Hyundai appears to have modeled much of its contemporary image on the strategies of BMW. It hired now-retired Dr. Albert Biermann of BMW M fame to lead its R&D department, and the choice of a single letter – “N” – as its performance badge is likely inspired by the same German skunkworks division. Now, a trademark for the name “N Sport,” discovered at the United States Patent and Trademark Office, appears to be evidence that Hyundai is learning another trick from its German counterparts.
The Magic Of Marketing
The term N Sport appears to be destined for middle-ground models. At the top of the range, there are the high-performance N models, such as the 641-hp electric-powered Ioniq 5 N. For those who don’t want the compromises that often come with such cars but do appreciate sportier styling, Hyundai has the N-Line models, including the Kona N Line (which are similar to Merc’s AMG Line models).
Presumably, N Sport would fall somewhere in the middle, giving buyers a taste of what they’re missing out on in the full-fat N models while also providing a sense of superiority over the base cars, just as M Sport models do for Bimmers.
N Sport: More Than Just a Badge?
If Hyundai is still mimicking BMW, it would make sense for N Sport models to get cosmetic upgrades as well as some suspension and minor drivetrain improvements. Perhaps the car would ride a little lower, or perhaps on EVs, N Sport would mean some slightly more aggressive powertrain modes.
That said, we can’t ignore the possibility that N Sport could simply be a cosmetic package, a drive mode, or a marketing tagline. Perhaps Hyundai has concluded that the N-Line badge doesn’t sound aggressive enough, and this new trademark is simply a replacement for that.
We’ll have to wait for something official out of Korea, but it certainly looks like Hyundai is mastering the art of niche farming, just like Germany.
