Hyundai plans three-car N Performance range

Hyundai aims to follow the likes of Mercedes-AMG with a range of performance cars to tempt enthusiast buyers. 

The brand's head of performance cars, former BMW M Division chief Albert Biermann, says next year's i30 N Performance hatch will be followed by two other machines, though they won't necessarily be offered in the same markets.

"This first i30 high performance car is focused on Europe," he says.

"And not too far later we will have one focused on Korea and the US. And then there's something for Europe again, and then we start discussing with China. 

"Different cars for different markets, that is our strategy."

One possibility is a tuned Tucson borrowing the upcoming i30 N's turbocharged 2.0-litre engine and dual-clutch automatic transmission.

"I would love to make a really hot Tucson but nobody wants this right now," Biermann says.

"There's no plan to do that, but it's an interesting job to do.

"Sooner or later why might make it, but there's no plan now."

While Hyundai's Australian arm tunes the suspension of most models to its local specifications, that won't be happening with the brand's performance cars. Biermann says N-badged cars "will all be tuned on Nurburgring, that's it, period", and that the treatment will not apply to Genesis luxury models.

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