Hyundai Elantra (US) review
Good stuff
Contemporary redesign, decent handling, comfort and convenience
Bad stuff
Pricey hybrid, lots of options siloed in packages, N version looks divisive
Overview
What is it?
It’s the Hyundai Elantra, the Korean automaker’s dutiful compact four-door. The long-running sedan has been around since the early 90s, sold globally under various nameplates, which means you’ve certainly encountered a fair number of them by now. Whether you’ve noticed or not is another matter.
As a budget runabout, the Elantra doesn’t exactly make a splash, it just ripples through dealer lots and rental fleets. But we dare say the new model might be a sea change.
Wait, is the new Hyundai Elantra… cool?
Kind of? A substantial glow-up by car designer Luc Donckerwolke has done wonders for laying the groundwork of making the Elantra something to take notice of. With that as a starting point, the Elantra remains wallet-friendly, but it’s also fairly comfortable and, surprisingly, fun to drive in certain instances. Inexplicably, there is a tricked-out N sport version that we’re still wrapping our heads around.
Let’s start from the beginning, then.
Gladly. The Elantra is available as a hybrid and non-hybrid, with the standard build utilizing a 2.0-liter four-cylinder that puts out 147hp and 132lb ft of torque, sent to the front wheels through a variable transmission. The sporty Elantra N Line - not the N, as we’ll explain in a moment - leverages a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-pot that ups the output to 201hp and 195lb ft. Power still exclusively drives the front axle but this time, it's routed through a dual-clutch seven-speed automatic.
The Hybrid Elantra uses the same 1.6-liter as the N Line version, but instead of a turbocharger, it’s joined with a 32kW electric motor and a 240-volt battery. All told, the combined power of the hybrid is 139hp, and this is managed by a six-speed dual clutch automatic.
What’s goin’ on with this N version?
So much! First off, Hyundai’s cribbing Audi’s annoying nomenclature of having an N sport division and an N Line trim level. The Elantra N packs a 2.0-liter turbo-four that cranks out 276hp and 289lb ft of torque. It sports a six-speed manual out the box, but has an optional eight-speed dual clutch available if you prefer paddles to gear rowing. Power still goes to the front but now there’s an e-diff in the mix, as well as an electronically controlled suspension and fatter brakes, plus a beefed up sport suspension.
To make use of all this is an exclusive suite of drive modes that allow you to eke out more performance than the base model. Oh, and launch control. There’s an Elantra… with launch control. With the double-clutch gearbox, Hyundai reckons you can get the car from 0 to 60 in 5.0 seconds flat, which puts the manual somewhere between that and six seconds, depending on how slick your stick action is.
Looks-wise, it’s absolutely an Elantra going through a mid-life crisis, sporting a fat rear wing, a more aggressive mug and the N signature red trim along the bodywork. On the whole, though, it works, even if it looks like the automotive version of an undercover cop trying to infiltrate a high school skate gang.
What's the verdict?
Hyundai’s long-serving compact sedan has always been decent, but the most recent generation has made it something worth paying attention to. A fresh, engaging design is a good start, and while time will tell if it ages particularly well, it's working wonders in the here-and-now.
The inclusion of a sport model goes above and beyond to make the Elantra lineup stand out in a normally hum-dum, budget-forward segment. The Elantra N is ridiculous in the best of ways, providing enough sportiness for daily fun without sacrificing comfort and utility.
The Elantra is fairly sprightly even outside of the sport-specific model, and can be enjoyable in a pinch. Throughout it all, the Elantra is easy to live with, and what it brings to the table for the price makes it a compelling choice for those in the market for a daily driver.
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