Hyundai Motor unveils Avante N, instills motorsports spirit in daily driving

Hyundai Motor unveiled its high-performance Avante N on Wednesday, expanding its N product lineup to present how the motorsports experience can be enjoyed in daily driving.

The Avante N has been redesigned from the entry-level sedan Avante, released in April 2020, to a sports car that can be used in daily commutes and travels.

Introduced under the name Elantra N for the global market, the new vehicle made its debut on the global stage in a YouTube video uploaded Wednesday morning, showing off its powerful performance on a speed circuit.

For the car, Hyundai Motor used the turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, and an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission, to raise its performance to up to 280 horsepower and a maximum torque of 40 kilogram-meter.

In the strongest performance so far from the N brand, the Avante variant only takes 5.3 seconds to accelerate from zero to 100 kilometers per hour, the automaker said. For motor enthusiasts, Hyundai Motor also introduced the N Grin Shift to add an extra boost of 10 horsepower for a short sprint. 

Inspired by the World Rally Car, the Avante N has been equipped with integrated drive axle for the first time for the N brand. For stability and firmness when driving the car with speed, it is supplied with a second-generation electronically controlled suspension, the automaker said.

For the performance-driven sedan, Hyundai introduces a special infotainment system that applies the N brand graphic interface. On the digital cluster, information that is usually provided in passenger cars, such as the temperatures of the cooling water and pressure levels are also provided.

Fun features, such as a lap timer and data tracker that records the driving patterns on a speed circuit, named N Track Map, are also added to enhance the driving experience, the automaker added.

The price for the new Avante N starts from 32.1 million won ($27,920) for the MT performance model and 34 million won for the DCT model.

In celebration of the launch, the Avante N, Kona N and Tucson N Line will be on display at a showroom -- dubbed N City Seoul -- in Seongsu, eastern Seoul, from July 21 to Aug. 3.

By Jo He-rim (herim@heraldcorp.com)