2022 Hyundai Kona N Review: The Future of Hot Hatchbacks?

Small cars are out. Cladding and ground clearance is in. Small crossovers are chipping away at the once-beloved hatchback market and are shoving some hot hatchbacks out of the US market. Naturally, automakers will look at the changing tides and try to respond. While performance crossovers are far from new, the Hyundai Kona N takes a look at the small crossover and the future of the hot hatchback. Based on Hyundai’s popular Kona, the 2022 Hyundai Kona N takes the pedestrian crossover and turns it into an over-the-top fun machine. Borrowing the performance parts from the Hyundai Veloster N, the Kona N sports a 2.0-liter turbocharged I4 that sends 276 hp and 289 lb-ft of torque through an eight-speed automatic transmission. That power travels exclusively to the front wheels. On this episode of Quick Spin, host Wesley Wren hops behind the wheel of the 2022 Kona N to put it through its paces. Wren takes you around the hopped-up Hyundai and highlights the features and styling before taking you along for a live-recorded drive review. Adding to this, Wren chats with Autoweek’s west coast editor Mark Vaughn about Hyundai’s Kona, hot hatchbacks and more. Closing the show, the two talk about what makes this Hyundai Kona N special.