Hyundai Avante/Elantra N

When Hyundai launched the Avante/Elantra CN7 last year, it tries to stand out from the endangered midsize sedan population because of its tech, dynamics, and design despite the IVT gearbox that makes it behave like a Japanese car for no reason. That's the normal one, of course, and because Hyundai deserved more with the new model, it's about time to create an Avante like no other; the first-ever Avante N.

2022 Hyundai Avante N

2022 Hyundai Avante N interior

Priced at 32,120,000 Korean Won plus additional costs, the first-ever Hyundai Avante N can be rudely called a road-legal TCR because it really is a road-legal touring car fit for the road and track.

Although the exterior is nearly identical to the normal Avante, the N features numerous aerodynamic upgrades to differentiate it from the normal one such as an exclusive N bumper, N radiator grille, red accents on the side view, 19-inch wheels wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires built specifically for this car, dual single-tip muffler, and a rear wing. A rear wing! It's hard to find a sedan donning such a novelty item these days and with the Avante N, it's all show and tells for the speedo boys behind the wheel.

The same goes for the interior; the Avante N features N-exclusive sport bucket seats on the front, ambient mood lighting on the dashboard, BOSE Premium Sound System, Alcantara suede door center trim, blue accents on the gear lever, and some additional features on the speedo and sat-nav to make it more at home on the track. While the additional features made the Avante N more enjoyable for the speedo boy to toy around, it still snugs like a normal Avante and it's a civilized sedan with not-so-civilized behavior.

Like the Veloster N, the Avante N is powered by a 2.0L Turbo GDi engine that produces 280PS of power and is mated with the 8-speed wet-type DCT but with the N Grin Shift on, you'll get additional 10PS of power, making it capable of going from 0-100kph in 5.3 seconds and a top speed of 250kph, making the Avante N the fastest in its class, although no one dared to make a high-performance compact sedan like Hyundai's. In fact, the Avante N feels like it's unrivaled.

Of course, if you need serious stuff, there's a 6-speed manual variant for that because speedo boys love a good manual gearbox for the fun of it.

By calling the Avante N the road-legal version of its TCR machine, it has been festooned with numerous dynamic upgrades underneath such as the N Corner Carving Differential, integrated drive axle, electronically controlled suspension, R-MPDS, rear stiff bar, and large capacity high-performance brakes, making it more capable to handle all corners of the world. It's a great car while taking a nice track day at Yeongam or Inje Speedium but if you're in the middle of Gyeonggi-do, rest assured that its Nurburgring-honed dynamics will batter your eyelashes, almost.

Of course, while the Avante N had its fun on the track, it comes with SmartSense safety features that will make drivers heavily noticed such as FCA with Pedestrian Detection, LKA, LFA, HBA, DAW, as well as the available BCA, SCC, HDA, SEW, and PCA. That's the reality check, speedo boys.

At long last, the Avante speedo boys wanted to have has arrived as the Avante N delivers performance akin to its TCR equivalent, making it the road-legal touring car worth driving from the corners of Yeongam to the streets of Gyeonggi-do. Although not civilized for daily use, its use for track day is what the Avante N is made for.

Available colors: Performance Blue, Polar White, Fluid Gray Metallic, Amazon Gray Metallic, Electric Gray, Fiery Red Pearl, Phantom Black Pearl, Cyber Gray Metallic, and Intense Blue Pearl.

Photo: Hyundai Motor Company

Hyundai Kona N

It's been three years since Hyundai brought us their first and only N car available in South Korea, the Veloster N, and now, the N family's slightly expanded with the addition of the first-ever N crossover based on the recently facelifted Kona compact crossover. An N SUV sounds like a stupid idea because we all live in today's motoring world where SUVs are superheroes but the first-ever Kona N gets a shot of life by showing its newly found superpowers for the greater good on the road and track.

2022 Hyundai Kona N

2022 Hyundai Kona N interior

Starting at 34.18 million Korean won plus additional costs, the first-ever Kona N transformed the ordinary nimble Kona crossover into a superhero. A superhero that is ready, willing, and able to show its quirk on the road and track with its hot-hatch-like handling and performance.

Based on the recently facelifted Kona compact crossover, the N features signature red accents, large air openings on the front end, a lowered center of gravity, a double-wing roof spoiler, and other exterior upgrades to differentiate it from the normal Kona as well as its lesser N Line variant. With such upgrades, the Kona N now has a striking image of a hot hatch, making first-timers' skins crawl, hoping they want a piece of that action.

It's the same story on the interior as well because the Kona N is packed with additional features that will make speedo boys hooked for more such as the N steering wheel with two customizable buttons, a proper handbrake in case you want to ruin this ride doing backseat twist, Performance Blue accents, and some added functions on the speedo and sat-nav to check your progress on the track. Despite the additional performance-oriented goods, it still fits like a normal Kona and it's loaded with tech as well.

