Photo: Hyundai Motor Group
At long last, we are about to receive the no longer-catfished, updated 2024 Hyundai Elantra in spicy Elantra N sedan guise. However, beware of the price increase - it's quite stingy.
Hyundai revealed the facelifted Avante – known as Elantra or i30 Sedan outside of South Korea – almost a year ago at home. The feisty Elantra N with the same range of styling upgrades followed in April 2023 before the company introduced the North American-specific Elantra in August alongside the 2024 Hyundai Sonata. Later on, we received the first visit of the 2024 Elantra N in November during the 2023 Los Angeles Auto Show.
The improved model promised it would reach nationwide dealerships in early 2024 with fine-tuned performance: "sharper handling, enhanced safety, and improved comfort to deliver an emotionally engaging driving experience based on the three pillars of N-vehicle development — Corner Rascal, Racetrack Capability and Everyday Sportscar." Among other things, it had a redesigned front fascia and grille, new dual-projector LED headlamps, fresh 19-inch forged alloy wheels with Michelin Pilot Sport 4S summer tires, and a modified rear bumper and diffuser.
The move to new wheels has also brought a particular benefit – Elantra N saves 33 pounds of unsprung mass, and the new tires will probably count a lot when the sporty Hyundai sedan faces off against the competition during canyon carving reviews or at the local quarter-mile dragstrip. There was only one factor in the equation that was unknown – pricing. Luckily, Hyundai has quietly updated the Elantra N specifications with the dealer price sheet, and now we know the damage to the customer's bank account.
So, the 2023 Elantra N, without any of the improvements, starts from $32,900 without destination and other fees, while the 2024 model year kicks off at $33,700 with the six-speed manual transmission. Meanwhile, the N 8-Speed Wet Dual Clutch transmission comes at a premium, and the 2024 Elantra N has an MSRP of $35,200. Add the $1,150 for the destination, and that morphs to $34,850. That's a bit more than the outgoing model, but it's also quite a bit above the pricing of several competitors.
For example, the highly competitive niche of affordable performance models includes the 2024 Honda Civic Si starting at $29,100 (all MSRPs exclude destination), the Volkswagen Golf GTI at $31,965, or Subaru WRX at $32,735, which are all below the Elantra N's quotation. In fact, Volkswagen still has the older Jetta GLI listed for $28,085, making it the cheapest performance compact sedan. The only models that cost more than Hyundai's four-door are the 2024 Toyota GR Corolla at $36,500 and the more powerful Honda Civic Type R, going for at least $44,795.
So, knowing all that, if you're in the market for a performance-savvy but still accessible sporty model, which one would you choose and why?
The improved model promised it would reach nationwide dealerships in early 2024 with fine-tuned performance: "sharper handling, enhanced safety, and improved comfort to deliver an emotionally engaging driving experience based on the three pillars of N-vehicle development — Corner Rascal, Racetrack Capability and Everyday Sportscar." Among other things, it had a redesigned front fascia and grille, new dual-projector LED headlamps, fresh 19-inch forged alloy wheels with Michelin Pilot Sport 4S summer tires, and a modified rear bumper and diffuser.
The move to new wheels has also brought a particular benefit – Elantra N saves 33 pounds of unsprung mass, and the new tires will probably count a lot when the sporty Hyundai sedan faces off against the competition during canyon carving reviews or at the local quarter-mile dragstrip. There was only one factor in the equation that was unknown – pricing. Luckily, Hyundai has quietly updated the Elantra N specifications with the dealer price sheet, and now we know the damage to the customer's bank account.
So, the 2023 Elantra N, without any of the improvements, starts from $32,900 without destination and other fees, while the 2024 model year kicks off at $33,700 with the six-speed manual transmission. Meanwhile, the N 8-Speed Wet Dual Clutch transmission comes at a premium, and the 2024 Elantra N has an MSRP of $35,200. Add the $1,150 for the destination, and that morphs to $34,850. That's a bit more than the outgoing model, but it's also quite a bit above the pricing of several competitors.
For example, the highly competitive niche of affordable performance models includes the 2024 Honda Civic Si starting at $29,100 (all MSRPs exclude destination), the Volkswagen Golf GTI at $31,965, or Subaru WRX at $32,735, which are all below the Elantra N's quotation. In fact, Volkswagen still has the older Jetta GLI listed for $28,085, making it the cheapest performance compact sedan. The only models that cost more than Hyundai's four-door are the 2024 Toyota GR Corolla at $36,500 and the more powerful Honda Civic Type R, going for at least $44,795.
So, knowing all that, if you're in the market for a performance-savvy but still accessible sporty model, which one would you choose and why?
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