Ignore the "official" spy photos provided by Hyundai. Ever carmaker is in that game today, as lame as it may be. However, it shows that the Koreans are hard at work trying to ready the spicier Kona N for its debut. To keep the hype up, they've published the said set of pictures and new spec-related details.

The pictures are in the photo gallery for everyone to look at and browse through. What we'll focus on has to do with the new Hyundai Kona N's powertrain. As per its makers, the performance crossover will marry an eight-speed wet dual-clutch gearbox (aka N DCT) with a 2-liter turbo mill. That's all we get, with the promise that more info is going to be released in the coming weeks.

Even if Hyundai didn't delve into specifics - such as how much power and torque it has unlocked for the Kona N, we can at least have a look at the i30 N/Veloster N to make an idea of what sort of credentials might be in store for the souped-up crossover.

For starters, the i30 N packs 247 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque from a 2-liter turbo mill fed with gasoline. Hyundai even offers a Performance Pack that sees power take a hike to 275 horses and torque to 289 pound-feet. 0-62 mph takes 5.9 seconds with the Performance Pack, although the Kona N should be heavier, so it might need a tad over six seconds for the sprint. As for top speed, 155 mph would be a likely threshold.

Worth noting is that the i30 N can also be had with a six-speed manual, but it looks like Hyundai won't offer that at all for the Kona N. Coming back to the dual-clutch unit, it's expected to offer three modes, just like in the i30 N - N Grin Shift, N Power Shift, and N Track Sense Shift. We're not sure how and why would anyone take the Kona N to the track, so that mode might not be featured after all. We'll see.

There's not much to discuss on the design side, either, inside or outside. The Kona N should flaunt a muscled-up exterior at least, maybe via a new diffuser, revised bumpers, new wheel designs (as seen in the pictures), and larger exhaust pipes (also showcased in the press photos). Hyundai might also offer a unique body paint color for the Kona N, as it does for the i30 N. We can also spot a subtle roof spoiler coming out from above the rear window.

That said, we're not expecting a lot of fireworks on the inside, although the standard Kona's interior is pretty basic and would leave a lot of room for sporty add-ons. Colored stitching (the i30 N uses blue as the color of choice) is most likely on the table, just as much as redesigned seats, and a shift-time indicator, perhaps even an optional 10.25-inch central display.

Since it's too early to talk about pricing, you're better off checking out the images in the photo gallery.