Hyundai N lineup expansion detailed
Plans to offer a more diverse lineup of performance vehicles have been announced by Hyundai, with the N division set to grow.
Hyundai has well and truly evolved from a challenger brand to becoming one of the key players in the affordable performance car market, and it’s not giving up just yet.
At its annual Investor Day this week, Hyundai reiterated its plans to sell more than seven N performance models by 2030, now confirming this will include “new powertrain diversification”.
Currently, the Hyundai N product lineup is either powered by turbocharged petrol engines (i 20N, i30 N, Elantra/i30 Sedan N) or electric motors (Ioniq 5 N, Ioniq 6 N), however rumours of a hybrid powertrain being in development have circulated for the past year.
It’s expected the next-generation i20 N will go hybrid, as well as the new i30 N and an N version of the Tucson SUV, the most recent generation of which was revealed last week.
Until now that has only been speculation, though on a slide detailing future segments where it will compete, Hyundai noted the ‘entry SUV’ market as an opportunity for the brand, all but confirming the Tucson N as a future product plan.
Arguably more interesting than this was the note of the front-engined, rear- or all-wheel drive performance segment, which it notes accounts for 22 per cent of the global high-performance vehicle market, being the largest of any vehicle type.
This too will be occupied by Hyundai N by 2030, though it’s yet to be seen what the front-engined vehicle will be, as last year Hyundai confirmed it was developing a mid-rear (MR) engined platform, which would be a logical addition to the N brand.
In total, Hyundai hopes the N brand will be sold in more than 40 global markets by 2030, and contribute 100,000 annual sales to the carmaker, making it more profitable.
However, it also plans to expand the lineup of performance models available to buyers outside of the core N brand, detailing a new ‘high-volume performance segment’ between the N Line and N brand division.
Characterised by “value features for daily high-performance experience” and “carry-over powertrain and parts with Hyundai N”, these models will sit above the N Line range (which offers N-inspired cosmetic upgrades) and the full-fat N cars.
The N Line variants of Hyundai’s vehicles are already a cash cow, having notched up 161,000 sales in 2025, compared to the circa-20,000 sales of its flagship N models.
Hyundai is already planning to launch a new-generation four-cylinder engine in the near future, having already run it at the Nürburgring 24 Hour race in May in two Elantra N (i30 Sedan N) TCR cars.
