There’s an old saying in newspapers that any story can be made to seem important by adding a big enough headline.

Same goes for cars.
Give a vehicle a big enough engine or extraordinary power and any negative elements can be more easily overlooked.

Meet the Hyundai Kona N. Over the space of about three years since its arrival Down Under, this baby SUV has gone from one of the least engaging models, to one that’s downright exhilarating.

Talk about crossing the spectrum.

It’s a fair bet that when the Kona designers first started creating this smart little SUV, they didn’t expect it would become one of the most potent cars in the Korean maker’s range.

The Kona first broke ground in its native South Korea back in 2017 and has been an unqualified success since it arrived in Australia two years later, with more than 40,000 sold in less than four years.

In that time this chameleon-like model has been tested in three distinct forms.

The first experience was less than flattering.

Driving the base model – with little of the style that has made the Kona such a popular option for young, urban families – drivers were understandably uninspired by its lifeless 2-litre, normally-aspirated engine. Add to that a somewhat plasticky interior and general lack of driving dynamics.

Not to mention that it didn’t look or feel anything like the funky version which appeared in the Kona’s early advertising campaign, memorable because it featured a disco-dancing car wash carousel.

At the time, there wasn’t much to dance about.

That all changed when an electrified version of the Kona arrived in Australia, which was a much more pleasant and memorable experience with its silent drive train, its impressive acceleration and the fact it could travel almost 500km between recharges.

A facelift in 2020 toughened up the Kona’s appearance, as well as added some useful technology.

That model was the precursor for the release of the Kona in its most impressive, if not most expensive, guise.

While the Kona Electric cost in the $60,000 range, pricing for the Kona N, https://coub.com/tags/dancing tested here, with its raucous turbocharged engine and razor sharp handling, is $48,000 plus on-road fees and charges.

That’s almost double the cost of the basic Active model, but the two vehicles could scarcely be less alike – in fact the hotted-up N variant is probably the better value.

The N designation is in honour of Hyundai’s global research centre in Namyan, from where the company has launched a handful of high-performance models bearing the badge.

The N range is also the road-going equivalent of Hyundai’s World Rally Championship effort.

In the case of the Kona, that “performance” tag is well earned with its 206kW and 392Nm engine, quick-shifting dual clutch transmission and its throaty exhaust note.

That’s not all.

There are two “N” buttons on the steering wheel facia which offer an immediate sharpening of things like transmission response, steering, suspension and exhaust note – and then a smaller green button marked NGS (standing for N GrinShift) which turns this already spicy little machine into a grin-inspiring wild ride.

The torque steer generated by putting all that power, and revving capability, into a car driving solely through the front wheels is not dangerous, but is certainly noticeable.

It’s best not to disable the dynamic stability control and traction control, particularly on damp surfaces.

Riding on the same chassis as the well-evolved i30 hatch, the Kona is an impressively well-balanced and reassuringly stable beast to drive, despite its slightly raised ride height.

The engine, which can also be found in corporate cousin Kia’s cultish Stinger GT, is epic.

It is torquey down low and loves to spin to the rev limit.

The exhaust note is perhaps best compared to Subaru’s WR-X STi.

Competition-wise it’s in some notable company, with rivals including VW’s T-Roc R and the soon-to-arrive Cupra Formentor.
Both are more expensive than the Korean, as of course are Audi’s S3 and BMW’s M140i, also with comparable levels of performance.

The only slight disappointment is the interior of the Kona N, which tends towards being a bit plasticky and a bit same-same as other Hyundai (and Kia) models.

That’s to be entirely understood from a company that cross-references so many of its components and finishings with its Korean stablemate.

This car could definitely also do with a head-up display, despite the digital speedo on the instrument panel.

The car’s twin 10.25-inch video screens allow a custom range of settings in the driver’s instrument panel, including turbo boost, g-force meter, lap timer, torque gauge and oil temperature.

It’s pretty funky stuff.

It makes a much more interesting noise than the electric Kona with its characterful, crackling exhaust note and the fact that it kicks like a mule when planting the right foot.

It absolutely looks the goods – the slick aero kit, including the black-and-red diffuser beneath the rear bumper and the black wing above the rear glass.

And with that prodigious four-cylinder and its 206kW and 392Nm, it can deliver the goods as well.

Fast, focused and serious fun, it’s an engaging little rocket.

Don’t worry about the others.
This is the headline act.

HYUNDAI KONA N

* HOW BIG: A small SUV, admittedly, but it feels a bit squeezy even in that market. Rear seat leg room is compromised for anyone approaching six feet.

* HOW FAST: Impressively.

The engine and transmission package is firecracker stuff. Expect mid-fives for the 100km/h sprint.

* HOW THIRSTY: Official consumption is 9L/100km which is reasonable for a car with this much poke.

* HOW MUCH: $48,000 plus on-road costs for the Kona N, or $51k for the Premium version, tested here, which adds leather and some other trinkets.