Kona N

The Hyundai Kona N is the most rambunctious entry into the subcompact crossover segment. With its artillery of performance bits, such as an active exhaust, adjustable dampers, summer performance tires, N Sport seats, and an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, this Kona takes off where the recently discontinued Veloster N hatchback stopped. Every Kona N uses the Veloster N’s 276-hp turbocharged inline-four with an overboost function that temporarily dispatches an additional 10 horsepower to the front wheels—the super Kona comes only with front-wheel drive, just as the Veloster N did. Equipment options are limited to three paint choices as this red-hot version of the calmer, standard Kona comes fully loaded with big wheels, the largest infotainment screen, and a black cloth interior with sports seats. During our acceleration tests, the Kona N completed the leap to 60 mph in just 4.8 seconds, making it the quickest in a segment over 20 others and as quick as the 306-hp Honda Civic Type R hot-hatch.