The sprightly and engaging Hyundai Elantra N may be eligible for an engine upgrade in its next incarnation.
Albert Biermann may have retired from running the brand’s performance division. But he’s still serving as Hyundai’s senior technical advisor, continues to influence the brand’s designs and claims the next-generation Elantra will accommodate something larger than the 2.0-liter turbo that’s currently fitted to the N model.
“Before I left Namyang, I made sure the Elantra can go on with the 2.5 turbo. It fits in there and everything. Australia is safe, the U.S. is safe, but someone needs to make a decision, right? And markets other than Australia, forget them,” he told CarExpert in a recent interview. “They’re all dreaming of the EV cloud, EV heaven, they don’t care for combustion cars.”
Biermann believes the 2.5-liter turbo could be tuned to comply with emissions regulations in countries that still offer some amount of flexibility. But Hyundai would probably need to figure something else out for markets with incredibly stringent regulations. While this could mean select markets receive more than one version of the performance-focused Elantra/i30, it could also result in any hypothetical 2.5-liter variant getting canceled due to logistical concerns.
The current Elantra N uses a turbocharged 2.0-liter gasoline engine producing 276 horsepower and 289 pound-feet of torque. Meanwhile, the 2.5-liter can be found on models like the Sonata N Line and Kia K5 GT pushing out 290 hp and 311 pounds of torque. It’s a lot for both cars to manage, resulting in the front axle putting on a rather dramatic smoke show at the driver’s behest. Though they’re more commuter-friendly cruisers with the ability to produce explosive straight-line speed whenever traction allows, whereas the Elantra N clearly has track-day aspirations they both lack.
Despite being a front-drive-loving degenerate, your author hasn’t had any seat time in the current Honda Civic Type R. But I have driven the Hyundai Elantra N and it’s difficult to imagine the Honda being better when you’re just out there trying to have a good time. The Korean car snorts, burbles, and seems targeted at a younger audience that’s more prone toward automotive hooliganism and less concerned with driving something a little less refined.
Everyone I know who has driven both tells me the Civic is still the better all-around car and I’m inclined to believe them. It’s also a little faster. But perhaps Hyundai can shift the scales in its favor by offering a little more power, even if it’s already nearing the threshold of what’s advisable for a front-drive vehicle. Tuners won’t care about from-the-factory traction and will just be pleased to see displacement increase by way of a familiar powertrain.
It’s also worth considering that the Type R starts roughly $10,000 higher than the sporting Elantra, despite having similar performance benchmarks. Hyundai making the N quicker than the Civic in a straight line without developing a car that ultimately costs more will absolutely put the vehicle back on a few people’s radar. Though I would argue it probably should have been there to begin with.
Sadly, none of the above is a sure thing. While Biermann gives us hope by stating that the next Elantra has room for larger powertrains, he also takes it away by suggesting there’s a chance Hyundai could dump the N if its successor engine ends up producing less oomph than the current model due to tightening emissions regulations. There are also questions about cooling that apparently need to be addressed due to Hyundai wanting all N-badged vehicles (N Line is different) to be prepped for track use from the factory.
“I think within this year there will be a decision if we continue next-generation Elantra with an N or not, technically it’s possible,” he said. “With a 2.5-litre turbo with the stricter emission regulations, I think we can still have some good level of power, maybe [the] same level like today, but that engine first needs the N treatment.”
[Image: Hyundai]
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