Published : Dec. 11, 2013 - 20:09
The Hyundai i20 World Rally Championship car. (Hyundai Motor)
Hyundai Motor on Wednesday unveiled its ambitious plan to produce high-performance racing machines, launching its first in-house performance sub-brand, “N.”
The new brand launch came when Hyundai Motorsport unveiled the Hyundai i20 World Rally Championship car that will make its debut at the Monte Carlo next month.
Based on the compact i20 hatchback, the car is powered by a turbocharged 1,600 cc engine that generates 300 horsepower, according to the company.
But it seems more time will be needed for customers to see a real road racing car from Hyundai, as related discussions are still underway, according to a Hyundai spokesperson.
“The N is still more a concept rather than an actual brand. The name could be changed following related discussions,” he said.
Hyundai has put more resources into developing a premium image recently. With the long-anticipated launch of the next-generation Genesis, the carmaker hinted it would refurbish its customer services and car lineups in the coming years.
“We are also considering launching high-performance models to meet customers’ diversified tastes,” said Kim Sang-dae, Hyundai’s domestic sales chief, at a recent news conference.
As part of the effort, Hyundai is also in contact with top brands worldwide. Its officials recently had several meetings with their counterparts at companies such as Germany’s Brabus, which specializes in fine-tuning Mercedes-Benz cars.
But the talks with Brabus failed to result in an actual deal due to the issue of technological exchanges, according to industry sources.
By Lee Ji-yoon (jylee@heraldcorp.com)