Hyundai Motors’ ‘N-tense’ rise to global fame
A new “N” is coming to the Philippines, adding to the alphabet soup that the automotive industry has been cooking over the last few decades for high-performance cars.
It all started in 1972 when BMW officially established its “M” (for Motorsport) division. Mercedes-Benz also got into the game with its “AMG” sub-brand after it had purchased a stake in the independent German tuner in 1999, then buying it outright in 2005.
Even the Japanese got into this letter game – Honda Cars’ “Type R” division has made gods out of hum-drum economy cars like the Civic, while Toyota’s “GR” (for GAZOO Racing) group is responsible for the company’s return to making cool and fast cars.
But the letter “N” is the exclusive high-performance letter of Hyundai Motors. And the Korean carmaker is officially introducing the brand locally at the 2024 Manila International Auto Show (MIAS) on April 4 to 7, 2024 at the World Trade Center and SMX Convention Center in Pasay City.
Here’s how this N became a letter to remember.
WRC background
Hyundai Motors has been into making its cars fast as far back as 25 years ago.
Those from my generation still recall watching the World Rally Championship (WRC) on television in the early 2000s. Amid the Subaru Impreza WRX STIs and Mitsubishi Lancer Evolutions that dominated rallying in those days, there was also this three-tone, two-door coupe with “HYUNDAI” written down the side.
This was the Hyundai Accent WRC car, piloted by the likes of four-time WRC champion Juha Kankkunen and British Rally Champion Alistair McRae. The team ran from 2000 to 2003, when budget constraints made the Korean carmaker pull out of rallying without clinching a single overall title.
In 2012, Hyundai Motors started its racing comeback by setting up the Hyundai Motorsport division in Germany.
What N means
It was also around this time that the Hyundai N division was secretly born in 2012.
Hyundai Motors said the “N” comes from the Namyang district in South Korea where the company’s global research and development center is located. The letter also pertains to the fearsome Nurburgring circuit in Germany where all N models are tested and where Hyundai’s technical center is headquartered.
The N brand first came to light on December 2013 on the Hyundai i20 WRC car. As of press time, Hyundai Motorsport campaigns race-prepped Hyundai N models like the i30 N, Veloster N, Elantra N in touring-car racing, while the i20 N Rally1 competes in the WRC.
For the general public, the sub-brand officially debuted on September 2014 at the Frankfurt Motor Show with promise of making some seriously quick machines.
N marks the spot
The first mass-production Hyundai N car was the i30 N, which debuted globally in 2017 and is aimed squarely at the likes of the Honda Civic Type R.
As of press time, this hot hatchback is powered by a turbocharged 2.0-liter, twin-cam, 16-valve inline-4 gasoline engine pumping out 276 horsepower and 392 Nm of torque when equipped with the Performance Package. Hyundai Motors claims a 0 to 100 km/h time of just 5.4 seconds with the 8-speed dual-clutch transmission.
Other goodies include an electronic limited-slip differential, a rear strut bar, lightweight seats, 19-inch alloy wheels, launch control and the N Grin Control System with five driving modes: Eco, Normal, Sport, N and N Custom.
Next was the Veloster N, which was produced from 2018 to 2022. This had the same powertrain as the i30 N, but with the Veloster’s quirky coupe body.
In 2020, the company unveiled the smaller i20 N – this packs a turbocharged 1.6-liter, twin-cam, 16-valve inline-4 gasoline engine producing 201 horsepower and 275 Nm of torque. Mated to a 6-speed manual transmission, this little hot hatch can do 0 to 100 km/h in a claimed 6.2 seconds.
The year 2021 brought on two N models – the Elantra N sedan and the Kona N crossover. Both carry over the i30 N’s stout powertrain and performance enhancements.
And finally, there’s the wild IONIQ 5 N electric vehicle. Equipped with an 84-kWh lithium-ion battery pack and two electric motors, this all-wheel-drive monster puts down 601 horsepower and 740 Nm of torque, all while producing zero tailpipe emissions.
Welcome to the Philippines!
Indeed, the Elantra N will be Hyundai Motors Philippines’ first salvo in the performance-car stakes when it debuts at the 2024 MIAS.
This is significant for two reasons – besides officially debuting the N brand locally, this will also be the first time that the current-generation Elantra will arrive on our shores since Hyundai Motor Philippines took over local passenger-car operations on June 2022.
“To all existing and soon-to-be ‘N-thusiasts,’ we are excited to be giving you access to the groundbreaking cars that came out of our rolling lab,” said Hyundai Motor Philippines president Dongwook Lee in a press statement.
“Outstanding pleasure and that fun-to-drive thrill will be at arm’s reach starting this April,” he added.
And if all goes well, perhaps the rest of the Hyundai N lineup may come in to satisfy drivers with that extra “N”eed for speed.
