on Hyundai autos, and in the Kona N Line, there’s wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Vehicle that can also be paired via USB.

Seating parts up front are incredibly accommodating for grown ups of most sizes. There is even really a bit of adjustability in the electric power driver’s seat. The rear seating is a minimal cramped but presents just more than enough room for both two grownups or a few more compact kids. The 60/40-split seatbacks can fold down to open up the 19.2 cubic toes of storage guiding the rear seats to 45.8 cubic toes.

Other notable characteristics that the optional Tech Package deal provides is a great-sounding Harmon Kardon high quality audio method, ability sunroof, LED headlights with highbeam assist, LED taillights, Smart Cruise Management with Cease & Go, highway driving assist, and an electrical parking brake.

Security

The Hyundai Kona will get a couple of normal lively safety attributes which include ahead collision warning and mitigation, lane departure mitigation, and lane-retaining assist. On the Kona SEL trim and N Line trim you get the addition of a blind-spot keep track of and rear cross-site visitors warn.

Pricing

Hyundai’s quest to retain its products and solutions related and a minor unique from the rest of the crowd is paying off perfectly, specially with the additions of new N Line and sporty overall performance-oriented N motor vehicles. The Kona N-Line is just one particular extra transfer that keeps the model fresh among the younger crowds and all those modest increasing families that want some thing to stand out as a substitute of sticking with the standard vanilla group of crossovers. With this kind of, pricing remains to be respectable starting off at just $21,300 prior to any charges. My Kona N Line check motor vehicle in a entrance-wheel-travel configuration painted in an eye-turning Blue Wave coloration will come to $29,790, which include a $1,245 freight and dealing with charge.