2025 Hyundai Elantra N Review, Pricing, and Specs (2024)

9.5/10

C/D RATING

MSRP

Overview

The Hyundai Elantra stands out from the often bland compact sedan class for its strong value proposition, spacious interior, and, dependent on your aesthetic tastes, unique styling. Those attributes alone are enough to make it attractive to a wide swath of shoppers, but if you're reading this, there's a good chance you're looking for something more: performance. Thankfully, the Elantra N (not to be confused with the supporting Elantra N Line, the sportiest version of the base standard Elantra) delivers just that, with up to 286 horsepower, a sport-tuned suspension, and a standard six-speed manual transmission (an automatic is available). Cosmetically, the Elantra N stands apart from the standard Elantra with a black grille, lower bumper, diffuser, and rear wing. Easily one of the more desirable drivers' choices in the class, it's not the only alternative. The turbocharged Mazda 3, Honda Civic Si, and VW Jetta GLI are also worthy of consideration, and for more generous budgets, the Civic Type R and Toyota GR Corolla could sway some over to the hot hatchback class.

What's New for 2025?

After a raft of upgrades and changes last year, the Elantra N returns unchanged for 2025.

Pricing and Which One to Buy

The N comes fully loaded with both attitude and equipment. Amongst the performance upgrades from standard Elantra's are a host of technology and safety features, leaving buyers with a handful of paint options to choose from and the choice of either a manual or automatic transmission. If it were us, we'd pick the stick.

Engine, Transmission, and Performance

The Hyundai Elantra N inherits its turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder from the Veloster N hatchback which was retired in 2022. That engine makes a stout 275-hp in the Veloster N, but thanks to an overboost feature the company calls N Grin Shift, the Elantra N boasts a 286-hp rating. That gives the Elantra N a big power advantage over the similarly priced Jetta GLI. An eight-speed automatic is available but we're happy to report a six-speed manual is standard. The Elantra N offers sharp throttle response, crisp handling, and a sonorous exhaust note. We also found that the Elantra N's longer wheelbase gives it a more compliant ride than the Veloster N, but it still delivers the surefootedness we look for in a sports sedan. In fact, the more time we spend with it, the more the Elantra N confirms its position as a top player in the spicy sport compact segment.

0-60-MPH Times

During our instrumented testing of an Elantra N with the eight-speed automatic, we observed sprints to 60 mph in 4.8 seconds and a 13.4-second quarter-mile run with a trap speed of 106 mph.

Fuel Economy and Real-World MPG

The EPA rates the Elantra N at 21 mpg city and 29 mpg highway for models equipped with a manual transmission, and 20 mpg city and 27 mpg highway for automatics. When we put it through our 75-mph highway fuel economy route, the Elantra N with the manual transmission did slightly better than its EPA highway estimate, notching a 32 mpg result; the automatic-equipped model we tested delivered an impressive 37 mpg. For more information about the Elantra N's fuel economy, visit the EPA's website.

Interior, Comfort, and Cargo

The regular Elantra's dramatically-styled cabin has a decidedly co*ckpit-like look and feel which translates perfectly to the racier Elantra N. The sportier-looking ambiance is enhanced by leather trimmed sport seats with aggressive bolsters, metal-accented pedals, and a smattering of N badges. Rear seat passenger space is more generous here than in the Veloster N and the trunk offers more space for cargo. A sunroof is available, but only if you get the automatic transmission.

Infotainment and Connectivity

The Elantra's all-digital dashboard carries over to the N model, with a large 10.3-inch digital gauge display sharing real estate with a 10.3-inch infotainment display that's angled slightly toward the driver. Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, in-dash navigation, and a Wi-Fi hotspot are all standard features.

Safety and Driver-Assistance Features

A host of driver-assistance technologies are on the menu as standard features, though curiously, adaptive cruise control is not. For more information about the Elantra N's crash-test results, visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) websites. Key safety features are likely to include:

• Standard automated emergency braking with pedestrian detection
• Standard lane-departure warning with lane-keeping assist
• Standard blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert

Warranty and Maintenance Coverage

The Elantra N offers Hyundai's now-legendary 10-year/100,000-mile warranty. The only other brand to offer such a warranty is Kia, but Hyundai's models come with three years of complimentary maintenance as an added perk.

• Limited warranty covers 5 years or 60,000 miles
• Powertrain warranty covers 10 years or 100,000 miles
• Complimentary maintenance is covered for 3 years or 36,000 miles

More Features and Specs