Hyundai Tucson N to pump out 245kW: Aussie execs can't wait to "get our hands on it"

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Hyundai's Tucson SUV will be the next to get the N treatment
Andrew Chesterton
Contributing Journalist
4 Feb 2019
2 min read

Hyundai's Tucson SUV will be the first SUV to get the N go-fast treatment, with reports the performance-flavoured high-rider will produce 254kW and arrive within two years.

That's a significant step up from the 136kW and 400Nm offered in the current top-of-the-range car, the diesel-powered Highlander. But reports out of the UK confirm the popular SUV is headed for a performance makeover.

According to UK outlet Auto Express, the brand's N executives have confirmed the Tucson is on the performance calendar, with sources saying it's "not interested in making also-ran cars with N badges on them in whatever class they competeā€. That should mean outputs of around 245kW and a sub-six second sprint to 100km/h for the sportier Tucson.

While Hyundai in Australia wouldn't be drawn on whether it was already planning for the Tucson N, local representatives said they were hugely excited by the prospect of a performance-flavoured SUV.

"Australia has a penchant for both SUVs and performance, so a Tucson N would seem a perfect fit for our market," says Hyundai's spokesperson Guido Schenken.

"If one was to become available we'd want to be one of the first to get our hands on it."

Little else is known about Hyundai's performance SUV ambitions, but watch this space.

Do you buy into performance SUVs? Tell us in the comments below.

Andrew Chesterton
Contributing Journalist
Andrew Chesterton should probably hate cars. From his hail-damaged Camira that looked like it had spent a hard life parked at the end of Tiger Woods' personal driving range, to the Nissan Pulsar Reebok that shook like it was possessed by a particularly mean-spirited demon every time he dared push past 40km/h, his personal car history isn't exactly littered with gold. But that seemingly endless procession of rust-savaged hate machines taught him something even more important; that cars are more than a collection of nuts, bolts and petrol. They're your ticket to freedom, a way to unlock incredible experiences, rolling invitations to incredible adventures. They have soul. And so, somehow, the car bug still bit. And it bit hard. When "Chesto" started his journalism career with News Ltd's Sunday and Daily Telegraph newspapers, he covered just about everything, from business to real estate, courts to crime, before settling into state political reporting at NSW Parliament House. But the automotive world's siren song soon sounded again, and he begged anyone who would listen for the opportunity to write about cars. Eventually they listened, and his career since has seen him filing car news, reviews and features for TopGear, Wheels, Motor and, of course, CarsGuide, as well as many, many others. More than a decade later, and the car bug is yet to relinquish its toothy grip. And if you ask Chesto, he thinks it never will.
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