New energy powertrains have become a buzzword in today’s automotive industry, with most brands shifting their focus to electric vehicles. While this is the current trend, Hyundai takes a different approach by continuing to invest in and improve internal combustion engine (ICE) technology.
The Korean automaker is reportedly developing a new engine as suggested by an official video published on Hyundai’s official YouTube channel. The video featured Daehee Kim, a researcher from Hyundai’s engine design team, who revealed that the brand is developing a new engine dubbed internally as “MR.”
As reported by Motor1, Kim said that the “MR engine is a completely new engine,” which points to the direction that Hyundai is indeed developing a new power unit. MR could also stand for mid-rear, which hints at a mid-engine layout.
Kim added that the MR engine is a high-performance power unit that intends to meet market demand and can be mass-produced without reliability issues. However, the said MR engine is “experiencing many difficulties,” but Kim did not share further as to what hurdles the Hyundai team is facing.
Kim also confirmed that the team is focusing on integrating the new engine with an efficient and lightweight design along with an emission reduction technology.
Considering the details shared by Kim, it seems that Hyundai still wants to develop and produce its first-ever mid-engine power unit. To put things in perspective, the Racing Midship (RM) 14 was the brand’s first prototype that featured a mid-engine layout. Hyundai continued its development as it introduced the RM15, RM16, and RM19, these prototypes served as test cars for balance, aerodynamics, and drivetrain performance. Not one of these prototypes made it to production.
The reason for not getting the green light for production is due to cost, which is projected to reach nearly $150,000 (around P8.7 million) per unit. This information was revealed back in 2022 by former Hyundai N Division head Albert Biermann.
Despite its hiatus, Hyundai’s mid-engine unit could still come a reality and could power the brand’s future high-performance vehicles such as the N Vision 74 concept car. It’s a hydrogen-electric hybrid with over 670 horsepower, which makes it one of the potential Hyundai models to have the MR engine should everything go as planned.
