After a lengthy gestation period, the 2022 Hyundai Elantra N finally made its North American debut. The new Elantra N is the first N sedan from Hyundai, and it?s also the first Elantra to wear the N badge. The Elantra N is also dipping in shark-infested waters dominated by the legendary Honda Civic Type R and Volkswagen Golf R.

Hyundai is a relative newcomer in this particular automotive segment, as the brand is best known for offering value-packed cars with lengthy warranties. However, Hyundai wants the N brand to reach the upper echelons of the performance realm. Hyundai?s first sports car was a good one (if anybody still remembers the Genesis Coupe"), while its first N car, the i30 N, was not a bad car either.

Setting The Stage
Hyundai?s N car started making waves in America with the Veloster N in 2019, the first N vehicle sold in the United States. And by 2020, the Veloster N gained a new eight-speed wet dual-clutch gearbox, a car that my colleague Tony Borroz refers to as a ?corner rascal.? But as the eight-gen Hyundai Elantra debuted in 2020, rumors were swirling of a high-performance Elantra N in the pipeline.

Hyundai also has the Elantra N Line, a higher-performance version of a standard Elantra sedan equipped with a 201-horsepower, 1.6-liter turbo four-cylinder engine. However, Elantra N is the crème of the crop. ?Elantra N is our purest expression of our mission to date,? said Till Wartenberg, Vice President and Head of the N Brand Management &a...