Hyundai Is Keeping the Affordable Sports Car Alive

Affordable sports coupes and sedans have dwindled to just a handful of offerings as buyer trends over the years have skewed towards SUVs and off-road capability. In the ‘90s and ‘00s, most automakers had a cheap sports car to offer you, something with a focus on driving, minimal frills, and strong support from the aftermarket community. Today, even once-affordable options like the Civic Type R are available only in limited numbers, with dealer markups and wildly inflated prices.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by TractionLife (@tractionlife)

Hyundai, however, continues to carry the torch for the affordable sport compact with the Elantra N and newly added N TCR, which takes inspiration from the brand’s TCR (Touring Car Racing) race car. The 6-speed manual Elantra N starts at $43,795 CAD in Canada and $35,300 USD in the U.S. In Canada, that makes it nearly $13,000 cheaper than the Civic Type R and roughly $10,000 less than the Toyota GR Corolla. In the U.S., the gap is still substantial: about $12,000 less than the Type R and $4,600 less than the GR Corolla.

Why Hyundai N Deserves to Be Taken Seriously

It’s easy to dismiss the Elantra as the newcomer, a challenger to long-established nameplates in the performance space, especially the Civic Type R, which in a way started this segment. But it would be foolish to do so because the Elantra N was developed on the Nürburgring, with innate knowledge from Hyundai Group President Albert Biermann, who was once the head of BMW’s M division.

“It also makes a great sound, something that’s lacking in the Civic.”

The “N” comes from the “Namyang” R&D centre in South Korea where all the company’s high-performance vehicles are developed. The letter “N” also represents the Nürburgring, where the cars are extensively tested to withstand high-performance driving.

Related – 2022 Hyundai Elantra N First Drive Review: A Devotion To Performance

The Elantra N Gets the Fundamentals Right

The Elantra N is powered by a 2-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder pumping out 276 hp and 289 lb-ft of torque, routed to the front wheels via a standard 6-speed manual or optional 8-speed dual-clutch automatic. It sounds brilliant too, with a standard active sports exhaust that makes all the right burbles and pops when timing a downshift just right.

The new TCR adds a massive swan-neck carbon-fibre wing, Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires wrapped around lightweight forged wheels, and bigger brakes for an even more track-friendly package.

Putting the Elantra N TCR to Work on Track

Getting track time in the Elantra N and N TCR at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park reveals the fruits of Hyundai’s efforts. I drove the 6-speed manual TCR version around the 2.9 km Driver Development Track probably a dozen times, and the car felt like it could have just kept going with minimal brake fade even after a full day of lapping.

The Elantra displays wonderful turn-in with minimal body roll, tactile steering feel and excellent stopping power with a firm pedal feel. Trail brake into a corner and it naturally wants to rotate which you can feel in the seat of your pants and it all happens progressively giving you lots of time to correct your mistakes.

Related – 2018 Hyundai Elantra GT Sport Hatchback Review

The Elantra N is a track tool, one that’s surprisingly neutral and wonderfully balanced at speed on a track which makes it great for an amateur (like me) to feel like a much better driver than they really are. It also makes a great sound, something that’s lacking in the Civic. As more automakers lock performance cars into ever higher price brackets, Hyundai is intent of reversing that trend and keeping fun cars affordable.

Specs: 2026 Elantra N vs. Elantra N TCR Edition