One of our favorite front-wheel-drive cars on the market right now isn't going away any time soon.
James LipmanThe Hyundai Elantra N is the real deal. It’s easily one of the best affordable performance cars on the market right now, delivering more fun for less money than many of its competitors. Weird clutch pedal action aside, it’s the perfect choice for those who want a good balance between driving enjoyment and practicality. It seems the suits at Hyundai agree, because the Elantra N will be returning for a second generation.
Australian publication CarExpert, speaking with Hyundai executive technical advisor Albert Biermann, confirmed much of the company’s long-term plans for its N performance sub-brand going forward, both in Australia and abroad. The conversation included this bit about the Elantra N, marketed as the i30 N sedan in Australia:
“The i30 N is quite safe, at least the sedan version, so we will see the next-generation car with a new petrol engine, as it’s already in our long-range plans,” Biermann told CarExpert.
Biermann did not specify which regions would get the next-generation Elantra N or when it would appear. It makes sense the U.S. would be on the receiving end of such a product, though, seeing as how the current car is sold here and North America is by far Hyundai’s biggest market.
Other markets with tightening emissions regulations, such as Europe, won’t be as lucky as us, though.
“…other markets like Europe are dreaming and there’s a good chance there will be no further combustion engine N cars in some markets with Euro 7 regulations looming,” Biermann told CarExpert.
That doesn’t spell the end for the N sub-brand, however, as it plans to release its first fully electric vehicle, the Ioniq 5 N, in 2023. And according to Biermann, the i30 N, one of the brand’s most popular models, could go EV as well.
“If we’re talking EVs, then we could very well see an all-electric i30 N in a hatch body with our B- and C-segment plans, but it might take some time to get there, to get it right,” he said. “So there is definitely a future for an i30 N hatch, as an EV in my view.”
Brian Silvestro Road & Track staff writer with a taste for high-mileage, rusted-out projects and amateur endurance racing.
Keyword: The Hyundai Elantra N Will Live to See Another Generation