2022 Hyundai Kona N is coming with 276hp and a tricky 8-speed DCT
You can add BMW's M division in the 'Credits'
By 2022, Hyundai’s N division is expected to have seven models bearing the ‘N’ badge in the States, of which, the Kona N is one. The high-performance compact crossover has been testing all around Europe for the past year now and is due to be revealed as a 2022 model later this year.
Hyundai N has released the mechanical bits for the nerds of its first crossover offering. The 2022 Kona N will boast a similar mechanical setup as the Veloster N, and the i30 N. There will be a 2.0L, turbocharged, in-line-4, with an 8-speed DCT producing 276hp on offer, although it is yet to be known whether the Kona N will be an FWD or a 4WD.
Speaking of the 8-speed DCT, let’s shed some light as to why the ‘box option on the 2022 Kona N is catching the attention of many people…
As we know, Albert Biermann who’s the head of R&D at Hyundai, once headed BMW’s M division. So, the timing is nearly perfect, by the looks of it: BMW has already decided to let go of the DCT in its performance cars for a Torque Converter, and now, Hyundai has decided on using only the DCT as the 2022 Kona N’s transmission option. If this doesn’t raise your eyebrows and calls for something fishy, I don’t know what will.
Anyhoo, the DCT in question would be a wet-style unit, meaning it will use two electric pumps to reduce friction between the gears. Additionally, this setup also helps in cooling the transmission, which means more power can be transferred resulting in more performance and better fuel economy.
More on this, the Hyundai N-‘exclusive’ 8-speed DCT unit will have several performance-oriented programs – NGS (N Grin Shift), NPS (N Power Shift), and NTS (N Track Sense Shift). In NGS, you will have improved transmission response along with a temporary boost in peak torque.
NPS allows for minimizing the drops in performance whereas the NTS is designed to make performance-specific shiftings like gear selection and timing. For the NTS to function as it should, it has to rely on the following factors- road surface, current driving situation, and data gathered from motorsport, as per the Korean carmaker.
I hope this didn’t bore you, and I also hope that the BMW M 8-speed DCT, oops, Hyundai N-exclusive 8-speed DCT, works like a charm. The 2022 Hyundai Kona N is set to reveal in all of its glory in a matter of few days, or weeks. We wait.
