NEWS

Hyundai’s new focus, JLR’s pricing, new Phantom and more

HYUNDAI’S DECISION TO ENTER THE WORLD OF performance cars is a bold one. A reputation for affordable family motors and long warranty periods doesn’t necessarily go hand in hand with driving thrills and Nürburgring lap times. But campaigning a car in the World Rally Championship on and off for 17 years has gradually and subtly given the Korean brand a more sporting persona. Since 2014, the i20 WRC car has been wearing the ‘N’ badging of Hyundai’s performance subbrand; now the first road car to wear that letter, the i30 N, has arrived. The N, by the way, references Hyundai’s global R&D centre in Namyang, South Korea, although another place beginning with N, in a mountainous region of Germany, also played a role in this car’s development.