2022 Hyundai Elantra N – The Catfish Face Will Win You Over

Our brief time with the 2022 Hyundai Elantra N was enough to win us over. The large, aggressively designed Elantra N can whip through curves and look good doing it. The driving dynamics are highly engaging, with a six-speed manual shifter and a well-balanced loud exhaust, ensuring it isn’t overly loud or aggressively obnoxious. 

The racy feeling of the 2022 Hyundai Elantra N carries over into the vehicle’s cabin, with an edged-out dashboard design, sharply bolstered sports seats and the N badge, serving as a reminder that this isn’t your garden-variety Elantra. 

Sportiness aside, the 2022 Hyundai Elantra N is also meant to be comfortable, roomy and practical. A daily driver for a soccer mom, and by night, it can be dad’s track vehicle. 

What’s New in 2022? 

A lot has stayed the same in the 2022 model, except that it packs 75 more horses this time, making it faster. However, there are numerous tweaks under the hood, which only become apparent when driving the vehicle. You can also buy the N package with a manual or an automatic transmission. Though the manual transmission is a little more engaging and fun to drive, it isn’t great if you’re stuck mostly driving in the city, with bumper-to-bumper rush hour traffic. 

How Does It Drive 

The 2022 Hyundai Elantra N is all about having fun driving, and that’s only possible if the vehicle is fun to drive. The exhaust sounds feisty, and the car is, as we’ve said many times earlier, quick off the mark. Cornering is sharp, so zipping in and out of corners is easy. All of this is made possible with the ability of the vehicle to shift torque to the outside of the wheel. 

The dual-clutch system we had comes with the N Grin Shift, which delivers a quick 20-second boost. So, whether you drive on curvy roads or head to the local 711, the vehicle is fun to drive. 

The other great thing about the 2022 Hyundai Elantra N is that it solves one of the most significant downsides of the Veloster N, which is the low ride quality. This time around, the N feels more stable, and we suspect the longer wheelbase has something to do with it. However, the suspension is deliberately stiff, with those large rims and low-profile tires, to ensure that zippiness we all like. 

Driving is comfortable, for the most part, except if you decide to take it on dirt roads. That’s when the stiff suspension can lead you to experience some discomfort. But most people, we suspect, wouldn’t be straying too far away from their tarmac roads. 

Interior Design and Comfort 

The 2022 Hyundai Elantra N comes with a dramatically restyled cabin, which looks like a cockpit and feels like one too. This translates to a sportier ambience, with aggressively bolstered sports seats. The other good news is that head and leg room is generous, which is why you can easily drive with a couple of tall people in the back without stretching their leads every few miles. 

Also onboard is a 10.3-inch digital gauge display that shares its space with the infotainment display, slightly angled towards the driver. The infotainment system, as you’d imagine, supports both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. 

Final Word 

The 2022 Hyundai Elantra N is a worthy contender in this segment with no weak points. That’s why if you are in the market for a performance vehicle that’s comfortable to drive and affordable, the 2022 Hyundai Elantra N should be on your shortlist.