Under the hood, the Kona N is powered by the same 2.0L 280PS Turbo GDi engine and the 8-speed wet-type N DCT gearbox as the Veloster N. It does 0-100kph in 5.5 seconds with a Launch Control set and a top speed of 240kph. Apart from that, it comes with numerous high-performance functions that will get speedo boys hooked for more such as the N Power Shift, N Grin Shift, and the clever of the three, the N Track Sense Shift that optimizes adaptive shift for racetrack driving. It's like that signature Gran Turismo feature where it tells you the recommended gear shift while going through the corner. Long story short but you get the idea.

Anyway, there's a weird saying that the "Nurburgring ruins cars" or "when a car's built on the track, it won't be as good on the road at all". Yes, speedo boys got that memo and the Kona N may be fit for that scenario because of the fact that all N cars are developed and engineered at the Nurburgring. The addition of the Pirelli P-Zero tires, R-MDPS, ECS, TCS, N Corner Carving Differential, and N Power Sense Axle really made a difference to this front-wheel-drive hot crossover in terms of handling but as a daily driver's car, despite the list of SmartSense active safety features festooned into it, there's one major caution with this ride though; it's going to be as tense as seeing your Grandma watching disaster flicks for the thrill of it. Yes, it's front-wheel-drive only and the only good thing this hot Kona does is behave like a 2X Spicy Noodle mukbang.

The Kona N joins the long list of high-performance SUVs available in the market because, in today's motoring world, SUVs are like superheroes. You get the point but because of its hot-hatch-like dynamics and performance, this mild but menacing Kona is worth salivating for if you are prepared to spend your hard-earned cash on this. While it's not as good as the Veloster N, the Kona N is the super crossover hero you wish to have.

Available colors: Cyber Gray Metallic, Dark Night Gray Pearl, Ignite Red, Atlas White, Performance Blue, Phantom Black Pearl, Sonic Blue, and Gravity Gold Matte.

Photo: Hyundai Motor Company

Hyundai Veloster N

When Hyundai gave the Veloster a second chance with a new look and attitude, it can be somewhat perplexing but noticeable, the dynamics are not what you called an improvement because despite the added Torque Vectoring Control that results to a much better dynamics, getting it round the corner is like opening a tightly-sealed jar but it is something they will fall in love with even though the new model is heading to the wrong direction. Proving that the regular Veloster wasn't enough to tickle their fancies, at long last, South Korea finally made their own hot hatch by injecting the Veloster some 2x spicy hot noodles and the end result; welcome to the Veloster N.

2019 Hyundai Veloster N

2019 Hyundai Veloster N interior

Before we talk about the Veloster N, let's get to know more about the N word. Born in Namyang, Honed at Nurburgring, that's what N is made for and by drawing numerous experiences in the World Rally Championship, the Nurburgring 24 Hours, and the World Touring Car Cup, they inject most of their motorsport philosophies to their road cars and at long last, after moments of lamenting, Hyundai finally made the N car available for the South Korean motoring public with the starting price of 29,110,000 Korean Won, as long as it won't draw attention from car smugglers in the Philippines because if they do, it might end up to the great junkyard in the sky.

The Veloster N truly is the other side of the Veloster because while it maybe as hot as the spicy hot noodles you're eating from the bowl, it's still the all new Veloster you recognized from the very beginning. To help buyers differentiate the N from the regular Veloster, it's been given exclusive N-design front fascia and grille with dedicated front air ducts for enhanced brake cooling as well as N-design rocker side sills and available lightweight 19-inch alloy wheels. The back sports a bigger rear spoiler and other enhancements. The inside is more sports-minded thanks to its N-hanced interior features like the seats, the speedo, and a specially-made sat-nav that lets drivers check their lap times, G-force, and others.

The 2.0L turbocharged GDi engine that powers it has been 2X spicy than the normal Veloster so that now, it produces 275PS of power and that's about as close as 90's Japanese sportscars, which is distinctively Asian if you know what I mean. It's mated exclusively with a close-ratio, short-throw six-speed manual transmission with downshift rev-matching capability.

Focusing more on the dynamics, the Veloster N features specially made suspension geometry and tuning that makes handling more mild and menacing on the road and track. There's the N Power Sense Axle that features a zero-scrub radius for a more dramatic driving feel, a track-focused N mode on the suspension setup, N Corner-Carving Limited-slip Differential, and N Grin Control System drive mode selection system, not to mention bigger brakes available as an extra. When you get to know these stuff that goes underneath the Veloster N, the end result is a hot hatch that feels like a racecar that tries to feel at home on the track but because of the "Honed at Nurburgring" tagline, it's less comfortable than the standard Veloster and you might get jack knifed when it goes all out through the bends. It's true what they said about the Nurburgring ruins cars but no matter because no matter the outcome, the Veloster N will make you fall in love all over when you spend some time driving with it.

Like I said before, the Veloster N may not be the best hot hatch in town but with its untapped potential, it's now ready to carve a whole new beginning, something that the original Veloster failed to impress from the very start. Now that it's finally here in the land of K-Pop and K-Drama, this car is prepared for a much unplugged take on the Hallyu and it's going to be as spicy as those 2X spicy hot noodles you're munching now. You know you want one.

Photo: Hyundai Motor Company