Hyundai N Has a Standalone, Halo Car in the Works - Could it Revive the HND-9 or PassoCorto Concept?

TopSpeed

By Robert Moore

Published Jul 20, 2018

We saw this coming, and the groundwork may have already been laid

It was only a matter of time before Hyundai N decided to make its own stand-alone model, and now we finally have confirmation that a true halo car is in the works. It won’t be delivered to the market for some time, as it’s still in the embryonic stages of development, but engineers are standing at the drawing board trying to figure out just what it could be. Will it be a performance sedan like a Hyundai-badged derivative of the Kia Stinger on steroids? Will it be a two-seater sports car that is designed from the ground up?

Hyundai N Halo Car – What we Know so Far

Hyundai PassoCorto Concept shown here}

In an interview with Auto Express, Hyundai’s Vice President of High-Performance and Motorsport, Thomas Schemera, has advised that the i30N and Veloster N were just the first phase. But, it was this quote that put the icing on the cake:

“I can tell you Albert Biermann , and myself are interested in hot things and have some ideas in the pipeline for a halo model - rest assured we are coming up with something.”

Hyundai HND-9 Concept shown here.}

Unfortunately, that’s all we know for now. There is, apparently, an internal debate within the company as to what the model should be. There is a possibility that it could be a sports car. AE expresses that it would most likely be a two-seater, but a sleek and sexy 2+2 isn’t exactly out of the question either. It could also end up being a performance saloon. After all, Hyundai’s sister company Kia has the Stinger, and it’s embedded deep within our knowledge banks that the Stinger is capable of a lot more than what it does now – it’s chassis was designed to handle more power if demand happens to arise.

Does Hyundai N’s desire for a halo car meet that demand?

2018 Kia Stinger shown here.}

Well, it certainly could. Using the greasy bits and platform from the Stinger would give Hyundai N a lot of room to play with as far as budgeting goes. More money can go into drivetrain and driveline development, tuning, and overall performance. Of course, the body would have to look different and would probably be extreme, but it’s definitely not outside the realm of possibility. Should Hyundai go with a two-seater, then the brand will have to start from scratch…. Kind of.

Remember the Hyundai PassoCorto, a mid-engined concept from earlier this decade? Well, it could be a pretty awesome starting point for a Hyundai N halo car. There is also the Hyundai HND-9 concept that could also serve as a starting point for the N halo car. Oh man, the possibilities are endless here, but one this is for sure. If Hyundai looks back a few years, there is certainly some DNA waiting to be scooped up and put to use in this new sports car. But, will they do it?

That remains to be seen, but here’s to hoping!

Hyundai N Halo Car – What we Know so Far

Further Reading