Gone are the days when SUVs were just spacious vehicles with a basic engine that just about did its job. SUVs are now replacing sedans in almost all the aspects. The big vehicles are now refined, have better on-road driving manners, and come loaded with features and equipment. A lot of automakers have also been getting into performance SUVs lately. The latest entrant to that niche is Hyundai with its upcoming Tucson N. The Tucson N will hit the roads in about two years and will come on the back of 340 ponies.

Hyundai Has Ambitious Plans For the 2021 Tucson N

Last year, Auto Express quoted Hyundai's global head as saying that a Tucson N is under development. The publication has now confirmed the same and says that Hyundai is working on the SUV and we can expect to see it by 2021. Hyundai has been giving a lot of work to the N division. After working on two hot hatches, it looks like Hyundai wants to up the ante by N-fying the Tucson.

Auto Express says that the performance division engineers are aiming for a 0 - 62 mph time of under six seconds for the Tucson N. The Veloster N manages to touch the same speed in 5.2 seconds with 'merely' 275 horses. You may wonder then why is Hyundai not shooting for a time under five seconds since the Tucson will have 340 horses? Well, that's because the Tucson N is expected to weigh 800 pounds more than its hatchback sibling. And, since the Tucson N will become the torch-bearer of the N division, it will come with changes in the mechanical department, like a completely re-tuned chassis, stiffer springs, more reactive dampers, and thicker anti-roll bars.

Tucson Aiming For The Stars

Hyundai does not want to swim in the pool with other mass car manufacturers like Ford. To put things into perspective, the Audi SQ5 gets to 60 miles per hour from a standstill in 5.1 seconds with 369 horses under the hood. The Mercedes-AMG GLC 43 makes the same sprint in 4.8 seconds with 362 ponies powering the beast. BMW will soon be coming up with X3 M that could come riding on 400 to 450 horses and will most likely be the fastest of the lot.

Tucson's Immediate Rivals Will Be Blown Out Of The Water

But coming back to reality, Hyundai will pit the Tucson N against old rivals - the Ford Escape that comes with 245 horses, the Toyota RAV4 riding on 203 ponies, and the crowd-popular Mazda CX-5 that has 187 horsepower. Until these brands come up with faster SUVs, the South Korean beast will slaughter them all with its 340 horses. Given the car's history, the Tucson gets updated every five years. The current generation has been around since 2016, so we could see the Tucson N in 2020 or 2021, the latter seeming more likely. It is surprising that the Tucson N will be built on a generation that is being phased out from the standard Tucson.

About the 2019 Hyundai Tucson

The standard Tucson comes with two engine options - a 2.0-liter unit that churns out 164 horses and 151 pound-feet of torque and a 2.4-liter naturally aspirated engine that produces 181 ponies and 175 pound-feet of torque. Both engines are mated to a lethargic, six-speed automatic transmission.Other than the aforementioned SUVs, Hyundai will also go against the likes of the Cupra Ateca and the Volkswagen T-Roc R as well.

Final Thoughts

Hyundai will actually be rolling out the i20 N in 2020; ahead of the Tucson N. This hatch will have at least 250 horses under the belt and will take on the Ford Fiesta ST and the Volkswagen Polo GTI. What are your thoughts on Hyundai going berserk by hooking its cars on steroids and slapping them with an 'N' tag? Share them with us in the comments section below.

Further reading

Read our full review on the 2019 Hyundai Tucson.

Read our full review on the 2019 Hyundai Veloster N.

Read our full review on the 2018 Hyundai i30 N.