The gas-assisted electric variant of the SUV is due early next year, aiming to broaden its appeal and quash "range anxiety"

There is an EREV apparently planned for the Genesis brand as well, with spox saying that one should have a driving range of over 1,000 kilometres. Expect similar from the Santa Fe EREV.

Reports have also surfaced from the Q&A session following the Investor Day presentation that big cheese Jose Munoz talked about introducing a sporty option to sit between the existing N and N-Line trims. “We are adding something between N and N Line: a new volume high-performance variant carrying over [the N] powertrain and parts package,” Munoz is quoted by Australia’s Drive.com.

While specifics were light, it sounds like the company wishes to create a trim that fits in the vanishingly small slot between N and N-Line, perhaps one that has a majority of the visual drama from a full-fat N, but without stiff suspension setups and the like. That said, it’s not like most N models are a bear to drive, and there’s always the danger of diluting the success of a sub-brand too quickly.

Pontiac did something similar in another era by applying STE styling features to lesser 6000 models to capitalize on the STE’s success; suddenly, almost every trim in that model range looked like an STE, negating one of the reasons people bought them in the first place, and removing the instantly recognizable street cred.

But it’s not like Hyundai needs my advice. Past results suggest the ‘Mild N’ or whatever it ends up being called will sell just fine amongst a larger lineup of well-built and attractive machines. Hyundai Auto Canada recently posted its best June sales on record, and it’s sold nearly 100,000 vehicles in our country so far this year. 

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