There comes a point in every petrol head’s life when they’re considering purchasing that one model which will signify to the world that they’re indeed a person who enjoys driving. However, true performance cars are few here in the Philippines, and the prices have breached what would be considered palatable for most people nowadays.
Let’s say you’re in the market for a performance car, but you’re also a responsible spender, not one to just splurge for no reason; it needs to make sense to you. You’re in need of something that you don’t need to justify to everyone, something that might actually make you look “shrewd.”
Enter the Hyundai Elantra N, not a brand-new car by any standards, often overlooked and forgotten in the realm of performance. I’ve just spent a week with it, and I think in today’s world, the Hyundai Elantra N is suddenly a frontrunner as the “smart money” choice in the segment. Let me explain.
Firstly, this is not a review; my editor, Uly, has already done his expert analysis on the Elantra N. What I’ve done is more of a real-world review: how does it perform as a commuter car? It sounds pointless to some, but the reality is that no matter what car you buy, there will be instances where you will be driving it normally.
In terms of form factor, the Elantra N already ticks an essential box in favor of practicality; it is a sport compact sedan that is bigger than its own classification. Against the outgoing Civic Type R, the Elantra N is longer and taller, and since the GR Corolla is a hatchback, it is compromised in terms of cargo space. Comparably, the Elantra N is only bested by the WRX Wagon in terms of space.
I was able to play around with the cargo capacity by fitting my newer and bigger golf bag, as well as a smaller luggage in the trunk with ease. Its only compromise comes in the form of the red stiffening brace at the rear, which blocks the pass-through capability, but if you don’t want to ruin the leather seats at the rear, you can fold down the backrest and place items on top.
Interior space is also plenty. In my driving position, my taller 6-footer brother was comfortable sitting behind me, and for the purposes of this week’s test, I borrowed my godson, and it being a modern car made installing a baby’s car seat easy. Not to mention the space in the back for the large stroller and many duffel bags that are needed to keep the baby happy. When it comes to space, it really isn’t compromised on a daily basis.
When it comes to creature comforts, it has more than you’d think. It has a sunroof, an automatically adjustable driver’s seat, cooled and heated driver and front passenger seats, wireless charging, and Apple CarPlay as well as Android Auto.
Next is drivability; the Elantra N is a front-wheel-driven car and is powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged engine, making 276 horsepower and 391 Nm of torque. The transmission is an 8-speed wet dual-clutch (there’s also a 6-speed manual for purists). Before we talk about its speed, let’s talk about its city behavior. The Elantra N has multiple drive modes: Eco, Normal, and Sport are the standard options, but there is also N mode, where you can customize the car to your liking.
N Mode has two customizable profiles, where you can set the engine, suspension, steering, e-LSD, electronic stability control, and the exhaust system. In the city, I chose to keep it normal for all the settings, and the truth is, it works. I appreciate how Hyundai is using technology to enhance the drivability of the Elantra N. It gives you the power to tweak the car to how you want it to behave, depending on your mood, but it’s also able to do the thinking for you. Furthermore, ergonomics wasn’t thrown out; there are two “N” buttons found on the steering wheel, the left toggles between Hyundai’s definition of Eco, Normal, and Sport, and the right one enables your customized N mode.
Here, the Elantra N feels okay. I’m not going to say it’s extremely comfortable; it is stiff even in normal suspension settings, this is after all a sports sedan, but it is by no means back-breaking. The ride height is also more than enough to not scrape the road or the taller speed bumps. Driven normally, the DCT is also smoother than I expected. On the go, it felt like a normal automatic, only when you’re driving slower does it show the DCT-ness, sometimes rolling back a little before going forward, but nothing shocking.
To really test out the car, I took the Elantra out of town for a day trip to visit the Lady of Manaoag Shrine in Pangasinan. This pilgrimage took 427 kilometers, and a total drive time of 6 hours, in mixed conditions, and it registered a respectable 14.6 km/L. That includes spirited overtakes and driving on provincial roads, plus the standstill traffic getting in and out of the city. I would say that the reason I was able to drive it economically was down to how well-tuned the engine and transmission are. To maintain 100 km/h, the engine was revving only at 1,500 rpm. Pure city driving was respectable, in heavy traffic it would do 5.5 km/L, nothing spectacular but not so bad considering.
Taking it out on the highway was also a no-brainer for me because Hyundai still prioritizes safety. It comes with features like forward collision assist, lane-keeping, blind spot monitoring, and rear-cross traffic alert. Not to mention it has 6 airbags and larger brakes for better stopping power.
Here is where the Elantra N really makes its case: value for money. When it comes to performance, brands will normally cap the minimum fuel octane rating required. In Hyundai’s case, they allow the Elantra N to run on 91 octane, which here in the Philippines is (typically) our lowest-rated unleaded fuel. Of course, running it on higher octane breeds better engine power output, but crucially, in a pinch, using regular fuel won’t damage the car.
Last but not least is the price; the Hyundai Elantra N starts at P 2,638,000 for the manual, and P 2,738,000 for the 8-speed DCT. For context, it is P 1.2 million cheaper than a GR Corolla, P 673,000 less than a GR Yaris, and P 760,000 less than the new Honda Prelude. The only car that comes close to its pricing is the Subaru WRX, even then, it is P 142,000 more affordable than both the WRX sedan and wagon.
I honestly don’t understand why the price gaps are that massive. The Elantra N is not a normal car dressed up with go-fast goodies; it is the real deal, developed and built to be a real sports sedan that can keep up and even best the above-mentioned competition. Yet, Hyundai has managed to make it usable on a daily basis, should you really want to, something your wife won’t mind (mine didn’t), but at the same time will satisfy your cravings for going fast without necessarily breaking the bank.
Words and Photos by Pablo Salapantan
Should be "thinking boy".
ReplyDeletePrice gap is massive compared to japanese because:
ReplyDelete1. It's a hyundai
2. Refer to no. 1
The only way u can enjoy this car to its potential is to bring it on track. Hiway runs are futile coz of the speed limits and speed traps. Nonetheless this car is often compared to the civic type R and the golf R in other countries. Considering its price its a bargain for a toy.
ReplyDelete