Hyundai’s N division will tune electrics, steer clear of Genesis

At

Hyundai’s

Namyang proving ground in a small garage emblazoned with a giant “N,” Albert Biermann, the ex-BMW engineer who now heads up vehicle development for the Korean brand, recently provided a few hints about what to expect from Hyundai’s nascent performance sub-brand — and that includes

EVs

. “We are looking for the right ideas of how to transfer the craziness of N into electrification,” he said. That could be “a full EV [and] also could be a

hybrid

.”

To date, we’ve seen

the Veloster N

introduced last fall in the United States, followed by

the recently announced Elantra GT N Line

. Europe has

the i30 N in hatchback

and

fastback body styles

. Biermann says, “We will expand also into segments we are not in now,” including “something a little bit smaller,” as well as into “a different type of vehicle.”

Biermann also said we can expect a more powerful version of the new 2020

Hyundai Sonata

—

which we’ve just reviewed

, and which will launch in the United States with a 180-hp 1.6-liter turbo and a 191-hp 2.5-liter naturally aspirated four. But he stopped short of saying whether it would be an N or an N Line model.

And it appears that the N expansion will not extend to

Genesis

. “There are no plans yet to make a sub-label for Genesis like we did with N for Hyundai,” Biermann said. This despite the fact that nearly all of its rivals have branched out in that direction. For now, it seems, the

G70 Sport

is as sporty as it will get over at Genesis.