Hyundai took the wraps off its completely redesigned 2022 Tucson SUV in September. The SUV’s makeover is bold to say the least its edgy lines and big, toothy grille. The Tucson is a key vehicle in Hyundai’s lineup, and now we have official confirmation that a sporty N Line version of the new design is in the works. We also have confirmation that more N machines are coming for the US market, which we’ll discuss in a bit.
Hyundai doesn’t offer any information or insight into the sporty Tucson N Line. This is just a teaser after all, but two official renderings do give us a taste of the visual upgrades. We can see a new front fascia that dips lower, with the large bottom grille mirroring the design of the upper. There are also some minor changes at the large corner lights with some sculpting that adds a bit of aggression. Changes at the back are easier to spot with a pronounced rear diffuser in a bulked-up bumper. It looks like the trapezoid side exhaust finishers are given an oval makeover as well.
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As for mechanical changes, that’s still a mystery. A rumor prior to the Tucson’s reveal pegged the N Line as being a hybrid with 230 combined horsepower, but the hybrid actually debuted with the new Tucson. The power was correct, but the rumor also said a Tucson N with a 290-hp turbocharged 2.5-liter engine was coming. Perhaps that could be the N-Line, and while a 100-horsepower bump over the standard naturally aspirated 2.5-liter engine is rather significant, 290 hp in an SUV doesn’t set the pavement on fire. It would leave room for a more powerful Tucson N if Hyundai ultimately goes further down the performance road.
And we know Hyundai isn’t done yet. That brings us to the other portion of this teaser, where the automaker revealed images of the Elantra N and confirmed two more N-branded vehicles were coming to the US market. Another teaser image shows the automaker’s N family with two SUVs still under covers, and we’re told the family will ultimately expand to seven N or N Line offerings through 2022. It’s virtually guaranteed one of those will be the Kona N Line, which already debuted for European markets at the beginning of September.
As for the second, an argument could be made for both the range-topping Palisade and the entry-level Venue. It’s also possible Hyundai could simply double up the Tucson with a full-on N model, leaving the other SUVs alone to carry on without performance enhancements.
