As a lot as we love handbook transmissions, we additionally get pleasure from making fun-to-drive automobiles as accessible to as many individuals as attainable. We have already pushed—and adored—the Hyundai Elantra N with a six-speed handbook, and you will be happy to know that changing the stick to an eight-speed dual-clutch automated does nothing to mess with the automotive’s metric truckload of daily-driven-sports-sedan excellence.
Manuals are all the time at an obstacle towards quicker cog-swappers with regards to acceleration. At 4.8 seconds to 60 mph, the dual-clutch Elantra N bested its stick sibling by 0.3 second—Hyundai’s swinging for the fences, too, as a result of it is also one-tenth faster to 60 than the brand new Honda Civic Kind R. It additionally held its personal towards the Honda within the quarter-mile hustle, besting the Kind R by one-tenth (13.4 seconds vs. 13.5) and tying its 106-mph lure pace. Not dangerous for a turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four making 286 horsepower and 289 pound-feet of torque.
Gasoline financial system additionally advantages when the gears do not cease at six. At 37 mpg on our 75-mph freeway loop, the automatic-equipped Elantra N trounced the handbook Elantra’s 32-mpg outcome. Then once more, the Elantra is thrifty it doesn’t matter what; the six-speed variant beat out different manual-equipped performers such because the Civic Kind R (30 mpg) and the Subaru WRX (28 mpg), though the Subie is handicapped by its customary all-wheel drive. The one competitor the automated cannot high is the cheaper, much less highly effective Honda Civic Si, which managed 38 mpg in our fingers.
The Elantra N’s dual-clutch confers a weight penalty of 114 kilos, with our automated take a look at automotive weighing 3313 kilos on our scales versus the handbook’s 3199. That had a really gentle impact on its braking figures, with the automated stopping from 70 mph in 161 toes and from 100 mph in 324 toes—a bit longer than the handbook’s 156-foot and 318-foot stops, respectively. The twin-clutch model’s stopping energy is equally off from the Subaru WRX.
At 0.96 g on our skidpad, the Elantra N reveals loads of stick, however the sports-sedan joie de vivre extends past numbers on a web page. Lateral physique motions are saved nicely in examine, particularly in stiffer suspension settings, and the steering offers some first rate suggestions, even when its varied weights really feel wholly synthetic. Do not overdrive the factor and the digital limited-slip differential will effectively mete out energy to both entrance wheel; rely a bit an excessive amount of on the Michelin Pilot Sport 4S summer season tires, although, and it is a one-way journey to Understeer Metropolis. The twin-clutch does an excellent job hustling between gears as soon as underway, though it will possibly function with some clunks and shudders at rush-hour speeds.
Customization additionally helps make the Elantra N so fascinating; on the dual-clutch Elantra, a driver can swap between two to a few totally different settings every for the engine, steering, suspension, transmission, limited-slip differential, stability management, and exhaust notice—a whopping 1458 attainable permutations. Helpfully, you possibly can assign your private favorites to one of many N buttons on the steering wheel for fast entry.
These modes aren’t only for present, both; there are demonstrable variations in every setting. Throttle response varies from daily-driver gentle to a binary enter. You’ll be able to ratchet the steering’s weight so excessive that it counts as a health club membership. The suspension soaks up an excellent little bit of motion in Regular mode, but it surely’ll rattle your fillings out in Sport+. With the exhaust set to Sport+, even a lightweight raise of the proper pedal will generate a number of seconds of overrun so highly effective it could possibly be offered at Phantom Fireworks. However should you preserve all of it in Regular, the N feels fairly darn near some other Elantra on the market.
Heck, other than a number of N-specific touches, the Elantra’s inside is not far off from its pedestrian variant. There is a sprint of blue distinction stitching and a few cool illuminated badges within the seats, however in any other case, it is My Chemical Romance’s “Welcome to the Black Parade” within the cabin, which just like the tune is a bit boring when you develop out of your emo section. The shortage of USB-C ports in 2023 is a little bit of a bummer, as nicely, however not less than there is a wi-fi charger should you fancy not one, however two gradual methods to cost a cellphone. A pair of 10.3-inch shows cowl instrumentation and infotainment obligation, and each are simple to grasp.
The pendulum swings wildly between the Elantra N’s cabin and its exterior. With an already-large grille and extra blacked-out components on both aspect, this sprightly sedan appears to be like extra like a pissed-off remora than a household automotive. A bit little bit of pink trim across the backside of the physique shouts “Sporty!” simply in case the rear wing and honkin’ twin tailpipes do not give it away. However credit score the place it is due, Hyundai’s wild styling stands out from the competitors; Subaru has apparently given up evolving the WRX, we’re fairly certain German legislation dictates that each new GTI appears to be like by-product, and the Eleventh-gen Civic has gone conservative after the tenth gen’s seemingly mescaline-induced reverie.
At $35,515, the DCT Elantra N comes loaded with the whole lot talked about above—after which some. The Honda Civic Si is nearer to $30,000, but it surely lacks theatrics or any kind of customizability. The GTI SE, our most well-liked trim, is costlier and has much less energy, but it surely does have plaid material. The Subaru WRX is evenly priced, but it surely’s thirsty and it appears to be like the way in which it does. Thus, the Elantra N represents a fairly screaming deal contemplating the common value of a brand new automotive today. Furthermore, the Elantra N is genuinely enjoyable to drive throughout quite a lot of eventualities—even with a gearbox that shifts for itself.
Specs
Specs
2023 Hyundai Elantra N
Car Kind: front-engine, front-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door sedan
PRICE
Base/As Examined: $35,515/$35,515
Choices: none
ENGINE
turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 16-valve inline-4, aluminum block and head, direct gas injection
Displacement: 122 in3, 1998 cm3
Energy: 286 hp @ 6000 rpm
Torque: 289 lb-ft @ 2100 rpm
TRANSMISSION
8-speed dual-clutch automated
CHASSIS
Suspension, F/R: struts/multilink
Brakes, F/R: 14.2-in vented disc/12.4-in vented disc
Tires: Michelin Pilot Sport 4S
245/35ZR-19 (93Y) HN
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 107.1 in
Size: 184.1 in
Width: 71.9 in
Peak: 55.7 in
Passenger Quantity, F/R: 56/46 ft3
Trunk Quantity: 14 ft3
Curb Weight: 3313 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 4.8 sec
100 mph: 11.7 sec
1/4-Mile: 13.4 sec @ 106 mph
130 mph: 22.1 sec
Outcomes above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.3 sec.
Rolling Begin, 5–60 mph: 5.4 sec
Prime Gear, 30–50 mph: 3.1 sec
Prime Gear, 50–70 mph: 3.8 sec
Prime Velocity (C/D est): 155 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 161 ft
Braking, 100–0 mph: 324 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 0.96 g
C/D FUEL ECONOMY
Noticed: 21 mpg
75-mph Freeway Driving: 37 mpg
75-mph Freeway Vary: 450 mi
EPA FUEL ECONOMY
Mixed/Metropolis/Freeway: 23/20/30 mpg
C/D TESTING EXPLAINED
Senior Editor
Automobiles are Andrew Krok’s jam, together with boysenberry. After graduating with a level in English from the College of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2009, Andrew reduce his enamel writing freelance journal options, and now he has a decade of full-time assessment expertise below his belt. A Chicagoan by start, he has been a Detroit resident since 2015. Possibly at some point he’ll do one thing about that half-finished engineering diploma.
