Tyone Johnson, the man behind the Hyundai Motor Europe Technical Center in Germany, is quick to sing the praises of the company’s sporty Ioniq 5 N EV. Why shouldn’t he? It’s a blast to drive, so much so, we ranked it one of our favorite cars last year, on top of the fact that the man works for the company. But it’s also an indicator of shifting consumer preferences and attitudes at Hyundai. The manual transmission offered by the brand in the Elantra N probably isn’t long for the world, and Johnson says that’s just fine.
Hyundai Thinks It’ll Win Over Die-Hard ICE Enthusiasts
Johnson says it’s cars like the 5 N that’ll win over the most steadfast enthusiasts. He’s probably not wrong, and in the past, he tells Car, drivers have readily embraced new technology when it’s properly implemented. Drive a manual with rev-matching, and suddenly it makes sense. However, the 5 N indicated a shift for Hyundai, and Johnson says it’ll be the death of the manual.”Nobody wants manual gearboxes and handbrakes anymore, or analogue instruments –our combustion cars and EVs have very similar interfaces.” Nearly everyone who drives the 5 N praises it for its synthetic gearshifts, which, by the way, were modeled off those of a dual-clutch automatic like the one in the Elantra N.
“I can understand that some people want to have the sounds, vibrations, things like that. Those sensory inputs help the human brain understand what’s going on in a car.”
Tech like this is key to the future at Hyundai, and Johnson, who went from the analog cars of the 80s and 90s to today’s tech-laden vehicles, is ready for it: “You can do some really clever things. In suspension, a lot is happening, with software and mechanically. It’s going to be quite interesting.” In his mind, speed wins out over all: “I’m a performance guy. I did the first Mustang Shelby [the 1992 SVT Mustang]. I don’t understand the idea that performance cars are dying. If you want to go fast, there’s nothing better than an EV. I don’t understand the nostalgia.” Johnson even went so far as to call other combustion cars a “disappointment” when compared to a fast EV.
Speed Is The Future At Hyundai
Johnson sees importance in providing traditional feedback through cars, though. It’s clear from his comments that he doesn’t think that EVs should be fast and quiet, at least at the performance level. “I can understand that some people want to have the sounds, vibrations, things like that. Those sensory inputs help the human brain understand what’s going on in a car.” From the looks of things, there’ll be even more of that in the upcoming Hyundai Ioniq 6, and Johnson confirmed the same synthetic gearshifts will be present.
TopSpeed’s Take
Increasingly, the manual transmission is for a niche-within-a-niche. Most car buyers, even the ones buying the fast stuff, simply don’t care. The usual negatives, like poor fuel economy, worse performance, and the added fussing with a clutch pedal, are enough to turn away all but the most dedicated. It makes those of us who enjoy it a niche among performance car buyers, and it’s hard to imagine manufacturers will continue to cater to those who do want a stick with any real fervor. There’s enough demand to keep a few manual-specific models around, but we’d be surprised if even these made it through another round of tightening emission standards and shifting consumer preferences.
Carmagazine.UK
Read the full article here
