Genesis not planning N performance models

Hyundai\'s performance offensive won\'t reach its luxury division.

Hyundai wants to turn its N sub-brand into a full-blown performance division whose name is respected all around the globe. The South Korean company has numerous N-badged models in the pipeline, but a recent report suggests none are planned for its Genesis brand.

Asked whether we'd ever see a Genesis N, company boss Manfred Fitzgerald told Australian website Motoring "I don't think so right now." He added the reasoning has to do with the predicted shift towards electric mobility.

"Performance will not be on the same forefront of differentiator [sic] as it is today for ICEs. Everybody is capable of doing an electric motor and putting it in a car, so the performance values will almost be the same," he said.

Fitzgerald hinted Genesis will put a bigger focus on building eco-friendly models in the coming years. Building a sedan with a twin-turbocharged V8 engine and an exhaust that barks at every squeeze of the throttle would hardly fit with the "green" image the company hopes to create.

Not everyone agrees with Fitzgerald's comments. Scott Grant, the COO of Hyundai's Australian division, has been trying to convince members of the brand's top brass to build performance-oriented Genesis models since the brand was launched. He argues they'd do well in Australia, and we'd add there's a good chance they'd be popular in the United States, too.