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Hyundai Kona N And Tucson N All But Confirmed, But “It’ll Be a Slow Burn”

With the i30 N, Hyundai proved to the world that it’s more than your average volume-oriented automaker with high scores for reliability and great value for money. A true hot hatchback, the know-how of the i30 N will pass on to the all-new Veloster and probably the i30 Fastback, as well as two crossover utility vehicles.
2018 Hyundai Kona 26 photos
Photo: Hyundai
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The compact-sized Tucson has been touted as the company’s first N-branded crossover for quite a while now, and the latest report on the subject cements the idea. As per Motoring, the senior manager of product planning of Hyundai Australia commented, “As Mr. Biermann said, Tucson [N] is a consideration.”

Albert Biermann was hired by Hyundai to take care of the N division’s first effort, and his background at BMW M speaks volumes about the German engineer’s expertise. Another vehicle that has the blessing of Biermann is the Kia Stinger liftback sedan, which prides itself on a twin-turbo V6 powerplant.

Andrew Tuitahi then went on, suggesting that the Kona N the Barbarian could be the follow up.Funny man, and for what it’s worth, the Kona definitely deserves the go-faster treatment. Imagine how good the newcomer of the Hyundai lineup would look like with an N-specific body kit and the 2.0-liter T-GDi from the i30, which develops 275 PS and 352 Nm (260 lb-ft).

Don’t, however, expect the South Korean automaker to bring these two to market in a timely fashion. “I think it’ll be a slow burn,” added Tuitahi, referring to the fact Hyundai is currently focused on establishing the N division as a force to be reckoned with. Following the i30 N, word has it the i30 Fastback will be offered in hot specification sometime in 2018, apparently.

Beyond the performance-oriented onslaught, Hyundai is also serious about going as eco as possible. To this effect, the Kona will welcome an all-electric variant in 2018. The Next Generation FCEV Concept, meanwhile, previews the all-new Tucson Fuel Cell. And these two are only the tip of the iceberg.
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Editor's note: 2018 Hyundai Kona pictured.

About the author: Mircea Panait
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After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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