Chung Eui-sun's 10 Years of Passion for Hyundai N : High-Performance Brand Eyes the Electric Vehicle Era

[Korea Financial Times, Kim JaeHun] Chung Eui-sun, Chairman of Hyundai Motor Group, celebrates the 10th anniversary of the high-performance brand ‘Hyundai N’, into which he has poured his utmost effort. Overcoming initial skepticism at the time of its launch, Hyundai N has proven the company’s technological capabilities in the global market by winning various motorsport competitions. Looking ahead, Hyundai N plans to expand its lineup to electric vehicles and continue showcasing innovative technology in the era of high-performance EVs.

According to Hyundai Motor Company, the Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team won the seventh round of the ‘2025 WRC (World Rally Championship)’ season, held in Lamia, Greece, from June 26 to 29. The Hyundai World Rally Team participated in this race with three drivers—Thierry Neuville, Ott Tänak, and Adrien Fourmaux—competing in the Hyundai N ‘i20 N Rally1’ race car.

The WRC is a world-class motorsport competition organized by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). Champions in both the manufacturer and driver categories are determined based on annual results from races held on a variety of surfaces, including paved roads, unpaved roads, and snowy tracks.

Among these, the Greece Rally is considered the most challenging course in the WRC, due to its rough and rugged gravel roads, narrow mountain routes, and dry, high-temperature weather. For this reason, not only the drivers’ skills but also the technical capabilities of the car manufacturers are key points to watch. The Hyundai World Rally Team proved the technological prowess of Hyundai N once again by winning the Greece Rally this year, following their victory last year.

Previously, Hyundai N also succeeded in completing the ‘2025 Nürburgring 24 Hours Endurance Race’ (hereinafter referred to as Nürburgring 24 Hours), held in Nürburg, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, from June 21 to 22, for the tenth consecutive year. In particular, by leading with the ‘Avante N TCR’, Hyundai N achieved five consecutive wins in the TCR class, demonstrating that both its driving performance and durability are of global standards.


These achievements of Hyundai N are completely overturning the cold evaluations it received at the time of its launch. High-performance brands serve primarily to showcase a company’s technological prowess rather than to drive sales. For this reason, leading global automakers put significant effort into their high-performance brands alongside their ‘luxury’ and ‘eco-friendly’ brands. Notable examples include Mercedes-Benz ‘AMG’, BMW ‘M’, and Volkswagen ‘R’.

Hyundai N was also launched in 2015 by Chairman Chung Eui-sun (then Vice Chairman) to enhance Hyundai Motor Group’s technological image. To this end, Albert Biermann, who was Head of Development at BMW M, was recruited as Executive Vice President in charge of high-performance vehicle development at Hyundai Motor Company. In addition, Chairman Chung placed strong emphasis on talent acquisition, appointing Thomas Schemera—who had worked at BMW for 30 years and previously served as head of BMW M in North and South America—as head of Hyundai’s N division.

In particular, the recruitment of Executive Vice President Albert Biermann raised significant concerns in Germany about the possible leakage of technology and trade secrets. As a result, related laws were strengthened in Germany, and a regulation was introduced requiring that any technical personnel seeking employment outside the EU must report to the German government.

Although Hyundai N was launched through the active efforts of Chairman Chung Eui-sun, initial reactions were skeptical. Not only had many global automakers already dominated the high-performance market for a long time, but there were also many doubts about Hyundai Motor’s technological capabilities.

Hyundai N, with Executive Vice President Albert Biermann at its core, rapidly improved its driving performance. Moreover, by positioning itself as a ‘cost-effective sports car’ compared to existing high-performance brands, it gradually established a presence in the global market. Starting with its first model, the ‘i30 N’ in 2017, Hyundai N completed a full lineup covering both sedans and SUVs, including the Avante N, Sonata N, and Kona N.


In 2017, annual sales were around 2,000 units, but last year, this figure increased to approximately 26,000 units—about a thirteenfold rise. Cumulative global sales have reached about 140,000 units, with 90% of these sold overseas. It is assessed that Chairman Chung Eui-sun’s aim of proving Hyundai’s technological capabilities on the global stage has been realized.

Hyundai N is also making its mark in the electric vehicle market. In particular, unlike the era of internal combustion engines, it is especially significant that high-performance electric vehicles are standing out as automakers start from the same starting line.

Hyundai N’s first electric vehicle, the ‘IONIQ 5 N’, was selected in the ‘Five-Star Car’ category at the ‘2025 Autocar Awards’ hosted by the British automotive magazine ‘Autocar’. The Five-Star Car award is given only to vehicles that set a new standard in every aspect among those tested in road tests.

In particular, the IONIQ 5 N, based on its outstanding product competitiveness, became the first Hyundai model to be selected as a Five-Star Car, standing shoulder to shoulder with traditional high-performance vehicles such as the Porsche 911 S/T and the Škoda Superb Estate.


Autocar described the IONIQ 5 N as a “Game Changer,” highly praising it as “an astonishingly fun vehicle that can respond dynamically in any situation”.

Hyundai N will unveil its second electric vehicle lineup, the ‘IONIQ 6 N,’ at the Goodwood Festival in the UK later this month, marking the official expansion of its high-performance electric vehicle lineup.

Park Jun-woo, Executive Vice President of N Management Division at Hyundai Motor Company, said, “The IONIQ 6 N, which fully reflects the tastes of high-performance customers, will offer a completely new level of driving pleasure to customers,” adding, “With all of Hyundai N’s technological capabilities brought together, the completely renewed IONIQ 6 N will once again redefine driving enjoyment as a high-performance electric sedan.”

Kim JaeHun (rlqm93@fntimes.com)