Is this the Worst Hyundai Model?

Among Hyundai’s high-performance N brand vehicles, Kona N recorded the lowest sales.

The N brand, a sub-brand of Hyundai and its high-performance division, was established in 2015. N is derived from the English initials of Namyang, South Korea, where Hyundai’s global R&D center is located, and Nürburgring, where the driving performance test center is located.

The goal of Hyundai’s N brand is to develop and produce high-quality production cars through a technology internalization process that reflects the technology accumulated through motor-sports activities into production cars. Many N models have been launched so far, but not all have been successful.

Hyundai Kona N debuted in 2021, however, unlike the Avante N, sales were disastrous

Kona N debuted in July 2021. It was a high-performance version based on the popular compact SUV Kona and was launched at the same time as the Avante N ( Elantra N for the North American market). It was equipped with a 2.0-liter T-GDi engine and generated impressive performance with a maximum output of 280 horsepower and a maximum torque of 40kgf∙m (about 295 ft∙lb).

It was expected to have high sales like its sibling model, the Avante N, but this was not the case in reality. Comparing sales from July 2021 to November 2022, the first year after launch, the Avante N sold 3,964 units, but the Kona N showed dismal performance with 503 units.

A difference in the time of development of the Kona N, only DCT (Dual Clutch Transmission) available

So what was the cause of Kona N’s failure? The first is the absence of a manual transmission. While the Avante N was available with both a manual transmission and DCT (Dual Clutch Transmission), only the DCT was applied to the Kona N. Customers who wanted to choose a manual transmission had no choice but to purchase the Avante N.

There are also differences in platform development times. Unlike the Avante N, which was based on the CN7 released in 2020, the Kona N was based on the Kona launched in 2016, so there is already a generation gap in the platform. Also, the absence of four-wheel drive had an impact. The Kona N, which has a higher center of gravity and is heavier than a sedan, was expected to be equipped with four-wheel drive but was launched only with front wheels.

The Kona N eventually discontinued

Meanwhile, overseas, 6,912 units of the Avante N and 5,994 units of the Kona N were sold, showing sales volumes that were not significantly different. However, due to continued sluggish sales in South Korea, sales were eventually quietly discontinued in January 2023.

Afterward, there was talk that the 2nd generation of the existing Kona would debut and a successor to the Kona N would also be launched, but in the end,  the 2nd generation Kona N (Kona N’s successor model) was not announced. Moreover, with the launch of the Ioniq 5N, which has some overlapping positions, the probability of a successor to the Kona N has become even lower.