Hyundai’s N Performance Division Is Coming After the BMW M4

The new Genesis range will be in full force with six luxury models by 2020, but the performance division has other plans in mind. N is developing a model that will directly go head to head against the BMW M4. It would appear as if Hyundai is planning a full-out assault against one of Germany's best (if not the best) with its upcoming vehicles.

No one can accuse Hyundai of being too ambitious as it’s made a lot of changes to make its luxury Genesis brand and N performance division a reality. The fact that it is creating a high-performance model with its sights on the M4 shouldn’t come as a surprise since the company recently hired former chief engineer for BMW M Albert Biermann. The first vehicle out of the N division will be an N version of the front-wheel drive i30 hatchback, which is primarily aimed at the European market. The second is expected to be an N-tuned variant of the upcoming Genesis G70 Coupe. The G70, which we haven’t seen yet, is supposed to be the smaller sedan that will sit below the existing G80 and newly shown G90 in the Genesis lineup.

According to Biermann, the G70 is going to be a “whole new animal” compared to other sports cars, but will share a rear-wheel-drive layout with a new platform and “different axle concepts.” Biermann also adds, “This will be more on the sporty side already in the normal version, so you [can] expect [a] really nice-handling car…that platform is good for a lot of power.” There’s no word on what type of engine the G70 will utilize, but the newly launched 3.3-liter twin-turbo V6 is a likely candidate. If Hyundai is hell-bent on making vehicles that are just as good as what comes out of Germany, then an M4-fighter sounds like the right way to go.