It is Mr. Albert Biermann, the director of Division N, who says so. They have the green light to go ahead with the Hyundai Tucson N and the Kauai N. But let's cool off – despite the affirmative answer, both proposals are not a priority at the moment. Furthermore, we are still witnessing the first steps towards the establishment of the N brand, so “baby steps” will be taken in its expansion.
The i30 N, as N's first product, made a big impact. The first contacts proved that we were in the presence of an excellent hot hatch – don't you believe? See here. The excellent first impressions generated leave expectations for the future. We know that there will be more N models, but expectations cannot be disappointed.
Andrew Tuitahi, Senior Product Planning Manager, Hyundai AustraliaEstablishing a performance brand is something that we feel we need to be very careful and cautious about and make sure that every car we develop and put on the market under that brand has to be exceptional.
This year there had already been talk about the possibility of Hyundai Tucson receiving the N treatment. And why not? Tucson is a global model and could be an effective calling card for N division and Hyundai itself. Biermann himself has already commented that the Tucson platform is an excellent basis for making a high-performance SUV – a hot SUV.
But knowing now that Kauai N also has the green light to go forward, could Tucson N be passed over from this one? Kauai has generated immense expectations, presenting itself with a very daring design for what we are used to in the brand, and it is present in a segment that does not stop growing.
The bet on Kauai by Hyundai is being strong, and includes its expansion to new variants – for example, a 100% electric version will be presented in 2018. Why not bet on a high performance variant as well?
But other possibilities are being discussed. The two hypothetical Hot SUVs could give way to an N version of the i30 Fastback, while other rumors point to the Veloster – a model that will meet a second generation in 2018.
What we do know is that the Hot SUV segment is starting to stir. We have already mentioned Volkswagen's proposals here, with R versions of the Tiguan and T-Roc already in development, and rumors abound about proposals from other brands. Are Hot SUVs the replacements for Hot Hatch?