For enthusiasts, the introduction of another performance badge in our market is always a good thing. Hyundai Motor Philippines (HMPH) first introduced its N performance brand at the last Manila International Auto Show, where it unveiled the Ioniq 5 N and the Elantra N to the public.

Since then, four Hyundai dealerships (Alabang, Commonwealth, Makati, and Pasig) have been authorized to sell these high-performance cars. And last September 7, the first batch of 18 N units has finally been turned over to their lucky owners at Okada Manila.

For those curious, the 18 units are comprised of three Elantra Ns and 15 Ioniq 5 Ns.

But this wasn’t just any ordinary turnover, as a drift stunt exhibition was held by Autocraft Drift Philippines. Audel “Dr. Drift” Sison burned rubber with the Ioniq 5 N, and his two daughters (Ariane and Ashley) took the wheel of the Elantra N.

But to top it all off, HMPH even flew in professional Korean drifter Sungu Cho with the original Ioniq 5 N Drift Spec car from South Korea.

If anything, this goes to show how serious HMPH is about revitalizing its brand in our country. Who knows? Maybe we could be seeing a concerted effort by the distributor to disrupt the luxury market with the introduction of Genesis.