Hyundai is working on a faster, more powerful Kona crossover

Whether you like it or not, performance crossovers are a thing these days. In fact, just about every automaker has been coming up with (at least) one. Hyundai has gotten in on it, too, as they have a few N Performance high-riders in the pipeline.

There were rumors about a hotter Tucson coming soon but there's been a new development. Hyundai will also add some spice to their subcompact crossover, the Kona. So, what can we expect? First off, it won't be some simple cosmetic package alone. Reports say that Hyundai is serious about giving the Kona performance credentials.

Details are scarce at the moment but a boosted engine is a definite possibility. It could source the 2.0-liter mill from their first serious hot hatchback, the i30 N. If it were to be lifted straight from there, this boosted Kona could have either 250 PS or even as much as 275 PS. However, there is another possible option for it, albeit with a lower displacement. The Kona N might also use the turbocharged 1.6-liter from the Veloster that makes 204 PS.

Of course, it could be uprated if it were to use the 1.6-liter, or de-tuned in the case of the 2.0-liter. Then again, Hyundai might surprise everyone by giving it somewhere in the region of 300 PS. Given that the Korean automaker has given their N high-performance models a manual option, there is a chance that it might come with it too, but it's not a certainty.

When is it arriving? The Kona will be given a facelift sometime this year which means the N-tuned version might come in by 2021.