Like BMW has M and Lexus has F, so, too, Hyundai has N: a tuning house cranking out high-performance versions of their volume sellers.
This fall sees the release of the i30 N and Veloster N, followed by the i30 Fastback N. Each offers a sizeable power increase over the standard model, and updates the suspension, braking and handling to accommodate the greater output.
These three models are just the start, promises the Korean brand. Other models might see N variants come down the pipeline (a performance crossover seems like a no-brainer.)
Not to be bound by the internal combustion engine, Hyundai Head of Vehicle Testing Albert Biermann suggests, in conversation with Automotive News, that with the increase in electric vehicles, he’d be happy to offer a fully electric N model.
Though a fully electric N may be a few years off, he hints at the possibility of a hybrid N version of the Ioniq, saying that an upgraded variant is “…not fully crazy.”
In the meantime, the company will have to make due with the aforementioned i30, i30 Fastback, and Veloster N editions, though a more powerful SUV is currently in development.
If Hyundai does one thing well, it’s that they are determined to punch above their weight. Their Genesis sub-brand, while maybe not yet at the same level as the Germans, is at least considered to be at the same level of Infiniti, which is a huge step up for them. Coupled with their push to out-sexy Alfa Romeo, and now with the promise of real performance numbers, they may actually will themselves to the status they’re aiming for.
[…] makes sense that some brands would deal in this segment. Hyundai/Kia’s plan to be the brand-for-life* of families makes for a good fit. So, too, does the […]