Hyundai offers a sneak peek at its racy new Kona N

Hyundai has finally relented and given us all a glimpse of its upcoming Kona N SUV.

Built to take on the likes of the BMW X2 M35i and Audi SQ2, this racy newcomer will be powered by the same turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine already doing duty in the lovely i30 N — a car that really won the hearts of the TimesLIVE Motoring team (if only it were a little bit cheaper though). This means that 202kW and 353Nm worth of torque will be sent exclusively to the front wheels via the firm's snappy eight-speed dual-clutch transmission. Expect a sub six second 0-100km/h sprint time and a VO2 max of 250km/h.

Styling is subjective animal, duh, but we certainly think that the new Kona N really looks the business with its double “bazooka” exhaust tailpipes, rally-inspired double-wing roof spoiler and snarling front-end that's just a great big ball of black-meshed menace.

So then ... Is it coming to SA? Well according to Hyundai's local offices the Kona N “could” be seen in Mzansi at the end of 2021. Nice. Here's hoping that it makes an appearance.