- Hyundai is already dropping hints concerning the subsequent Elantra N.
- The corporate’s design boss desires to make the compact sedan look much more aggressive.
- The Elantra N is anticipated to have a bigger engine.
The brand new Elantra is certainly the most important star on the ongoing 2026 Busan Auto Present in South Korea. Hyundai has revamped its compact sedan for its eighth technology by making use of design cues derived from the spectacular N Vision 74 supercar concept, or so we might wish to assume. That is only the start, because the Government Vice President and Head of Hyundai and Genesis World Design Middle is already dropping hints about what lies forward.
On the very finish of the debut occasion, Sangyup Lee shared some juicy tidbits concerning the high-performance model. Whereas he stopped in need of calling it the Elantra N, we will simply learn between the traces. CarSceneKorea quotes the design head honcho as saying:
‘Even at this very second, we’re making ready the sportiest Elantra but. Making the broad fenders even wider. Making the sporty really feel even sportier. I have been counting down the times simply as eagerly as all of you.’
It is price noting that at 1855 millimeters (73 inches) broad, the regular Elantra (Avante in South Korea) is already 30 millimeters (1.18 inches) wider than its predecessor. Sangyup Lee’s shocking eagerness to tease the efficiency model suggests we could not have to attend for much longer for the N. Whereas we would not anticipate to see it as early as this 12 months, a 2027 debut appears believable.
Subsequent-generation, high-performance Hyundai engine
Picture by: Hyundai
The New Elantra N Is Getting A Larger Engine
Hyundai has been speaking a couple of new Elantra N for some time. Again in November 2023, former Head of R&D and present Government Technical Advisor Albert Biermann revealed plans for a bigger engine. Moderately than tweaking the present 2.0-liter unit, the next-generation mannequin may use a bigger 2.5-liter engine.
Consequently, it is cheap to anticipate extra oomph than the present Elantra N’s 276 horsepower and 289 pound-feet (392 Newton-meters) of torque. How far more? For reference, the turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder produces 290 hp and 311 lb-ft (422 Nm) within the Sonata N Line. Within the Genesis G70, it delivers an additional 10 hp whereas torque stays unchanged.
2027 Hyundai Avante (South Korea)
Picture by: Hyundai
Hyundai N Is Testing An All-New Engine
However the subsequent Elantra N may not use the present 2.5-liter turbo engine. Hyundai has already examined what it calls a “next-generation high-performance powertrain” at this 12 months’s Nürburgring 24-hour endurance race. Because it’s being described as a next-generation engine reasonably than an evolution of the present powertrain, there could possibly be main developments that push output effectively past the 300-hp mark.
From the few particulars Hyundai has shared, the brand new engine examined within the Elantra N1 RP prototype on the Inexperienced Hell has “improved energy and response traits with enhanced race functionality whereas assembly present emissions requirements.” The latter a part of the assertion clearly suggests the engine is destined for road-going manufacturing vehicles, and the Elantra N looks like the proper early adopter.
10
Supply: Hyundai
Motor1’s Take: Excessive-performance vehicles from mainstream manufacturers have gotten rarer than hen’s enamel, so it is refreshing to listen to Hyundai stays dedicated to constructing a brand new Elantra N. Pairing the beefier physique with a bigger engine ought to make it a compelling proposition within the shrinking sporty compact sedan section.
Hopefully, the Koreans will discover a approach to maintain the six-speed handbook gearbox alive for an additional technology. Additionally on our wishlist is a pure ICE setup, skipping any type of hybridization that inevitably provides weight and complexity. Nonetheless, electrification is turning into a necessity to adjust to emissions laws.
