Want a turbocharged Kona? Wait for the Hyundai Kona N Line, coming to Malaysia

Surprise, surprise - at the back of the facelifted 2021 Hyundai Kona reveal today, Hyundai-Sime Darby Motors (HSDM) confirmed that the hotter Kona N Line will be joining the line-up soon. 

But temper your expectations a bit as this isn't the full-on crazy Hyundai Kona N - this is a slightly tartier version of the naturally-aspirated Kona range we currently have here. 

As the tease shows (linked below), expect a racier exterior - complete with aggressive front and rear bumpers complemented with dual exhaust tips. The black claddings are also body-painted this time, lending the car a cleaner look. 

Rather exciting is the prospect of Malaysia having a properly turbocharged Kona again - the N Line is powered with a 1.6-litre, turbocharged engine (Smartstream G1.6 T-GDi) making 198 PS and 265 Nm of torque paired to a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic (DCT) gearbox.

Recall that the Kona we have here are currently all naturally-aspirated: they have the SmartStream G2.0 engine that produces 149 PS and 180 Nm, mated to a CVT, under the hood.

Also read: Priced from RM 120k, 2021 Hyundai Kona facelift launched in Malaysia, no turbo for now

So far, nothing concrete has been shared about its price or even launch date - but it's easy to see that it'll be the model's range-topper upon its introduction here. Currently, the facelifted Kona line-up starts from RM 120k (2.0 Standard) and tops at RM 136k for the 2.0 Active variant.