The Hyundai Avante N proves that old-school driving feels haven’t fallen entirely out of fashion
Taean, South Korea - Our beast of burden to take us around the different stations of the HMG Driving Experience Center is the Hyundai Avante N (also known as the Elantra N and in Australia, the i30 Sedan N).
This also means we get a chance to enjoy its beastly performance as we put it through its paces in a variety of dynamic stations.
See also: Hyundai Ioniq 5N is naughty, nice and nom-nom-nom-nom-nom
The Avante may be better known as a compact executive sedan, but with some of that cheeky N fairy-dust sprinkled over the Avante N, the turbocharged 2.0-litre at its heart is tuned for 280hp and 392Nm.
More intriguingly, it is available with either a 6spd manual, or the snappy 8spd dual-clutch transmission we’ve been assigned to.
See also: School's in session at the Hyundai Motor Group Drive Experience Center
The fleet at the Experience Center is large enough that everyone in our session gets their own Avante N throughout the course.
This is great because you don’t have to keep changing seat/steering settings and you can really come to grips with the ergonomics of the car.
The all-electric cracking crossover that is the Ioniq 5 N arguably operates in a segment of its own, but the Avante N does battle in a far less forgiving environment, which means it really needs to shine to stand out.
Feisty contemporaries from the VW Group (VW, Cupra, Skoda, Audi), as well as pedigreed ori-mental contenders like the Civic Type R and GR Corolla create quite a busy arena for the Avante N to prove itself.
See also: Driving the classic Ferrari 365/GTB4 Daytona around the Fiorano Circuit
Launched in 2023 to celebrate the eighth anniversary of Hyundai’s “N” performance arm, the Avante N is a car we’ve heard a lot about, but not driven until recently.
Despite its striking “Performance Blue” body-colour and “Hyundai” badge, it’s not the blue-collar, working class hero you’re expecting, even if it wears the go-faster body addenda and fixed rear wing to stand out from the madding crowd.
The artful “N” touches extend into the cabin, so it is elevated beyond the regular Avante to create the suitable motorsports-inspired ambience in which one can focus on the task of fast driving.
The driver sits 10mm lower than the Plain Vanilla model for better connection to the road, with the sporty-chunky steering wheel, paddle-shifters, foot pedals and snug sports seats working to impart maximum driving emotion when one is at the helm.
In case you’ve blinked and missed it, “feelsome” and genuinely fun cars have fallen out of fashion.
Many brands concentrate only on going fast, which panders to the social media generation weaned on absolutes of blacks and whites, as opposed to the grey stuff in-between that adds texture to the experience.
A lot of motoring magic happens in between the absolutes of power/torque ratings, 0-100km/h times and top speeds, and it is in this grey area that the Avante N operates, especially with a chassis that is engineered for maximum driving satisfaction.
Finding something that imparts such a delicious, analogue thrill is something of a novelty these days.
The weight of the controls demonstrates the Avante N is about substance over style, with a sense of solidity to the proceedings that engages your senses with every tactile impression.
From the moment you turn the Avante N’s wheel in anger, you can feel the textures of the tarmac in all their analogue detail.
The ride is performance-car-firm, but falls short of being too jiggly for daily-drive sensibilities, while the brakes offer stupendous stopping power.
The Avante N isn’t blisteringly fast, but there’s a nice punch to its acceleration to keep things interesting. The shifts inspire shock and awe with their intensity and are well-spaced for a good pace of speed.
However, it is the way it carves into corners that puts a twinkle in our eyes. Its dynamic balance and poise are beyond reproach, and it rewards a measured hand at the helm.
The Avante N isn’t one to suffer fools gladly and it is possible to get it out of shape if you overcook things, so look elsewhere if you’re one of those that needs a car to flatter your ham-fisted driving.
At the time of writing, we’re told the Avante N is not in the pipeline for Singapore, but for what it’s worth, we’ve gotten the most “asks” about it through DMs.
Don’t forget, many petrolheads are always in search of a timeless, back-to-basics performance model that won’t break the bank… and more importantly, will never go out of style.
HYUNDAI AVANTE N
Engine 1998cc, inline4, turbocharged
Power at rpm 280hp at 5500 - 6000rpm (290hp with NGS)
Torque at rpm 392Nm at 2100 - 4700rpm
Transmission 8spd dual-clutch
0-100km/h 5.3secs
Top Speed 250km/h
