BMW makes an M-azing, M-asterful M3 sports sedan with gobs of horsepower, tires made from Superglue and a taut suspension. It’ll also cost you an M-azing 80 grand. For those who don’t need the full magilla, there’s the BMW M-line which offers M3-like style but without the nuclear power plant under the hood. M style without the M-egaprice.
The Hyundai Kona has decided to get in on the act.
Right next door in the alphabet, the Kona N offers a fire-spitting hot hatch with a loud 286 horsepower, stiff springs, $35K sticker price and N-grin launch control that’ll crush your spine into the seat on its way to 4.9-second zero-60 launches. Sound like fun? No?
Then the Kona N-line might be your cup of Kia with all the N’s styling cues and just enough horsepower — 195 — to make it interesting. Heck, it almost fooled me when I picked my tester up at the airport on a cold April evening.
Lots of black mascara like the Kona N. Signature three-slot hood like the N. Rear diffuser, hot wheels, cladded rocker panels, red-trim and N-embossed sport seats. Just like the N. N-ice.
The N comparisons stop when you put your boot in it.
VROOOOM-NAHHHH, I don’t think so. Despite an upscale, dual-clutch transmission hooked up to the four-banger under the hood, the engine lacks urgency. I confined my enthusiastic driving to 90-degree turns where the N-line rotated nicely before setting off for ... the autocross course? No, the grocery. There the Kona showed off its hatchback utility.
However, for a stiff $31K, the N-line made my mind wander to the $20,995 Elantra in the Hyundai aisle. You want affordable style?
At a whopping $10K south of Kona, the Elantra is a much more head-turning vehicle and is loaded with more modern amenities. I’m talkin’ standard wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, blind-spot assist, and auto tranny. And Elantra has its own N-line for 2022 that uses the same turbo-4 as Kona N, and is $1,400 less than the Kona. Uh-oh.
They say Americans don’t like sedans, but the Elantra has significantly more rear legroom for basketball players like me, and that trunk — well, it's not a hatchback but it will swallow plenty of groceries.
And don’t get me started on hot hatches like the VW Golf GTI, which starts at a similar price to the N-line and will run rings around it in the fun department while delivering better utility.
If SUV it must be, however, then Kona N-line is easy to learn with its tablet screen, useful knobs and digital displays. SPORT mode turns the instrument display red to match your blood temperature. All-wheel drive is a useful feature in the winter months, and the Elantra is just a front-wheel driver. And then there’s that 100,000-mile Hyundai drivetrain warranty, always comforting to buyers on a budget.
Hyundai has hardly been shy with designs. The Elantra and Tucson are unlike anything else on the market and the three-door Veloster has been a joyful addition to my favorite segment, the hot hatch.
Expect the Kona N-line to take over the lovable-if-quirky three-door Veloster’s mantle, given its more accessible four-door setup. That accessibility should mean better sales numbers for the Kona N as well, which in turn will lead more folks to the more accessible N-line. You can see where product planners are going with all this.
With its funky wardrobe, the N-line is worth a walkaround in the parking lot. The menacing slit running lights draw you in, then you notice the headlights at mid-fascia. The bulging fenders look like biceps honed in the gym. The twin tailpipes look like a double barrel shotgun out back. N-teresting.
And with the money you save getting 29 mpg in the 1.6-liter turbo-4 ... well, one of these days you might be tempted by a full-blown N so you can go harass those smug BMW Ms.
2022 Hyundai Kona N-line
Vehicle type: All-wheel-drive five-passenger SUV
Price: $28,425, including $1,245 destination charge
Powerplant: 1.6-liter turbocharged inline-4 cylinder
Power: 195 horsepower, 195 pound-feet of torque
Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch automatic
Performance: 0-60 mph, 7.3 seconds (Car and Driver); top speed, 130 mph
Weight: 3,287 pounds
Fuel economy: EPA 27 mpg city/32 highway/29 combined (AWD as tested)
Report card
Highs: Stylish looks, upscale interior
Lows: Engine lacks pep; lacks value compared to competitors
Overall: 3 stars
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