South Korean legacy automaker Hyundai hinted at the potential arrival of a cheaper electric hot hatch than the recently launched Ioniq 5 N all-electric performance vehicle.
The news came from Hyundai’s ex-R&D Head and current technical advisor for already two years, Albert Bierman, in an exclusive interview with the motoring magazine AutoExpress.
Interview highlights
Bierman revealed in the interview that Hyundai is currently developing a more compact and affordable all-electric hatch referred to as the “N.”
However, the South Korean automaker has yet to reveal more details about the new model. It also cited numerous issues it needs to overcome before the development project becomes feasible.
“That small N-car EV – that is something we have to do. Otherwise, we leave our customers in the dark. We have to come down with something smaller and more affordable.
If it’s an N car, you want to go on the track – even for 15 or 20 minutes. If you go 400-volt, you double the current, four times the heat dissipation. The efficiency is bad. If you think of an i30-kind of car, 400-volt is not appropriate.”
Albert Bierman, Hyundai technical advisor
The Hyundai advisor further admitted that launching an affordable electric hatch is “not an easy game.” Bierman noted that other Hyundai and Kia small cars must first use the 800v system if the automaker aims to employ the technology in the N lineup.
“Maybe in the B-segment you cannot afford to switch only the N car to an 800-volt system.”
Albert Bierman, Hyundai technical advisor
What’s currently known about the new Hyundai N?
Biermann revealed in the interview that the Ioniq 5 and 6 are the smaller models developed to ride on the Global Modular Platform (GMP).
That said, any new baby N may utilize the upcoming Integrated Modular Architecture (IMA) to support 400- and 800-volt models in various market segments.
Unfortunately, the company has not yet clarified the specific form the small N-car would have and its official name.
“We have to come up with something in the B or C [segment]. There have been many discussions. At this point nothing is decided. I keep applying the pressure. What is the solution; how much money can we spend? If we go to B-segment, how can we find acceptable track time?”
Albert Bierman, Hyundai technical advisor
Notably, the Ioniq 5 penetrated the upper end of the compact hatchback segment. With that considered, the upcoming base model N car may attempt to enter two to three segments, serving as a successor of the i20 N, i30 N, and the Kona N crossover.
In addition, the new model may maintain a hatchback form for higher performance with probably a more sophisticated and dynamic appearance than the Ioniq 5.
Launching a smaller and cheaper hatch is apparently a crucial part of Hyundai’s efforts to deliver the sub-brand “closer to where [it was] before.”
