Hyundai Tucson N – a Performance SUV – WILL arrive to challenge the Cupra Ateca

The next N Performance model from Hyundai will be the Tucson N SUV as Hyundai boss confirms the challenger to the new Cupra Ateca is on the way.

Late last Spring, we reported that the next N Performance car from Hyundai would be the Tucson, as Albert Biermann – Hyundai’s ex-BMW M performance guru – expressed a keen intent to deliver a Tucson N (and other N Performance cars too).

That intent now looks to be confirmed as Byung Kwon Rhim, Hyundai’s Global Head of Sales, has stated, at the global launch of the new Santa Fe, that the Tucson N is under development and other models will come after that. 

It seems likely that Hyundai will deliver the Tucson N after the planned facelift for the Tucson – expected later this year – arrives, so the Tucson N is unlikely to arrive until 2019.

When it does, it seems entirely logical it will get at least the 271bhp the i30 N delivers in its performance spec, and come with the four-wheel drive promised later for the i30 N.

Interestingly, the only car it will go head to head with when it does arrive is the new Cupra Ateca – SEAT’s first Cupra Brand car – as the only mainstream car makers with a proper performance compact SUV.

It’ll be an interesting battle.