While sedans are being discontinued by several carmakers due to the popularity of crossovers and SUVs, there are a few sedans that are hard not to notice. And Hyundai has one of them.
Hyundai’s compact Elantra N is a brother to its regular sedans, but the N model stands out as a sporty rocket in a daily driver. And the best thing, it’s surprisingly affordable. Exceptionally affordable. You’d have to look to a pricey Audi, BMW or Mercedes to find similar performance characteristics.
The 2025 Elantra N (there’s also the milder Elantra N Line) has a sleek, low-slung look with red trim around the lower part of the entire car. Its squint headlight assembly takes on the look of an EV. This design sets it apart from a regular Elantra. And in the rear, the trunk lid sports an aggressive spoiler with dual tailpipes that have large (5-inch) openings.
Sportiness follows through to the interior. The heated front seats are Recaro-like and leather-trimmed edges with micro-sueded inserts that are set-off with light blue stitching. The seats are a tad on the firm side, but very supportive. Unfortunately, they are manually adjusted.
The one-piece dash display is 30 inches long with dual 10.25-inch displays for the infotainment screen and the adjacent digital instrument cluster. It serves the usual compliment of navigation, apps, rearview camera and wired Apple CarPlay/Android Auto connectivity plus some voice recognition. Below the long display are simple to use HVAC controls.
The console itself houses a phone charging pad that shares its space with the stout 8-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission shifter that’s supplemented with paddle shifters. A 6-speed manual is also offered.
Over on the digital instrument cluster, it also serves a driver information display between the main gauges as well as drive mode selections of Eco, Normal and Sport. In the latter mode, the speedometer and tach’s’ outer rim turns red for hot mode. And in “N” mode, that has a switch on the steering wheel, the speedometer turns to tachometer so the drive can see rpm shift points. Right below the N switch is a round red NGS switch, that when depressed offers 20 seconds of extra turbo boost for an added 10 horsepower to make the Elantra N a real rocket.
Back seats are equally as firm as the fronts for two adults and there’s decent leg room provided the fronts aren’t racked well-rearward.
The trunk with the rear seats upright offers 14.2 cubic feet of space for 34 inches of cargo loading depth. Unusual, is the red chassis brace between the rear and front seats. Flip the rear seat backs and capacity increases to 99.4 cubic feet for 70 inches of loading depth. Only problem is the brace prevents having a flat load floor for long wide items. Beneath the trunk floor is a tire inflator kit housed in a foam bin. Small items can be stowed around it.
Elantra N gets it exciting spunk from a 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder that generates 276-hp and 289 lb/ft of torque for EPA mileage estimates of 20 city, 27-highway mpg. And with the quick shifting automatic transmission, and in Sport mode, the exhaust emits a delicious pop-pop during gear changes and when slowing to a stop. Needless to say, full throttle acceleration runs offer push-you-back-in-the-seat enjoyment.
Ride quality is good on 19-inch Michelin low-profile tires. Parking is easy as Elantra’s turning radius is tight. And handling is excellent with Hyundai’s electronic limited-slip differential that sends power to the appropriate wheels during spirited driving.
The base price includes a long list of standard features including sunroof, blind spot collision warning, forward collision avoidance, lane keeping/lane following assist, forward/rearward parking distance warning, rear cross traffic avoidance, safe exit warning/driver attention warning and Hyundai Digital Key.
Now here’s the surprising part. With the optional Performance Blue paint ($470) and delivery ($1,150), Elantra N’s base price of $35,450 slips to $37,070. An exceptional price for this amount of performance car that easily serves as a daily driver.
To its credit, Elantra N received a full five-star government rollover safety rating. And of course, you can’t beat Hyundai’s best in class warranties of 5 years/60K mile new car warranty; 10/100K mile powertrain; 7/unlimited perforation; 3/36K complimentary maintenance warranty; and 5/Unlimited Roadside Assistance coverage.
