Hyundai i30 Sedan N succession plans to be decided this year

Hyundai head office is in the midst of making a decision on plans to build a next-generation Hyundai i30 Sedan N, according to former Hyundai N boss turned senior technical advisor Albert Biermann.

Speaking to Australian media at a recent event in South Korea, Mr Biermann said the next-generation i30 Sedan – expected in 2026 – has been designed to fit the 2.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine from the current Sonata N Line.

However a decision on whether to proceed with a new i30 Sedan N – or scrap what may be the last new petrol-powered Hyundai N car – is due to be finalised by the end of this year, according to the executive.

Whereas the i30 N and i20 N hot hatches are facing the axe – as they are designed for Europe, where strict new emissions rules are around the corner – the i30 Sedan N is not sold in Europe, and instead sold in the US, South Korea and Australia where these rules do not apply.

Based on the typical life cycle of Hyundai passenger cars, the next i30 Sedan – sold in the US as the Elantra – is due in 2026, which would correlate to an N version in 2027 or 2028.

The current i30 Sedan N is about to receive a facelift, due in Australian showrooms early next year.

“I made sure before I left [South Korea as the head of research and development for Hyundai] the Elantra can go on with the 2.5-litre turbo,” Mr Biermann told media.

"Technically it’s possible [to do a new N] ... and with the 2.5-litre turbo with stricter emissions regulations, I think we can still have some good level of power, maybe the same level like today."

“That engine first needs the N treatment, but that’s no problem."

The current Hyundai Sonata N Line makes 213kW/422Nm with the 2.5-litre turbocharged engine, running through an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.

The same engine is used in transverse applications – where the engine runs across the width of the car – such as the forthcoming Santa Fe SUV, as well as longitudinal (cylinders running along the length of the car) applications such as the Genesis G70 and Kia Stinger.

Meanwhile the 2.0-litre turbo four-cylinder in today's i30 Sedan N – a decade-old engine with roots in the motor used in the final Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution – develops 206kW/392Nm in regular driving, or 213kW during 20-second overboost periods.

Due to increasingly strict emissions regulations, a high-performance petrol-powered vehicle wouldn’t suit many markets around the globe.

“Australia is safe, the US would be safe, but somebody needs to make a decision. Markets other than that, forget it," Mr Biermann said.

“[Hyundai Europe] are dreaming on the [electric vehicle] cloud. In [electric vehicle] heaven. they don’t care for [petrol] cars any more.”

“But I think within this year there will be a decision, if we continue the next-generation Elantra with an N or not," the executive said.

Mr Biermann joined Hyundai Motor Group in 2015 after 31 years at BMW, and became head of research and development – as well as the boss of the N division – by 2018.

A German native, Mr Biermann retired from Hyundai's head role in 2021 and moved back to Europe from South Korea, taking on a role as a Senior Technical Advisor for the Korean car giant.