Hyundai’s N performance lineup has blossomed in recent years to include several hatchbacks (i20 N, i30 N, Veloster N) and the newly released Kona N crossover. All of them have one thing in common – a combustion engine – but the man in charge of the N division is suggesting an EV is coming sooner rather than later. In an interview with Top Gear magazine, Albert Biermann rhetorically asked:
“Could you imagine we were not working on it already?” His sentiments were echoed by one of his colleagues working at the N division. Thomas Schemera told the same publication Hyundai is constantly exploring new ways to expand its electric lineup and a performance version based on the Ioniq 5 “seems to be realistic.”
The hardware is already available considering the Kia EV6 GT – which rides on the same E-GMP platform as the Ioniq 5 – packs quite the punch. With 577 horsepower and 564 pound-feet (740 Newton-meters) on tap, the electric crossover from Kia is considerably beefier than its sister model from Hyundai. The Ioniq 5 tops out at 300 hp, so there’s certainly room for improvement in terms of the output delivered by the dual electric motors.
Let’s keep in mind Hyundai has teamed up with electric hypercar marque Rimac for a dedicated electrified sports car as the crown jewel of the N range. There are exciting times ahead for EV enthusiasts and we’re curious to see whether the Ioniq 6 sedan coming in 2022 and the Ioniq 7 SUV due 2024 will get the N treatment.
Meanwhile, Genesis is putting the finishing touches on its own electric crossover based on the E-GMP platform. We’re hearing the GV60 could be debuting as early as June, and with Genesis being the luxury brand of the trio, it would make sense for its version to feature a powerful dual-motor setup. We should find out in the coming weeks.
Source: Top Gear
