When I initially approached the Hyundai Elantra N, I really did not know what to expect. Many had made news of the brand’s eye towards producing legitimate alternatives to more aggressive options from Acura, Honda, Toyota, and even Subaru, but beyond a conversation with a former co-worker who bought at Veloster N a while back, I had no personal scope of reference to get an idea of what Hyundai has been up to. After driving the 2024 Elantra N, however, the two words that jump out at me are “surprised” and “impressed” due to how fun and rewarding it is to drive.
Anyone familiar with the standard version of the Elantra can excuse me for thinking the sporty version of such a boring looking car would only result in a slightly less boring sedan. After all, the styling of the standard car is relatively handsome, but not striking in any way. To take the looks out of the middle of the road, Hyundai gave the N version some serious aggression with a deep front spoiler, side skirts, a pronounced rear diffuser (all with red accents), and an unmistakably funky rear spoiler. To add to this effort is blacked out window trim, 19-inch wheels and tires, and large twin exhaust outlets. Ultimately, the treatment works, and the Elantra looks exciting enough to make an onlooker ask if the drive can match the mood that the exterior appearance suggests it is capable of.
Inside, it is immediately apparent that the focus is on front seat passengers, with amply bolstered leather and alcantara sport bucket seats and a leather wrapped steering wheel that has all of the visual interest of a wheel from a proper GT4 car. Interestingly, rear seat passengers will think they are in a totally different cabin due to the woefully flat bench that offers absolutely no bolstering to keep them in their seats as the two in the front enjoy pulling (lateral) Gs around every hairpin that they can find. Wait… pulling Gs in a Hyundai sedan? I’m sure you’re thinking your author must be trippin’ at this point. The thing is, I’m not trippin’ at all—I’m simply telling you what it is.
To provide an idea of how seriously Hyundai approached infusing the Elantra N with genuine performance capability, a list of its ingredients include Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires wrapped around the aforementioned 19 inch wheels, a trunk mounted rear chassis bar, an electronic limited slip differential, and a turbocharged, 276 horsepower four cylinder (complete with direct injection and variable valve timing). It definitely sounds impressive on paper, but just because its stats read like an All Star’s, it doesn’t mean it won’t be a bust when it hits the league. This time around, Hyundai’s Elantra N straight LeBronned (yes, it’s a verb) the game by showing up even better than we driving fans expected it to. In other words, the car is a wonderful machine to drive—to the point that I was utterly surprised when I piloted it for the first time a few weeks ago in the hills of Malibu, California.
As soon as the Elantra N is cranked, the sound of the exhaust tickles one’s fancy, and before exiting a parking lot, one can tell that this Hyundai ain’t no regular econobox. Accelerating away, the driver is treated to a burbly exhaust that is refined enough to not drone or announce itself in an obnoxiously loud fashion, regardless of which of the four available driving modes the driver selects. When the wick is turned up, however (N mode, which is what Hyundai calls its most aggressive setting), this Elantra produces a soundtrack that got me hyped with the best of them when it came to the noises emitted while shifting under wide open throttle. N-shift, an option that maximizes the engine’s power when combined with the optional eight-speed dual clutch transmission, results in a robust power delivery with throttle response that allows finite precision (though, keeping the gas pedal buried in the footwell results in a zero to 60 time of 5.1 seconds and a quarter mile of distance disappearing in 13.7). To sweeten the deal, the Elantra N’s handling is phenomenal (yes, that is a strong word, but this car really felt like one of the best handling front wheel drive cars that I have ever driven). The driver can place it wherever he or she wants to in a curve with millimeter precision, while also maintaining a level of grip through the front wheels that belies its typical nose-heavy architecture. Adhering to the theme of being an entertaining and confidence-inspiring driver’s car is the brake pedal, which provides a firm, excellent feel that allows one to squeeze and eaaasssseeee (trademark!) brake pressure with the best braking systems out there. Finally, the steering is direct and linear—directly in line with the rest of the Hyundai Elantra N package.
After driving this car on the morning of day in which I drove 10 other cars, it was good enough to make me want to drive it again as the day came to an end. With the exception of the back seat, there is no feeling that it has been built to cost, and everything that one touches gives the impression that at $34,000, it is one of the best bargains on the market. Though I was initially surprised, now that I have spent some truly impressive time with the Hyundai Elantra N, I can definitely envision this player going on to win multiple championships before its career is all said and done.
