2024 Hyundai Elantra N Line - Review by David Colman +VIDEO

It leaves all others in the dust!

David Colman

Photos and Story by David Colman
Special Correspondent to THE AUTO CHANNEL

Rarely is the connection between a street car and a race car as proximate as the one Hyundai has forged for its prime grocery getter, the 5-passenger Elantra sedan. For the past two years, IMSA's Touring Car (TC) championship trophy has been won by a race prepped version of the Elantra. That's saying a lot for a rather innocuous looking four-door competing against the best from Audi, BMW and Alfa Romeo. While the competition has tightened up this year in the TC Class, Hyundai's Elantra, fielded by Bryan Herta Autosport, recently scored its first class win of the current campaign. With six races remaining, the Elantra N still has a good shot at retaining its IMSA Touring Class title.

Recently, we tested Hyundai's boy racer version of the TC Class Elantra, designated the "N" model. That 286hp slingshot offered "N-specific Body Styling and Rear Diffuser" that transformed the looks of the sedan into an instant cop magnet. If you're a more sedate driving enthusiast, with a family to transport, you can't do better than to bypass the N in favor of the N Line version of the Elantra. Its looks are all business, its turbo engine and 7 speed dual clutch gearbox are straight off the starting grid, and its interior accouterments are perfect for high-speed motoring.

To be sure, the Elantra N is decidedly quicker in a straight line than the N Line version tested here. But you do pay a price for all the speed enhancements in terms of a harsher ride quality, more confining seats, and a significantly noisier exhaust note from the N's "Large Dual Bore Exhaust Outlets." Additionally, the N Design, priced at $29,825, will save you a whopping $6,525 over the $36,350 N. For the less hyper, more mature driving enthusiast, the N Design offers the better package for street usage.

We loved the N Design's understated good looks. Our example, finished in Ecotronic Gray, with matching 18-inch alloy rims, was upholstered in a Black/Gray combination of nubby fabric counterpointed by Red stitching. The contour of the front "N Line Sport Seats" provided perfect lateral support in high-G Force corners without impeding access.. Hyundai interior stylists have perfected occupant retention by upholstering the high side wings of the front seats with nubby, circular indentations that guarantee you'll stay put when cornering loads try to dictate otherwise. Simply put, these are the best high-performance seats I have experienced in many years.

If you plumb Hyundai's website for the N Design, you'll encounter 18 bullet points extolling the many assets of this Elantra. But ironically enough, the single outstanding feature that distinguishes the N Design from any other sedan with sporting pretensions is not mentioned or identified, or even shown in a photo. That would be the deliciously oversize "SPORT" mode button affixed prominently to the face of the dash just to the left of the lovely leather-wrapped steering wheel. This brilliant location - something I have encountered in NO other sport sedan (including the Elantra N) allows you to get racy without fumbling around for the control/screen/haptic button to do so. Push the magic button here, and the dash instantly re-computes speedo and rev counter faces with red dials and bright red hash-marks. The dual clutch 7-speed is perfectly configured to maximize your driving enjoyment. The leather wrapped floor mounted stick is endowed with a manual gate as well as a fully automatic gate. The steering wheel paddles comply with your upshift and downshift instructions with immediacy no matter which gate you've selected. Managing the operation of this sedan is thus easy, rewarding and productive.

While the 201hp turbo inline-4 of the N Design gives away 86hp to the race-ready Elantra N's powerplant, you'll be hard pressed to call the N Design underpowered. In fact, the first time I nailed the throttle hard at a stop light, the front tires broke traction instantly and left a pair of affirmative black slashes on the pavement. The mid-range engine powering the N Line is more than adequate to all your acceleration requirements, with a quick spool up producing 0-60mph runs of 7 seconds and quarter-mile sprints of 15 seconds flat at 93mph. The wheel slip that allowed me to light the front tires was partially due to the hardness rating (TW 560) of the Hankook Ventus S1 4S all season radials (235/40R18) that were fitted. Slap on a proper set of TW 200 street-legal cheater slicks and your N Design sleeper Elantra will be leaving lots of Audis, BMWs and Alfas in the dust. Just like the factory backed team cars do in the IMSA Touring Car Championship.

2024 HYUNDAI ELANTRA N DESIGN

• ENGINE: 2.0 liter inline 4, turbocharged and intercooled, alloy head and block, direct fuel injection
• HORSEPOWER: 201hp
• TORQUE: N/A
• FUEL CONSUMPTION: 28MPG City/35MPG Highway
• PRICE AS TESTED: $29,825

HYPES: Stellar Sport Seats, Top Notch Tranny

GRIPES: Rock Hard Rubber

STAR RATING: 10 Stars out of 10

©2024 David E Colman