THE FAMILY

The N Performance cars are Hyundai’s idea of hot, everyday fun havers, while the N-Line cars offer mostly aesthetic appeal – here’s the range

What are the different N cars available globally? Here’s a list of every Hyundai N car to exist: from the whacky Veloster N to the more familiar Tucson N Line and i10 N Line, this is an exciting line-up

i30 N

A hot idea conceived at the company’s R&D centre in Namyang with the development and testing carried out at the Green Hell. The i30 N gets a 2-litre turbo petrol motor under the hood. The N-wizardry meant the turbo-fairies helped dish out 250bhp at 6000rpm while the ‘N Performance’ package adds another extra 25bhp. If you’re not impressed yet, the i30 N features an overboost function letting the turbo spool longer producing more torque, from the stock 353Nm to 378Nm. The holy combination of these power figures and a short-throw 6-speed gearbox translates to a 0-100km dash in 6.1 seconds with the added rush of launch control. N department has also added performance suspension that can be set up for sharp handling and also improved comfort, along with strut braces for chassis stiffness. Everything from the power and handling to the comfort level can be set up in multiple combinations. While Hyundai say the i30N is honed on the Nurburgring – built for the track, it can very well handle the urban hustle and also get your pulse racing on an open country road.

i30 FASTBACK N

This is the high-performance N iteration of the i30 Fastback. Like the hatchback, this too is powered by a 275bhp turbo petrol motor. The jacked-up fastback can carry more luggage and also catapult you to 100kmph in less than seven seconds. Not just that, the low suspension with strut bracing, adaptive dampers and an electronically controlled LSD means it retains the sharp handling characteristics from its hatch counterpart. It also features ‘N’ cosmetic upgrades such as splitter on the front bumper, a rear bumper with diffuser, a lip spoiler on the boot and 19-inch alloy wheels. The front bumpers have functional air vents to cool the brakes.

i30 FASTBACK N LINE

The N Line cars don't have the full blown performance of the N cars, but get a lot of their sporty styling cues. The Fastback version of the i30 N Line makes 138bhp and 242Nm, just like the hatch. The rear is well proportioned and gives the car an athletic stance. The Fastback is the more practical choice with a boot capacity of 450 litres with the seats up and 1351 litres with them down. The Fastback gets the same N Line treatment with a generous use of suede around the cabin and a tasty looking threespoke steering wheel. Like the hatchback, the company has reworked the engine response, exhaust note and suspension setup to make it go like the show.

VELOSTER N

In terms of the aesthetics, the Veloster N is the funkier one of the three trouble makers. It is an exciting hot hatch using the same 2-litre powertrain that can churn out a max power of 275bhp and is made specifically for the North American market, where the i30 N isn’t sold. Some styling cues resemble the i30 N, but if you haven’t already noticed, the Veloster is an odd-doorsy hatch, with a single-door on the drivers side and two-doors on the passenger side. While it retains the door layout, it also gets new headlamps, a bigger grille (with the N Badge), a rear bumper with a diffuser, and a super aggressive looking spoiler.

TUCSON N LINE

The first and currently only SUV to receive the N Line treatment. It can be had with three different power units under the hood, but the most powerful one is a 1.6-litre turbo-petrol engine that makes 172bhp and 265Nm. This propels it to 100kmph in just 9.2 seconds. The Tucson looks mean thanks to the N-spec body kit, complemented by 19inch rims and a faux diffuser. There is red stitching and piping almost everywhere, even on the gear lever, reminding you of this SUV’s intentions. It is more than just a cosmetic upgrade, though, as Hyundai has given it springs that are five per cent stiffer in the front and eight per cent in the rear.

i30 N LINE

The i30 N Line offers most of the cosmetic thrills of the full-blown i30 N, including sporty accents on the inside and a racy interior with sport seats. Think of N Line like BMW M Sport or AMG Line cars – they get the flared bumpers, but not all the performance. That said, the four-cylinder 1.4-litre turbo-petrol makes a respectable 138bhp and 242Nm of torque. It also gets a slightly stiffer suspension setup to aid handling and Michelin Pilot Sport 4s to back up its sporty credentials. Hyundai also offers the i30 N Line with a smaller 1-litre turbocharged petrol engine that delivers 118bhp and gets slightly smaller 17-inch rims but retains the sporty exterior.

i10 N LINE

The latest member of the N line family is also the smallest. The i10 N line gets a 1-litre turbocharged engine (from the Venue and Aura) that makes 98bhp and 172Nm. It gets an angrier face thanks to the sporty body kit on the exterior with sharp elements all around, twin-exhausts and even a diffuser at the rear. The i10 N line gets red accents on the inside too, around the air vents and on the gear lever along with red stitching. The car also gets sporty seats to provide more support when driving hard. The 16-inch rims as well as the shape of the LED DRLs is exclusive to the N Line variant. Overall, the i10 N Line should be a properly fun car to chuck around town.

Hyundai will showcase the N brand

in India for the first time at Auto Expo 2020. Head over to hall 3, stall E-2 at the India Expo Mart,

Greater Noida to check it out!