Remember how we wrote that BMW’s shorthand designation for performance is the letter M? Well at Hyundai, the powerhouse of South Korean auto manufacturing, the corresponding letter is N, the next one in the alphabet. The N Line, as Hyundai calls it, got a new member yesterday in Germany as the Frankfurt Motor Show hosted the world premiere of its all-new i10 N Line subcompact, the fourth Hyundai model to offer an N Line package after the i30, i30 Fastback and most recently, the Tucson SUV.
As the standard wheel-and-tire package makes clear, the i10 N Line is clearly intended to imply performance in a very small package. Besides the wheels, the N Line version gets a specific bumper and grille treatment, plus N Line badging, a skidplate and a rear diffuser, along with an N-branded steering wheel and shift lever among the interior trim extras. Power comes from a standard 1.0-liter turbocharged three-cylinder engine, capable of 100hp, coupled to a five-speed manual transaxle. Suspension is MacPherson struts up front with a rear torsion-beam axle, gas shocks all around. Will the i10 N Line ever to make it to North America, that bastion of the SUV and ultra-macho pickup? Stay tuned. Hyundai will offer the car in Europe, where it has a robust market presence, beginning in 2020.
Jim Donnelly On Wheels 