Hyundai’s N Day 2024 event in Seoul was the occasion for the automaker to present the RN24 concept. Or rather, what’s being called the company’s next-generation “Rolling Lab” for all the innovations it features. It follows in the footsteps of the RM (Racing Midship), RN22e and N Vision 74.
The RN24 is also meant to point the way to where Hyundai is headed with its development of high-performance all-electric N models. We’ve seen and test-driven the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N already, and in fact the new RN24 takes that model’s power electronics system and fits it inside a World Rally Championship-inspired chassis. All of it is managed by next-generation software to maximize performance.
“Hyundai N is not just a brand but a representation of our commitment to innovation and high performance. RN24 is a testament to our bold ambitions for the future.”
- Manfred Harrer, Executive VP and Head of the Genesis and Performance Development Tech Unit
Designed for N-thusiasts
The RN24 is powered by the same system used in the Ioniq 5 N’s E-GMP platform. Battery capacity is also the same at 84 kWh, but the pack has been redesigned so everything can fit in a more compact frame. The RN24 thus has a wheelbase shorter than the Ioniq 5 by 340 mm, which makes of the model a B-Segment vehicle.
Obviously a vehicle of this type needs special suspension, and the engineers behind the RN24 came up with a newly designed configuration highlighted by special damped and highly rigid subframes. The steering setup has been modified to deliver responses more akin to rally cars. Meanwhile, adjustments were made to the battery- and motor-cooling systems to meet the model’s special needs.
Rally mode
This electronic motor torque control function helps optimize how torque is distributed to each wheel. The car also features a e-Handbrake that allows for removing physical brakes used for certain processes, which in turn allows for reducing overall weight (which is given as 1,880 kg more or less, by the way).
The RN24 rides on the Elantra N’s 19-inch matte black forges wheels, plus it gets a spoiler gifted by Hyundai’s Touring Car Racing (TCR) department.
In terms of brute performance, the Hyundai RN24 can accelerate from a stop to 100 km/h in just under 3.4 seconds and hit a top speed of 240 km/h.
Where does Hyundai go with this latest rolling lab? We’ve seen elements of previous models appear in production models, the Ioniq 5 N is now an actual thing, and Hyundai keeps teasing a production version of the N Vision 74 concept. Time will tell if we’ll one day see a production model come out of this RN24.
