THE 2024 HYUNDAI ELANTRA N IS ANOTHER WICKED SEDAN WE'RE MISSING OUT ON.
The car-buying public here in SA is a fickle bunch, a vast majority being brand-blind and usually quite unaccepting of new things. A lot of this can oddly be attributed to politics, because when the world’s most popular automakers were on the rise only a handful of brands were sold in SA due to a combination of sanctions and the political climate. The brands that managed to stay were all the public really had access to and so your dad’s dad will swear blind that one of these brands is the best ever and nothing can compare. While that still carries water for the most part, newer and unfamiliar brands can offer up really good products. The families that have handed down the brand bias are the ones that control the market though, which means the rest of us willing to buy left-field cars are left with smaller choices because these automakers can’t take chances on spending bazillions to release a new model that directly competes with an old favourite because the sales will suck and money will be lost. Even though Hyundai isn’t really a new kid on the SA block when it comes to the more premium choices for the brand there’s a hard battle that needs to be fought. There are no problems in segments like compact hatchbacks because the cars on offer are really good with a high spec list that makes them very competitive in the market and so there are thousands of these around with refreshed models appearing often. It’s the premium/performance segments where the struggle remains. Take the i30 N, it’s a powerful turbocharged hatchback with an electronic non-slip differential and all the right numbers and features to make it a healthy competitor. It’s priced damn well, but buyers in this segment continue to pay more for similar-spec cars, or they’d rather spend the same money on a demo version of the usual suspects.
One car we’re missing out on thanks to the usual suspects like the Polo sedan and the Toyota Corolla is the Hyundai Elantra. When this new more angular 7th-generation shape was released overseas we immediately thought it would be a welcome addition to the market, but Hyundai SA announced the extraction of the Elantra nameplate from the market altogether in March of 2020. That sucked, because an N version was also released, and it’s just been updated for the markets the car is sold in. The 2024 Elantra has a front-wheel drive setup with a turbocharged 2.0-litre 4-cylinder doing duty that has a fun-inducing 206 kW and 392 Nm of torque available to exploit, and it can be had with a 6-speed manual or an 8-speed dual-clutch transmission. The sporty sedan can hit 100 km/h in 5.3 seconds and has a stock top speed of 250 km/h, with some rumours saying that this can be unlocked to take that up to 280 km/h. Revision to the 2024 car includes a reinforced engine mount membrane, reinforced G bushings for yaw response and steering precision, the rear suspension/ABS insulator changed from rubber to urethane, ECS hardware was improved for enhanced body control and the ECS software optimised, the steering gearbox yoke spec was changed to improve steering connection and precision and the software for the Motor Driven Power Steering was enhanced. Another cool change was to the wheels, just like Honda did with the Civic Type R, Hyundai gave the Elantra N new 19-inch wheels that wear a wide Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tyre in 245/35ZR19 which will definitely help in the handling stakes. Outside there’s a revision to the front grille and fascia, the side sills, the rear fascia and diffuser and the rear wing. Inside things are still sports-inspired with an N-branded sports steering wheel and shift knob, an update to the instrument cluster and infotainment systems and some tasty N lightweight race-style seats with an illuminated logo. Such a pity we don’t have this available in SA, but on the plus side we do have the i30 N and the Kona N and they’re both amazing cars.
Take a look at the YouTube video from the folk at Hyundai who put this little presentation together to show off the latest refresh on the Elantra N model, a turbocharged mid-size sedan with brilliant performance, a host of race-inspired features and great dynamic handling all wrapped up in one very tasty package. This is one of those cars that would do well here in SA if only the buying public could see past the usual brand choices. Maybe one day, until now we only get to drool over official media releases of the Hyundai Elantra N: Hyundai N | The New Elantra N - Performance Film | Hyundai N Worldwide
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