Hyundai Could Turn Its Best Seller Into A 350-HP Performance SUV

It will allegedly feature a hybrid powertrain focused on power delivery.

2027 Hyundai Tucson

Photo by: Hyundai

Anthony Alaniz

By: Anthony Alaniz

Sep 9, at 7:00pm ET

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Hyundai will reportedly launch a high-performance Tucson N crossover.
The crossover will feature a hybrid powertrain that could deliver up to 350 horsepower.
The hotter crossover would compete against the 320-hp Toyota RAV4 GR Sport.

Hyundai is on a roll. The Korean automaker offers a wide range of vehicles and powertrain types, and its hybrids have helped propel the brand to several sales records. The onslaught of new vehicles will include an all-new Tucson, the brand’s best-selling model, which will also get a new, hotter N performance variant, according to a new report.

Auto Express is reporting that Hyundai is developing a Tucson N. The high-performance SUV will feature a hybrid powertrain that boosts the output without compromising fuel efficiency. Joon Park, Hyundai’s vice president of the N Management Group, told the publication:

'We’re not limiting ourselves to EVs. We will go further with the ICE-based cars as well; this is not the end of our journey. I cannot tell you exactly—but lighter, more agile, nimble, and exciting. These are the key elements that we are heading to.'

It’s unclear which powertrain Hyundai will utilize for the Tucson N. The next-generation crossover, which is larger than the current model, features a pair of turbocharged 1.6-liter engines, one of which is a hybrid that delivers 242 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque.

A performance variant will likely deliver 300 horsepower or more, with up to 350 hp possible. The new Hyundai Palisade Hybrid has a 2.5-liter four-cylinder hybrid system with two electric motors producing a combined output of 320 hp, which sounds much more competitive.

The current Tucson can accommodate a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine. The new one is larger, giving Hyundai even more room for the additional hybrid hardware, if that’s the powertrain it decides to use.

2027 Hyundai Tucson

2027 Hyundai Tucson

Photo by: Hyundai

Hybrid Superpower

Hyundai’s hybrids are selling like hotcakes right now, so a performance Tucson that is still fuel-efficient fits the brand’s current plans. The automaker currently tunes its hybrids to two different efficiency strategies, but that will change with its N cars.

According to Park, hybrids for Hyundai’s N cars will focus on delivering more power. The automaker will also likely install an adaptive suspension and better brakes.

If Hyundai pulls the trigger on a Tucson N, it will compete with Toyota’s RAV4 GR Sport. It has a 2.5-liter plug-in hybrid powertrain delivering a combined 320 horsepower, which could put it head-to-head with the Hyundai.

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Dodge is also developing a new hathback/crossover called the GLH, which will get an SRT variant. The new Dodge could easily deliver over 300 hp and find itself sitting across from the Tucson N in a future comparison test.

2027 Hyundai Tucson XRT

Source: Hyundai

Motor1’s Take: A high-performance Tucson N makes sense for the brand. It’s the brand’s best-selling model by a wide margin, and the next-generation model has a radical design that is begging for a proper performance variant.

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Source: Auto Express

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