Hyundai Sonata N imagined
The mid-strength 200kW Sonata N Line is go, but what about a full-strength 250kW version?There's a huge amount of speculation over which Hyundai model will be next to get the high-performance, tail-wagging N treatment.
The odds-on favourite is a compact SUV, after Hyundai N boss Albert Biermann confirmed a Kona N was being developed using the same 202kW engine as the i30 N hot hatch.
Hyundai has also confirmed it will produce a 200kW-plus N Line version of the upcoming eighth-generation Sonata sedan due here around August, and although the Kona N is unlikely to be gazumped by a full-blown Sonata N, that hasn't stopped X-Tomi Design from imagining what it could look like.
Featuring a lower stance and a reshaped front bumper with red highlights to contrast its signature Performance Blue paint job, the new look provides the Sonata with a suitably athletic bent.
Other changes include sporty alloy wheels with red brake callipers and the front air-dams are slightly larger now. The latter is a likely requirement if a production version of the Hyundai Sonata N does get the green light, which will need to generate at least 250kW to be taken seriously.
While the standard Sonata will upgrade to a 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine, the mid-strength Hyundai Sonata N Line will pump out more than 200kW, but it won't use the 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine in the i30 N or the outgoing Sonata Turbo.
Instead it will get a new engine, leaving a hypothetical Sonata N to get something even beefier, potentially 270kW twin-turbo V6 from the Kia Stinger.
Along with the powertrain upgrades, the brakes and suspension and stability control systems would be hypothetically enhanced, as with all N models. The interior too would benefit from sports seats and other driver-focused features.
A new eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission would also be a likely candidate; although to date all N cars have been six-speed manual.
What Hyundai N has achieved in a few years is staggering, elevating its status from interloper to genuine performance contender.
After several victorious comparison tests for the i30 N, it's manifestly clear Hyundai's N division is doing more than sticker kits and big wheels.
When Albert Biermann made the jump from BMW M division boss to the Korean brand in early 2015, many people laughed. Who's laughing now?
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