Is this the hot Tucson that Hyundai won’t build?

The world has been crying out for a hot Hyundai Tucson for a couple of years now and the hype reached an all-time high when Hyundai announced it would produce a classy N-Line version, which had been expected to bring the Sonata’s potent 2.5-litre turbo-petrol engine and all-wheel drive.

Alas the N-Line treatment merely turned out to be a cosmetic makeover for the exterior and an equipment upgrade for the cabin.

Global media – including carsales – has been asking Hyundai for almost as long whether its N Performance division will deliver another SUV following the retirement of the first-generation Kona N and we’ve largely been met with crickets beyond the battery-electric (and rather expensive) IONIQ 5 N.

Thankfully the aftermarket exists and it’s through a third-party channel that perhaps the world’s coolest mainstream mid-size SUV – certainly the coolest Tucson – has been born.

Instagram user _jamie_dl has dedicated its account to the development and travels of its own pimped-out 2023 Hyundai Tucson N-Line, which has just been wrapped in a stunning matte-grey colour and fitted with a Prior Design PDNR30 widebody kit to create the closest thing yet to a Tucson N.

The Prior Design kit includes an aggressive front splitter, headlight frames, side skirts, wheel-arch extensions, rear diffuser, roof spoiler and a secondary tailgate spoiler – all finished in gloss black and complemented by wider offset black MB Design wheels.

It isn’t clear if the car is fitted with any chassis or mechanical upgrades, but we can see the tyres have at least been upgraded. And we wouldn’t be surprised if there was a beefier rear sway bar or some other subtle suspension tweak to help back-up the menacing look.

We contacted Hyundai Australia (again) for comment on the prospect of a hot Tucson – given previous timelines would have an N Performance version launching in the near future – to which the brand responded: “We can’t comment or speculate on future N product, except to say that everything is on the table and the company is looking carefully at the entire Hyundai range in terms of suitability for the high-performance treatment.

“In reality, Tucson would be a great candidate for the XRT treatment, but no plans are confirmed yet for Australia.”

The hypothetical timeline is based on the previous-generation Kona N, which was launched as part of the facelifted first-gen Kona range.

The IONIQ 5 N, meantime, was released just prior to the reveal of the facelifted IONIQ 5 range and set the tone for the updated EV’s mechanical enhancements – primarily the fitment of an 84kWh battery pack and the introduction of a sports-themed N-Line grade.

These precedents point to the hypothetical Tucson N debuting in the next 12-18 months, given the standard model has just been treated to a mid-life refresh and is due in Australia within weeks.

The only feasible rival for such a model would be the aging Volkswagen Tiguan R, which has revelled in huge local demand in the absence of a direct competitor since its release in 2022.

Join the conversation at our Facebook page
Or email us at editor@carsales.com.au