Hyundai Elantra N Officially Teased For The First Time

As of this posting on September 28, it's been just over 12 hours since Hyundai revealed its latest racing machine, the Elantra N TCR. We know a road-version is in the works; we've seen spy photos of an Elantra with big dual exhaust outlets and a prominent spoiler. However, this is the first official nod from Hyundai that a full-tilt, street-legal Elantra N is on-deck.

As is often the case with teasers, we're given just a brief glimpse. It comes at the end of the video showcasing the new TCR race car, done up in a proper post-credit scene as you'd find in the latest Marvel movie. The garage door shuts on the TCR and you think all is done, but just before you click next on the video the garage appears again. This time, the door opens not to the TCR, but a camo-wrapped Elantra N that drives out and away. Naturally, the camera goes out of focus as it leaves, but hey, it's something.

Our spy photos give us a much clearer look at the sports sedan. We don't expect the car to be significantly different from the Elantra N Line, though the TCR's grille is neither as wide nor as toothy as the production car. We can see the production N at least has a toothy face, but it will be interesting to see if the corners of the grille take a similar appearance to the TCR. At the very least, we think the corner intakes in the lower fascia will differ from the N Line.

Things will obviously be different at the rear, as the spy photos reveal sizable dual exhaust outlets at each corner with a prominent fixed spoiler on the decklid. It's all to help deal with as much as 275 horsepower (205 kilowatts), which doesn't sound like much these days but in something as small as the Elantra, it should make for a lively machine. Power is expected to go to the front wheels through either a six-speed manual or an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic.

With the race car revealed and an official teaser for the road car now in the books, we could see the production Elantra N revealed before the end of the year. We haven't heard any specific dates, however, so it may also appear next year as a 2022 model.