Hyundai’s just-revealed new Elantra sedan is a big departure from any sedan the company has designed before. But the massive flared fenders of the car that was on display in South Korea last week could get even wilder when Hyundai’s N department gets its hands on it. The company has confirmed that there is a new Elantra N coming, and now the company’s Executive VP and head of design is already dropping hints about the new car.
Elantra N Is Hitting The Gym As We Speak
New Hyundai Elantra (Shown As Avante Korean Model)Hyundai
Executive Vice President & Head of Hyundai & Genesis Global Design Sang Yup Lee is excited for the new Elantra, revealed last week and sold in its home market as the Avante. But he is even more excited for the high-performance version of the car, because he couldn’t even wait until the end of the reveal for the standard one to start talking about it.
Base Trim Engine
2L I4 ICE
Base Trim Transmission
6-speed manual
Base Trim Drivetrain
Front-Wheel Drive
Base Trim Horsepower
276 HP @5500 RPM
Base Trim Torque
289 lb.-ft. @ 2100 RPM
Base Trim Fuel Economy (city/highway/combined)
21/29/24 MPG
Infotainment & Features
8 /10
Our Korean is a bit rusty, so we’re relying on a translation from CarSceneKorea on Instagram. “Even at this very moment, we’re preparing the sportiest Elantra yet. Making the wide fenders even wider. Making the sporty feel even sportier. I’ve been counting down the days just as eagerly as all of you. With that, I’ll wrap up today’s design reveal,” Lee said, via the post.
Hyundai’s current Elantra N was one of the first N designs, and so it’s more conservative than it might be. The bumpers are new, but the fenders are not, so it’s the same 71.9 inches wide as the standard car.
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That might be why its tires are only 10 mm wider than the tires on the N Line, and 20 mm wider than the SEL. This could give it way more room for activities.
New Hyundai Elantra (Shown As Avante Korean Model)Hyundai
Even before any changes, the new Elantra’s arches are 1.2 inches wider than the old car’s. We’re not sure what exactly the company has planned for the next one, but it could be something along the lines of the best box-flared cars of the 1980s. Think original BMW M3, or a Lancia Delta Integrale.
We also know that Hyundai is planning a new N car engine. In last week’s art film-style teaser for the new engine, Hyundai talked about why it took the engine racing and how that helped get it ready for the road.
The current Elantra N uses a 2.0-liter turbo-four that makes 276 horsepower and 289 pound-feet of torque. The new engine could be based on the 2.5T in the Hyundai Sonata, which makes 290 hp and 311 lb-ft before the N department event gets near it. Of course it could be an entirely new engine, because Hyundai has shown lately that it doesn’t mind making new engines for fun new projects.
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If it makes much extra torque, it could be a problem for the availability of the six-speed manual transmission. That’s one of the best parts of the current N, but torque is a limiting factor for many other existing manual cars including the BMW M3.
CarBuzz Insight – Why This Matters:
2026 Hyundai Elantra N TCRHyundai
For fans of the Elantra N, a wider and more aggressive car could actually be a negative. Yes, it allows for wider tires and it will probably look great, but look to its competitors from Honda and Volkswagen for why.
Honda’s Civic Si and the Volkswagen Golf GTI and Jetta GLI use the same fenders as the standard models. Because neither company builds new fenders for the low-volume cars, it helps keep prices down.
If Hyundai goes bigger, it will have to find somewhere to make up the costs. That could be the price, pushing it to be more expensive. If it makes more than 300 hp, it might already be chasing the Honda Civic Type R, and could end up with a significantly higher price. A current Elantra N is around $35,000. A Civic Type R starts closer to $48,000.
