Hyundai has been on a roll recently, with a new pickup truck in the lineup, a slew of new electric vehicles on the way, and a whole performance sub-brand called hyundai n.
For 2022, we’ll get not one, not two, but three separate n models.
The veloster n, which you’ve known and loved for a long, the new elantra n, which is right next to me, and, of course, the all-new Kona n.
What is the elantra n, how does it drive, and how does it compare to the competition, that’s what we’ll discuss in this article.
The elantra n is a compact sedan designed to compete directly with the honda civic si, the volkswagen jetta gli, and the upcoming honda civic type r.
However, I would argue that the elantra n could also be considered a value alternative to something like a brand new audi s3 or even a mercedes-benz a-class amg.
The second thing to know is that Hyundai provides various different degrees of n.
The full on end versions are the pinnacle of Hyundai performance, while the n line is slightly below that.
There is an elantra n line and a sonata n line, both of which provide greater power and better handling, but not to the same extent as the full-on-end versions.
The elantra n-line has around the same amount of power under the hood as the new honda civic si, which should indicate where the full-on end model falls in the range.
We’ve altered the front end to help separate this from the rest of the elantra lineup.
The elantra n is either the third or fourth high-end model in Hyundai’s lineup, depending on how you count it.
It all started with the i30n, which is a hatchback sold primarily in Europe for 2022.
We now have the kona n and the elantra n filling out the portfolio, and the veloster n is still on the way, at least for the time being.
We also have the biggest breaks available on the elantra the front rotor is over 14 inches and the rear rotor becomes ventilated but one interesting twist no brembo brakes up front instead hyundai chose to use an upgraded version of the floating caliper design that we find in other hyundai models they said that was mainly done to help keep maintenance costs down My only minor gripe back here is that Hunty did not upgrade the rear tail up modules to full leds, so the turn signal is still incandescent.
This may just be my immature side talking, but I think if I were to buy an elantra end, I would move this end to right in the middle with the veloster end, kona n, and elantra n.
It may be paired with either a six-speed automatic or an eight-speed wet clutch dual clutch gearbox.
There’s an overboost mode on the eight-speed dual clutch gearbox that can boost you to 286 horsepower for 20 seconds.
After the engine has rested for 40 seconds, you may re-engage it for extra over-boost.
The 8-speed dual-clutch gearbox used in Hyundai’s full-on-end cars is not the same as the 8-speed dct found in some of their other vehicles, particularly some of their newest crossovers.
This 8-speed dual-clutch transmission has different gear ratios that are much more aggressive to give you the best acceleration possible and they’re also tuned for harsher, faster shifts because that’s what this type of customer is interested in you will definitely notice the difference if you put this in the fastest shifting modes the shifts are very very very quick and in that respect this reminds me an awful lot more of something like the golf r even though this does not have any of the golf r’s features.
When it comes to performance vehicles like this or the gti or the golf r, dual clutch gearboxes are not only more popular than manual transmissions, but they’re also quicker 0-60 and more fuel efficient.
I found front seat comfort to be excellent in the elantra, and I’ve also spent a few hours in the passenger seat on a previous occasion, and both seats are pretty comfortable for my body shape.
If you’re a little bit wider than I am, however, you might want to look at the kona end because the seats are a little bit wider and the bolstering on the seat bottom cushion is a little bit less ag in that model.
If you don’t want the moon roof and just want that center of gravity a hair lower and maybe a few pounds saved, you can get the manual transmission that doesn’t have the moon roof.
Jumping into the back, I found the rear seats quite comfortable with this front seat adjusted from 86 feet tall you can see I still have about six or seven inches of legroom left this is defiantly defiantly defiantly defiantly defiantly defiantly Hyundai has the clutch pedal engagement just right, and the six-speed shifter, while not quite as engaging as the one found in the volkswagen gti or the honda civic si, is very well done, and this is certainly better than any of the performance Toyota vehicles I’ve driven recently.
