Hyundai has big plans for its all-new Sonata mid-size sedan. While automakers like Ford are bailing out on this segment, Hyundai is going all-in. Speaking at the 2019 New York Auto Show, Hyundai Motor America CEO Brian Smith said "some dramatically different variants" of the new Sonata are in the works, one of which will be a hot N Line model that will have "over 275 hp."

At the moment, the base turbocharged 1.6-liter four banger has 180 hp and 195 lb-ft of torque while the optional turbocharged 2.5-liter delivers 191 hp and 181 lb-ft. Question is, will the future Sonata N Line utilize the same 2.0-liter found in the Veloster N which, coincidentally, has 275 hp? Or, will Hyundai somehow find a way to squeeze more power out of the 2.5-liter?

The automaker refused to go into details for now. But the fact that a Sonata N Line is coming is still excellent news. After all, Fusion owners will eventually need to replace their cars and Ford will soon no longer have a sedan to offer them. Hyundai will be more than happy to do so. The N Line lineup is being expanded to vehicles aside from the Veloster (and the i30 N overseas) thanks to the automaker's commitment to performance.

A few years ago it poached now former BMW M engineering chief Albert Biermann to do for them what he did for BMW. He's not exactly a lightweight in the industry and we can already see his fingerprints on the Kia Stinger GT. At the other end of the engine spectrum, Hyundai also announced at New York that a Sonata hybrid is in the pipeline as well.

This should come as no surprise because the outgoing Sonata hybrid will require a successor as well. Expect the hybrid to arrive first, slated for a spring 2020 launch. The N Line will soon follow.