According to a recent report, the North American Elantra GT, which is essentially a rebadged Hyundai i30, won’t be getting the full N high-performance treatment. Instead, it will be offered in a slightly warmed-up N-Line guise.
When Hyundai rolled out its N performance brand the first car to wear the exclusive badge was the i30 N hot hatch, which sadly isn’t sold in North America. But according to a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration filing dug up by Jalopnik, a car known as the “Elantra GT N Line” can be seen in a Hyundai VIN decoding guide for the 2019 model year.
UPDATE: In an email to The Drive, a Hyundai spokesperson confirmed that an N-Line Elantra GT is indeed in the pipeline.
N-Line Hyundais feature sportier trimmings inside and out as well as hardware that’s slightly tuned for more spirited driving, but are ultimately a step below from the full-beans N. Think Audi’s S Line, BMW M Performance, or F Sport from Lexus.
According to the document, the new N-Line hatchback won’t get a new engine but it will utilize to the powerplants found in the regular Elantra GT: a naturally-aspirated 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine and a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder making 161 and 201 horsepower, respectively.
In Europe, Hyundai already sells the i30 in N-Line trim which includes more aggressive front and rear fascias, dual exhaust tips, bolstered seats, aluminum pedals, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, and of course, a good amount of N-Line badging throughout. Performance-wise, it receives bigger front brakes surrounded by a set of sticky Michelin Pilot Sport 4S rubber as well as a sportier tune for its engine and suspension.