Cars

Hyundai Elantra N debuts with angry looks and up to 290 hp

By Sagar

Posted on July 14, 2021

That’s right. While the Elantra N Line only dreams of being a “hot sedan”, the Elantra N (Avante N in Korea) debuts as an actual hot sedan offering not just looks but also a matching powertrain that’ll rival the likes of Octavia RS, for example.

As for the looks, the Elantra N wears the Hyundai N-typical body kit with a sporty front bumper, side skirts, a fixed rear wing, and a rear diffuser with circular tailpipes on either side. This particular example wears the N-typical standard color combination which is Performance Blue with subtle red highlights. The front fascia with more black elements makes the car look like it is wearing some kind of an eye mask. Rounding off the overall looks are 19-inch wheels wrapped with 245-size Michelin PS4S tires. The front discs are fairly large, measuring 360 mm. The Elantra N also gets the ECS or Electronic Controlled Suspension that debuted with the Kona N.

The electronic Limited Slip Differential (e-LSD), Variable Exhaust Valve System and Launch Control are all included too. For the first time ever in a Hyundai, the Elantra N applies an integrated drive axle (IDA) — inspired by WRC cars. The driveshaft, wheel hub and bearing are integrated in a way that enables a weight reduction of 1.7 kg (3.8 lbs). Apparently, it is also beneficial in withstanding extreme lateral g-forces.

The cabin features the N-typical ambiance with N-branded sporty bucket seats, blue contrast stitching, N-branded steering wheel with integrated N buttons for custom modes, N-branded gear selector and so on. Speaking of the gearbox, the DCT models get an additional NGS (N Grin Shift) button on the steering wheel, which increases the boost pressure to deliver an extra 10 hp for up to 20 seconds.

The Elantra N is powered by a 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine that pumps out 206 kW (280 metric hp/276 bhp) and a maximum torque of 392 Nm (289 lb-ft). The engine can be paired with an 8-speed wet DCT or a 6-speed manual transmission. The aforementioned DCT-exclusive NGS bumps the output to 290 metric hp for short periods.

Official performance figures include a 0-100 km/h (62 mph) time of 5.3 seconds and a top speed of 250 km/h (155 mph).