With the announcement of Hyundai’s N Line launching in India, enthusiasts are going to have one more choice for fun to drive cars in our market. The first Hyundai N Line car for our market is going to be the i20 N Line. It won’t be a full-blown N Line car but instead an i20 turbo with the exterior, interior and mechanical changes. This will help in keeping the prices in check and reaching more masses. However, once the N brand has established itself, what other models would we want to see in their future lineup? Let’s take a look:
I20 N
This car has the highest chance of coming to India. Hyundai might get it in via the CKD or CBU route since the demand for a ₹15 lakh+ i20 won’t be much. The i20 N is the full-blown performance version of the vanilla i20 that we get here. It features aggressive styling elements like a chequered flag pattern and there’s a lip spoiler below the bumper. Unique side skirts lead to a redesigned rear bumper with a faux-diffuser and central triangular fog light. A big spoiler above the rear window helps press the car into the road at high speed, improving stability. The Hyundai i20 N is powered by a 1.6-litre, four-cylinder, turbocharged petrol engine producing 204hp and 270Nm of torque. It’ll sprint from 0-100 km/h in 6.7 seconds and go on to a top speed of 228 km/h.
Kona N
The Kona N is the first SUV to get the N treatment. The Kona N would virtually have no competition when launched in India. The Kona N packs a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine developing 280PS of power and 392Nm of torque. The 8-speed wet dual-clutch transmission features three modes: N Grin Shift (NGS), N Power Shift (NPS) and N Track Sense Shift (NTS). With the gearbox set to NGS mode, there’s an extra 10PS to be had. The N Grin button has a dedicated option on the steering wheel. It is essentially a boost that the engine provides for 20 seconds. This will be quite helpful while chasing for lap times or even for quick overtakes. The Kona N is capable of doing 0-100kmph in just 5.5 seconds while pushing on further will see the speedo climb to 240kmph.
Elantra N
The facelifted Elantra has upped the suaveness of the sedan and the N variant has sprinkled some sportiness into the mix. The heavily sculpted front fascia screams for attention. The visual drama doesn’t fade away as you move to the other exterior bits of the performance sedan. There are countless elements to make it different from the standard variant of the car, including bright red side sill extensions and a small rear wing. The major highlight here has to be the powertrain equipped under the hood. It is the familiar 2.0-litre four-cylinder found in other performance models from the brand. This unit puts down 276 horsepower on the ground and 391 Nm of peak torque output. Despite being targeted at enthusiasts, it misses out on a manual gearbox. The only gearbox offered is an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission, but it’s a wet box that executes crisp shifts and sends the Elantra N to 100 km/h in 5.3 seconds.
I30 N
The i30 N Fastback follows the i30 N as the second model from Hyundai’s N division. It is a bigger hatchback than the i20 and the specs reflect the same. Powering the i30N is a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine that produces 250hp with the standard package and 275hp with the performance package, with 353Nm of peak torque (378Nm with the overboost function). Power is sent to the front wheels via an electronic limited-slip differential (E-LSD). Compared to the standard i30, the N also boasts uprated suspension, brakes and tyres to make the most of the added performance.
The i30 N Fastback also looks rather attractive – the coupe has a long, low and brooding look, and the impact is amplified by the sporty bumpers that get N-typical red piping. Its cabin is a sporty place too, with red detailing contrasting well with the black theme inside.