Hyundai N performance details imminent

Hyundai's N performance sub-brand has been talked about ad-nauseam since it was announced in late 2013, but now it seems the company is finally keen to talk about specifics, including intentions to tune Hyundai cars, Genesis cars and potentially even the Korean brand's ubiquitous SUVs.

Headed up by ex-BMW M performance chief Albert Biermann, the N performance brand (named for its R&D base in Namyang, South Korea) will make a global announcement later in the year, when it's expected to outline details on engine, chassis and bodywork enhancements.

"All will be revealed later in the year, in the second half of the year," said Guido Schenken, Hyundai Australia's Public Relations Manager, when asked what cars will be modified by N and when.

We know the i30 N small car will be the first go-fast model to debut in 2017, as a rival for the Volkswagen Golf GTI, possibly powered by a new 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine worth around 220kW and 380Nm.

Biermann has also previously confirmed that Hyundai's newly-launched Genesis luxury brand will also get the sporty N upgrades and Hyundai's SUVs – led by the Tucson – are likely to be on the menu too.

Although Schenken wouldn’t confirm any plans for high-performance SUVs, stating "It's too early to talk about specific end products," he implied the upcoming announcement wouldn't necessarily involve a product reveal.

"I didn't say we'd unveil anything this year," he cautioned, but it's clear Hyundai Australia is keen to get the high-performance hero cars into its dealerships as soon as possible.

"Timing for the launch of the N brand hasn't been confirmed [for Australia], however, we will definitely be taking [vehicles] from the start.

"We will choose which models based on whether there's a business case for Australia. And not all models will necessarily be available in right-hand drive either," he explained.

"We think N has a great potential to lift the profile of Hyundai in Australia and attract new customers. We see it as a very exciting opportunity for Hyundai and for Genesis," he said.

Although there's been plenty of talk of all-wheel drive systems and turbocharged engines, Schenken said: "I wouldn't have thought an N car had to be turbo, no," and observed that AWD was not a necessity either, which corresponds with Biermann's previous comments about N cars being very affordable, at least initially.

Whatever comes out in the wash in the second-half of 2016, when N performance comes clean with its future plans, the Hyundai and Genesis brands will certainly become a lot more visible – and faster and louder – as a result.