Hyundai N rear-wheel-drive performance car

Hyundai N Wants to Send Power Rearward

Hyundai's N division is working toward a front-engine performance car that drives the rear wheels, with an all-wheel-drive option also under consideration. That layout would give the brand something fundamentally different from the front-driven Elantra N and the electric Ioniq 5 N, opening the door to a new kind of flagship before 2030.

A Bigger N Family Is Taking Shape

The rear-wheel-drive car is one piece of a wider effort to grow N sales to 100,000 vehicles a year by the end of the decade. Hyundai sold about 20,000 full N models and 161,000 N-Line vehicles in 2025, so reaching that target means filling the large space between appearance-focused trims and the most serious performance cars.

Daily Performance Gets Its Own Middle Ground

Hyundai also plans a higher-volume N model positioned between N-Line and full N. It would use performance hardware and powertrains associated with the proper N cars while keeping features and pricing suited to everyday use. That approach could bring more drivers into the division without diluting the focused character of its halo products.

The body style and powertrain for the rear-drive machine have not been disclosed. The important part is the layout: Hyundai N is preparing to move beyond its familiar front-wheel-drive base and build a car around the balance, rotation, and adjustability enthusiasts expect when the rear axle does the pushing.