Hyundai Is Planning A Second High-Performance Car

Hyundai is planning a second N-badged performance model, with the new car set to be revealed next year.

It’s not yet known which model it will be based on, but a logical step after the upcoming i30N would be a hot version of the i20, which sells well for the brand. Such a car would go head-to-head with the next Fiesta ST, which will be built around a new 1.5-litre turbocharged engine as we’ve previously reported.

The i40 is potentially another option, but the saloon’s focus on comfort and economy begs the question as to where the market would be for not just a sporty-looking i40, but a properly engineered hot one. We can’t see it happening.

Whichever model is given the N, which stands both for Nurburgring and Namyang, it won’t have a hybrid drivetrain. That’s not to say a future high-performance Hyundai won’t go at least part-electric, though. Autocar quotes the company’s head of vehicle testing and performance development, Albert Biermann, as saying:

“Hyundai has technology of every type – hybrid, plug in hybrid, EV, fuel cell. Right now there’s no plan to bring that tech to N, but when the time comes, whether that’s because the customer requests it or we think there’s a moment or a need by regulation, we will be ready to have a sustainable high-performance car.

“I could eventually see a more emotional EV performance car. But for me, it’s hard to imagine a performance car without an engine – although maybe that’s me getting old.”

Via: Autocar