Hyundai’s commitment to N brand pays off with over 100,000 car sales

Hyundai Motor Co.'s commitment to high-performance vehicles has paid off with sales of such vehicles exceeding 100,000 units six years after the launch of the N brand.

The top South Korean automaker posted cumulative sales of 103,947 N performance cars at the end of June.

The sales results include vehicles such as the i30N, its first model of the N lineup in 2017, the Veloster N, the i20 N, the Kona N, and the Avante N, also known in some countries as the Elantra N.

 

Hyundai’s dedication to high-performance cars culminated in the launch last week of the IONIQ 5 N, the carmaker’s first all-electric high-performance vehicle under its N brand.

In 2012, Hyundai declared its first participation in the World Rally Championship (WRC), the world's top motorsport event, and established Hyundai Motorsport the following year.

Hyundai Motorsport has since participated in various motorsport activities, including the FIA World Rally Championship, Customer Racing and electric racing projects.

In WRC, Hyundai Motorsport established a strong reputation when it took victory in its 2014 debut season. The team finished as a runner-up in the manufacturers’ championship on three consecutive occasions between 2016 and 2018 before claiming its first title in 2019.

The Avante N and the Veloster N have also scored big in the FIA World Touring Car Cup (WTCR) and the Electric Touring Car Racing (ETCR), respectively, promoting Hyundai’s high-performance N brand globally.

In 2018, Hyundai expanded its N brand team to a division in charge of high-performance vehicles and hired related experts.

“Under Chairman Chung’s leadership, we’re writing a new history in Korea’s high-performance car industry,” said a Hyundai Motor official.

During the world premiere of the IONIQ 5 N at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in West Sussex, England, Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Chung Euisun said he aims to make the latest model a game-changer for "driving fun" among motorsport enthusiasts.

At the event, Chang Jae-hoon, Hyundai’s chief executive, said: “The N brand’s winning combination of technological know-how and motorsport experience is pushing the limits of vehicle performance.”

Write to Il-Gue Kim at Black0419@hankyung.com
In-Soo Nam edited this article.