Hyundai is doing art cars now

Hyundai’s N division is forging itself quite a reputation. Not least because its leader, former BMW M boss Albert Biermann, is sprinkling much of the magic from his old cars across more humble Hyundai hatchbacks.

The tribute to his former employer appears to continue with this Tucson SUV, which has more than a whiff of BMW Art Car about it.

It’s the work of German artist Andreas Preis, and it takes the N racing colours – familiar from the i20 WRC rally car and i30N TCR touring car – and incorporates them into a design that apparently references “corners, chicanes, kerbs and chequered flags.”

We, um, can’t see much of that, besides perhaps some light blue kerbing and a bit of black’n’white. But that’s not to say it doesn’t look cool, and certainly a damn sight more interesting than all the diesel Tucsons roaming our urban environments.

It helps that the car beneath isn’t just another diesel Tucson, mind, rather it’s the new N Line version. It gets a more aggressive body kit and a sportier set-up in what we suspect is a preview of a full-strength Tucson N that uses the same engine as the ballistic i30N hot hatch.

The non-arty, production Tucson N Line (below) could be a bit of a sleeper, mind, with its topmost engine options being a 175bhp petrol turbo or a 182bhp mild-hybrid diesel. Whether you can specify Preis’s handiwork remains to be seen…