Hyundai’s N division isn’t axing petrol hot hatchbacks just yet
Performance division’s VP says that it’s “not true” that the brand is going EV-only, hinting at hybrid-powered models to come
The internal-combustion hot hatch isn’t quite dead yet, as Hyundai N is currently working on hybrid-powered successors to the critically acclaimed i20 N and its larger sibling, the i30 N.
Following both cars’ discontinuation in the UK and Europe, it was widely believed that Hyundai’s high-performance division had fully made the switch to electric power, focusing on the likes of the award-winning Hyundai Ioniq 5 N and the upcoming Ioniq 6 N saloon.
However, in an exclusive interview with Auto Express, vice president and co-founder of the N division, Joonwoo Park, described the brand’s legacy of building fun-yet-affordable ICE cars as its “backbone”.
“It’s not true that we’re moving to an EV performance brand,” Park explained. “We have a great legacy with i20 N and i30 N – we’re not stopping there. And he added: “There [likely] won’t be hybrid models from competitors in the future… building that sort of car could give us an advantage.”
So what sort of hybrid technology can we expect, and on what models will it materialise? Well, as executive expert at Hyundai Motor Europe and one of the brand’s chief test drivers, Alex Eichler, pointed out: “At this stage, we’re only in the pre-development of hybrid systems. When we do simulations, it’s interesting to see how lap times change whenever you tweak certain parameters.”
Park also admitted that the team at N are concerned about the sheer weight of hybrids, using the latest hybrid-powered BMW M5 as an example. “There are pros and cons and trade-offs, such as weight,” Park said. “It’s how we deal with those trade-offs, so our customer can still drive a fun car.”
With regard to what hybrid model we might be able to look forward to, Eichler hinted that we could potentially see a spiritual successor to the i20 N: “There could be a car like the i20 N coming in the future,” he suggested. “At least, I hope so!”
This, as with a replacement for the Hyundai i30 N, would likely sit on a completely new platform; the hardware that underpins the Ioniq 5 N and upcoming Ioniq 3 – which will undoubtedly get the N treatment to occupy the hole in the line-up once filled by the Kona N – is only designed for EV powertrains.
Whatever materialises, we’ll have a long while to wait before we even get a glimpse of any hybrid-powered hot Hyundai. As Eichler mentioned, hybrid powertrains are still in pre-development, with the firm hinting that we likely won’t see something before the end of 2027 at the earliest.
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