We already know the N sub-brand of the Hyundai brand will be offered in the near future with the i30N already prowling the streets in Korea and the Hyundai Veloster N becoming the first model to be offered in North America. Even though we haven’t learned all we want about this new offering and haven’t had it on the market just yet, hasn’t stopped us from already talking about what the next big thing from this performance arm of Hyundai could be for the future of our driving pleasure.

In 2014, Hyundai showed us a concept model of the Veloster with a mid-engine layout which was called the RM14. The RM stances for Rear Midship and we saw this concept develop over the next couple of years to the RM15 and the RM16 to be a concept model that could show up with some impressive performance numbers. This may hint at the future for Hyundai and a potential halo car, but the first step needs to be taken for this brand to be able to understand how to sell and market performance cars because it’s never been a brand that offered performance for our fun on the road and track.

Adding a Performance Hyundai to Dealerships

As one of the most successful brands on the market, Hyundai understands there are steps that need to be taken in order to bring about the right marketing and understanding of performance cars. With that in mind, the first performance model we’ll see is the Veloster N which will arrive later this year. While we don’t know if the RM models will eventually arrive, having the Veloster N will offer an understanding of what true performance is and how customers looking for the driving pleasure offered by these cars will expect to find.

The ability to move from the Veloster N to the RM16 could be an easy transition for the Hyundai dealership network. While they might not be used to a bespoke car that offers impressive power numbers, the RM16 is built with a mid-mounted 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that makes 295 horsepower and 282 lb.-ft. of torque. This power is sent to the rear wheels through a six-speed manual transmission for the fun of the drive desired. The fact this car is only a little more powerful than the Veloster N which makes 276 horsepower from the same size engine means Hyundai is nearly ready for the RM models to make it to the market.

We’re going to need to follow the new Veloster N closely to see if this car will be one that will offer us the performance and quality we want when it’s time to head out on the road and have an excellent drive. If this model is a performance success in North America it’s going to be a fun story to tell to see what the rest of the N models will be as they are offered on the market in the future. Hopefully, the RM models will be part of that story.

Looking for a Hyundai vehicle now? Opt for the ever-classic Hyundai Elantra.