THE A-TEAM
From hot hatches to hydrogen fuel cells, Hyundai’s got the lot
We’ve been here before. Three years ago, we named Hyundai our Manufacturer of the Year. This was based on a trio of impressive products, both naughty (the i30N hot hatch) and nice (the hybrid Ioniq and electric Kona). They all remain on sale, joined by an even more diverse and talented cast of characters.
The i20N is, in practice, a shrunken i30N with a liberal layer of polish applied. In reality, it’s even more than the sum of its promising parts, a hench little performance car that somehow feels pleasingly basic yet thoroughly engineered. Can’t prise yourself from a crossover? The i20N launched almost in tandem with the Kona N, a thoroughly unique proposition that’s even more of a ‘doing it on their own terms’ quick SUV than a Cayenne or Urus.
As you can read on p34 of this issue, the N division has made no sops to soft ride or AWD sensibility and has simply ratcheted up an i30N. The result is slapstick and headstrong and has us helplessly chortling in a corner of the market that usually leaves us miffed. An updated i30N – with the Kona’s exceedingly smart twin-clutch auto as a tempting option – plays things with a straighter bat if you’re a purist who wants their bum closer to the floor.
Fresh from climate reports and COP26 headlines, though, we can’t purely fixate on the fast stuff. We lauded the Prius-like Ioniq saloon back in 2018, and its badge has now morphed into a whole sub-brand, of which the wedgy Ioniq 5 is the launch product. It pulls off the improbable trick of looking retro and space-age all at once, a design that pulls you in like quicksand whether you’re a fan
or not. The fact it backs up such aesthetic bravado with Audi-like quality makes it hard to resist if you’re infatuated with the looks. More Ioniq models will follow, too, including a svelte four-door that might do a more convincing job of playing ‘posh Hyundai’ than the Genesis offshoots we’ve thus far sampled.
Proof Hyundai really does have an answer for everything comes from the Nexo, for those convinced hydrogen is the fuel of our future rather than pure electric. It’s a brave move to sell a fuel cell vehicle in the UK right now, where the infrastructure remains considerably below useful, and somewhere close to useless if you don’t conduct most of your travel in the south of England. But look at Renault, which brought EVs to the mainstream over a decade ago and is now producing the brilliant Megane E-Tech. Being among the first means you’re more likely to be among the best when (or if) the technology really lands. The Nexo is as handsome as a family crossover can feasibly be with a strong whiff of intrigue once you delve into its powertrain. Its time isn’t now, but it’s ready anyway.
And if you’re sold on its style but still need conventional petrol power, there’s the new Tucson. While it’s the most conventional car in the line-up above – an SUV with a bunch of safe hybrid options and a focus on everyday usability – it’s arguably the most vivid demonstration of just how far Hyundai’s come in the life of this magazine. Occupying space in a staid segment with a car quite this bold takes serious levels of either talent or gumption. With another TG MOTY gong headed for its heaving mantelpiece, it’d appear Hyundai is brimming with both.