On the other hand, if you want the launcher end that will go fastest 0 to 60, the model with the 8-speed dual clutch transmission is definitely going to be the model with the 8-speed dual clutch transmission On the other hand, most people will choose for the superb eight-speed dual clutch gearbox, and if you do, this will almost always be quicker than the Honda Civic Type R, simply because the vehicle can shift faster and achieve a better launch, particularly if you utilize launch control.
On the other hand, if you do plan on competing in autocrosses on the weekend, I was able to spend some time not just on the track but also on the autocross course that Hyundai had set up, and oddly enough, I surprised myself by being faster in this model with this six-speed manual transmission.
The most aggressive suspension mode is definitely more compliant than what we see in the veloster end so if you’re looking for something even more hardcore get the veloster n but this is a little bit firmer than what we find in the new kona end that’s tuned a little bit towards the softer side of things just a hair and it has a little bit more ground clearance than we find in the veloster end.
Hyundai’s decision to put summer tires on the elantra end standard surprised me a little bit because summer tires definitely make a difference when it comes to track handling, on-road handling, or autocross handling because not all of the competition comes standard with grippy summer tires like we find on here hyundai has also done a really good job balancing the vehicle’s priorities the exhaust note is definitely excellent it’s very boy racer with the pops and the rev ma If you don’t like the fake engine noise in this vehicle, you can turn it off.
Getting the balance of a performance daily driver just right is difficult, and I think Hyundai has done a great job here.
This is the kind of vehicle that you can live with on your daily commute, even if you’re driving down really rough paved roads.
It’s also pretty practical in terms of cargo and passenger room in the back.
I know a few people who were recently at the launch of the honda civic si and did some instrumented testing there, and a lot of them ended up in the seven to eight second range just because they didn’t want to roast the clutch, whereas this will go zero to sixty five seconds every time with launch control, albeit a little slower if you don’t use that particular feature, but still significantly faster than a civic si, which is why the price range of the honda civic si is so high.
It provides you greater fuel efficiency, better performance, and it’s more tolerable as a daily car, especially with a price tag that’s expected to start just over $30,000.
The elantra end will likewise be a fantastic value.
This will be less costly than the top-of-the-line Volkswagen GTI models.
This is likely to be less expensive than the upcoming Subaru WRX depending on the options you choose, and of course Hyundai has the long standard powertrain warranty.
If you want something a little less expensive, the honda civic si is likely to be less expensive than this, but that’s mainly because performance-wise it’s closer to the end lin.
They’ve also replaced the body in white, which is an intriguing twist since the body in white is what you get after all the doors are removed.
The metal structure of the vehicle has been strengthened for the elantra n versus the elantra n line or of course the hybrid model that was done in order to improve rigidity except for the mounting points for the extra strut braces back there in the rear the rear suspension braces that is what reduces cargo practicality versus the rest of the elantra lineup and of course a few subtle tweaks here and there to support som subtle tweaks here and there to support som subtle tweaks Another way to look at the elantra n is as a value alternative to something like the new acura integra, which will provide you more power for a cheaper price, better handling, and performance, and so on.
You might also consider it as a cheaper option to anything like an Audi S3 or perhaps a Mercedes-Benz A35 amg.
It may seem absurd to compare a front-wheel-drive Hyundai to an audi or a Mercedes, but those two cars are also front-wheel-drive based.
They now have all-wheel drive, which is what will set this apart from other premium alternatives.
However, you’d be amazed how close this car can come in terms of handling ability to something like the Audi S3 or that Mercedes, and this is going to be tens of thousands of dollars less costly, so it’s not a straight rival value alternative.
That’s a crucial point to remember.
Let me know what you think of everything in the comments section below.
I’m extremely excited to see what Hyundai has in store for their next-generation automobiles.
We should expect to see some electrified end cars in the future, but we don’t know what that means.
It’s most likely going to be a fully electric vehicle, but there might also be some hybrids and plug-in hybrids in the meanwhile.
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