correction 12/5/21: this story has been updated to correctly state the elantra n's base price.
- hyundai's 276-hp elantra n wears a base price of $32,925.
- a six-speed manual transmission comes standard.
- opting for the dual-clutch automatic transmission adds $1500 to the sticker.
move over hyundai veloster n, because there’s a new entry-level n-badged hyundai in town: the 2022 elantra n. with a starting sum of $32,925, the elantra n undercuts the base price of its smaller stablemate by $600. add another $1500 to the high-performance sedan's sticker if you want to swap out the standard six-speed manual transmission for the brand’s eight-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox.
regardless of transmission, all elantra ns rely on a turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four that produces 276 horsepower and 289 pound-feet of torque. both figures top those of the veloster n, which makes do with 275 horses and 260 pound-feet of torque. if you opt for the elantra n's two-pedal gearbox, hyundai includes its so-called n grin shift feature that—when activated—allows the compact sedan’s four-pot to produce 286 hp for up to 20 seconds.
predictably, the elantra n’s larger shadow—at 184.1 inches long, it's 16.2 inches bigger than the veloster n—nets it a slightly heavier curb weight. at 3106 pounds, the stick shift elantra n carries 80 extra pounds of mass relative to the three-pedal veloster n (the difference is only 49 pounds with the dual-clutch transmission).
even with its slight weight penalty, we predict the elantra n will nearly match the acceleration figures of the veloster n. the most recent veloster we tested was a dual-clutch model that hit 60 mph in 4.8 seconds and crossed the quarter-mile in 13.4 seconds with a trap speed of 105 mph. the veloster, of course, will always have its fans for its lighter weight and more shapely styling.
look for the elantra n to hit hyundai dealers by the end of the year.