Not necessarily, at least, as the N division boss recently suggested at an awards show where the 5 N took home a trophy for its performance chops. And he needs to make sure people are aware of that future.
Hyundai's N Brand Is Not Focused On One Power Source
"Because for N, imagination and courage are the words we need to remember."
- Joon Park, VP and Head of N Management Group
"The problem that we have is that there is a perception from the media and our fans that Hyundai N is only focusing on the EV world, which is not true," N boss Joon Park told Autocar. "Even though we are going to introduce the Ioniq 6 N at Goodwood Festival of Speed, we are not limiting ourselves to EVs," he said.
Park didn't specify what new or existing Hyundai models could get the N treatment. But with Hyundai responding to sluggish EV uptake with more plug-in and hybrid models, as well as an expected range-extender EV, Park will certainly have plenty of gas and electrified models to work with.
"We're going forward with EVs, of course, as well as all the other proposals we could do," Park said. Crucially, his next words hit close to our hearts: "Because for N, imagination and courage are the words we need to remember."
To be fair to Hyundai's N team, despite losing most of its gas models, the message has been clear all along. Earlier this year, Park said that "there won’t be hybrid models from competitors in the future… building that sort of car could give us an advantage."
Last April, former N boss (he has since been promoted) Till Wartenburg told CarBuzz that N would offer internal combustion "as long as regulations allow." The exec said that "we are quite flexible" when it came to N power, which could include all sorts of hybrids. Hyundai N has even experimented with fuel cells, and Wartenburg said we "may see something like that." The N Vision 74 concept used a fuel cell powertrain to give its Giugiaro-inspired looks 670 horsepower.
One of Hyundai N's test drivers also let slip last year that the brand was in what he called "pre-development" of hybrid systems. Hyundai's main hybrid system uses a turbocharged engine and a dual-clutch transmission. In theory, that could help make it more suitable for N levels of performance. Kia, part of the Hyundai group, recently revealed a new 2.5T meant for future hybrid and range-extended applications. An engine that sounds perfectly suited to N.
Hyundai's N model line started in 2017 with the i30 N hatchback in Europe. It added the Veloster N the following year, giving the oddball asymmetrical-door hatch 247 horsepower, a six-speed stick or eight-speed DCT, and a limited slip differential.
Other N models include the oddball but delightful Kona N, which was dropped when that model was redesigned a few years later. The current N lineup includes the 641-horsepower Ioniq 5 N EV, the Elantra N, and (in a few weeks) the Ioniq 6 N.
