Hyundai rules out ‘Porsche rival’

The 2022 Hyundai N Vision 74 concept is unlikely to ever make production

Hyundai wants to provide performance for the masses – not the elite.

Which is good news if you’re a fan of ‘affordable’ performance but not so good if you wanted to see the awesome N Vision 74 concept car turned into a production reality.

There have been countless reports ever since Hyundai unveiled the wild, retro-futuristic sports coupe in 2022 that it would push the car into production. However, the man responsible for leading the brand’s charge into the performance market has seemingly ruled it out.

Speaking to Australian media recently, Albert Biermann, Hyundai’s executive technical advisor, said he didn’t want to see the N Vision 74 go into production because it would be too expensive and too low volume to really suit the mainstream nature of the Hyundai brand.

“What is the sustainable value for the brand?” Beirmann asked.

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Biermann’s priority is to build cars that people want to drive, rather than collector’s items that will sit in garages.

Instead, his priority is trying to create a replacement for the i30 N hot hatch, which faces a limited future as the brand looks to replace the i30 small car with an electric alternative in the not-too-distant future. Beirmann’s goal is an electric hot hatch that’s much cheaper, and therefore more affordable, the $111k Ioniq 5 N electric SUV.

The new Hyundai Ioniq 5 N starts at $111,000, Biermann wants a cheaper EV hot hatch

“For me, it’s the most important thing to do,” he said.

But he conceded that it may not be a quick or simple process, especially given the cost of EV technology at this stage.

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“Although I would love it if we could give everybody a small, crazy B-segment Hyundai N car [that is] full crazy, full fun – it’s not that easy at this point,” Beirmann explained.

What may be easier, at least in the short- to medium-term, will be extending the life of models like the i30 Sedan N with hybrid powertrains.

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“I see an opportunity to have N power as a hybrid, let’s say for i30 N Sedan, it’s an option,” Biermann said“If it will happen I cannot tell you at this point, but from a technical point it’s possible.”

He also revealed he’s working on a specific small, hybrid project, but admitted it may not be feasible for production.

“Also I’m pushing a project for another small car with a hybrid concept. But it’s too early to say if there’s any chance to bring it to our customers,” he said.