Skip advert
Advertisement

Hyundai N may never give us another petrol-powered model

Hyundai’s technical advisor Albert Biermann tells us to temper our expectations for another combustion-powered N model in the UK

Hyundai N badge

It’s not often that a new performance brand hits the ground running and gives the established players a bloody nose, but that’s exactly what Hyundai’s N division did in 2016. Its first creation, the i30 N, is everything the Mk8 Volkswagen Golf GTI should have been, while the i20 N that followed is tenacious, exciting and just plain brilliant. 

Advertisement - Article continues below

But this bloodline might be coming to a premature end, according to Hyundai’s technical advisor and former N division lead Albert Biermann. At the launch of the new Ioniq 5 N, the firm’s first electric performance car, Biermann told evo magazine that he ‘doesn’t have much hope’ for another UK-bound, petrol-powered N model. 

Looking at the wider industry, this isn’t a huge surprise; Ford has pulled the Fiesta ST, Renault Sport is no more and Peugeot no longer sells anything with a GTI badge. With ever more stringent emissions regulations taking hold, not to mention the accelerated (and expensive) rollout of electric cars, petrol hot hatches are being put out to pasture. 

Sadly, they’re unlikely to be replaced by electric equivalents any time soon – at least in Hyundai’s case. Biermann also confirmed to us that future electric N products will be built with track use in mind, and as such, they must be underpinned by an 800v electronic architecture (as found in the Ioniq 5 N).

One of the key challenges in producing a track-ready electric car is managing the extreme energy usage and temperature build up from rapidly discharging and recharging the battery. Compared to a 400v system, an 800v platform enables faster charging speeds (essential for topping up between track sessions), reduced current and therefore heat production, making continuous track driving possible. 

The trouble is, it’s not profitable to develop an 800v architecture for a reasonably priced i30-sized hatchback with current technology, let alone a supermini. Hyundai’s sister company Kia, with which it shares much of its EV componentry, has just unveiled its smallest bespoke electric car yet – the EV3 – which runs on a 400v system, all but confirming that similarly sized electric Hyundais won’t fit the technical requirements for an N model. 

Still, by the time 800v technology is feasible for smaller cars, we wouldn’t bet against Hyundai producing another upset with an electric N-badged hot hatch.

Skip advert
Advertisement

Recommended

New Hyundai Ioniq 6 N gets 641bhp to give Porsche Taycan a run for its money
Hyundai Ioniq 6 N
News

New Hyundai Ioniq 6 N gets 641bhp to give Porsche Taycan a run for its money

After months of test mule sightings and teasers, Hyundai has finally launched its second production performance EV at the 2025 Goodwood Festival of Sp…
10 Jul 2025
Mini JCW 2025 review – too feisty for its own good
Mini JCW – front
Reviews

Mini JCW 2025 review – too feisty for its own good

The petrol-powered JCW lives on – for now. But in its latest incarnation, has this supermini survivor become too hardcore?
6 Jul 2025
Volkswagen Golf GTI Clubsport Mk8.5 2025 review – a cut-price Honda Civic Type R?
Volkswagen Golf GTI Clubsport Mk8.5
Reviews

Volkswagen Golf GTI Clubsport Mk8.5 2025 review – a cut-price Honda Civic Type R?

The Golf GTI Clubsport lifts the Mk8.5 GTI to a higher level, but it’s still not quite a match for the best in class
4 Jul 2025
VW Golf GTI Clubsport for £6k off – Akrapovic exhaust effectively thrown in free
Volkswagen Golf GTI Clubsport deal
News

VW Golf GTI Clubsport for £6k off – Akrapovic exhaust effectively thrown in free

The Volkswagen Golf GTI Clubsport in Mk8.5 guise makes for a tempting prospect at the right price
3 Jul 2025
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

£15k off Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio super SUV
Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio
News

£15k off Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio super SUV

If you have to have an SUV, a Stelvio QV is acceptable. Now it's being heavily discounted.
8 Jul 2025
MST Mk1 Sports is a more affordable less extreme Ford Escort recreation
MST Ford Escort front
News

MST Mk1 Sports is a more affordable less extreme Ford Escort recreation

Costing a tenth of most made-new classics, the MST Mk1 Sports is comparatively accessible
8 Jul 2025
Mini JCW 2025 review – too feisty for its own good
Mini JCW – front
Reviews

Mini JCW 2025 review – too feisty for its own good

The petrol-powered JCW lives on – for now. But in its latest incarnation, has this supermini survivor become too hardcore?
6 Jul 2025