According to Carscoops quoting an announcement made by Hyundai, the i20 N and i30 N for Europe will be discontinued at the end of February, leaving the company with only electric N models on the Old Continent.
The Hyundai i30 N originally debuted seven years ago as the pilot project of the company’s then-young N division. It was a FWD hot hatchback designed to compete with the likes of Ford Focus ST and Volkswagen Golf GTI. To that end, it received a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine rated up to 275 PS (271 hp / 202 kW), adjustable suspension, an electronic LSD, drive mode selection and an active-valve exhaust system. All this helped the car gain a firm footing on the market and enjoy solid sales throughout these years.
After the facelift of 2020, the i30 N received a slight engine boost and an optional eight-speed DCT transmission (the standard option is six-speed manual). The same updates spread to its Fastback variant.
The smaller Hyundai i20 N saw the daylight in 2020. It utilized a 1.6-liter turbo four-pot with 204 PS (201 hp / 150 kW). The idea was to compete against the Ford Fiesta ST and Volkswagen Polo GTI. Despite costing less, it closely resembled the i30 N in some aspects.
Commenting on the decision to axe both models in Europe, Hyundai explained that it wanted to go full-electric in the region by the beginning of 2025. Unlike in the rest of the world, the N badge will have a different meaning in Europe soon, denoting performance EVs rather than petrol cars. At this point, the only electric N vehicle the company has on sale is the Ioniq 5 N. It debuted last summer with 650 PS (641 hp / 478 kW) at its disposal.
Carscoops adds that the Korean automaker plans to continue selling gas-powered performance cars in North America and elsewhere. Even so, the company ditched its Kona N and has yet to begin selling the Ioniq 5 N. As such, its only N car in the USA right now is the Elantra N. In earlier news, Hyundai confirmed that its next generation would also run on gas.
