Is Hyundai N about to create a petrol-powered Honda Civic Type R alternative?
It might just have launched its second all-electric model, but Hyundai N feels there’s still a future for combustion power in its range
The Hyundai i20 and i30 N hot hatches might have been swapped for the all-electric 641bhp Ioniq 5 and 6 N, but you’ll be pleased to hear that’s not all the brand imagines itself selling in the coming years. After sitting down with the creator of Hyundai N, Joon Park, the future of Hyundai's performance division looks very bright. And fuelled by petrol.
Between now and 2030, Hyundai N will launch over seven new models, and while some of these will be all-electric, the company has also confirmed that some of these new cars will feature combustion engines. Speaking to evo, Joon Park said that while he acknowledges that the ICE performance car market has seen a downturn in recent years, he wants to take advantage of a less crowded marketplace to inject both pure-ICE and plug-in hybrid power into the N range.
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Given the recent launch of the Ioniq 6 N, you’d be forgiven for assuming this future is a long way off, but that’s certainly not the case. Hyundai already has a running prototype of a new combustion engine, and we’ll only have to wait a couple of months to see it in action for the first time. In the same way it put the i30 N's 2-litre ‘Theta’ four-cylinder engines through the ultimate shakedown in 2016 by running it in the Nürburgring 24 Hours, it’s doing precisely the same this year with its new unit.
This news comes not long after Toyota GR made its stance clear with the announcement of the all-new 400bhp 2-litre G20E four-cylinder, a unit that Hyundai could well be using as a benchmark for its own creation. Park has spent time with Akio Toyoda recently and discussed just this – while Park says he would love to create a rival to the GR GT for the healthy competition Toyoda is keen to inspire, he acknowledges the importance of keeping Hyundai N products attainable.
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It’s for this reason that Park says Hyundai N is exploring the prospect of a new ICE-powered C-segment model, which would be very handy given the recent loss of the Honda Civic Type R. UK availability is a long way from being confirmed, but Park himself says he would be very keen to launch such a car in Britain should demand call for it. European emissions regulations are what killed the i30 and i20 N, but perhaps the combination of hybrid power and a more emissions-conscious engine will bring models like them back to the table.
Be prepared to vote with your wallet.
