Hyundai is promising a big surprise on July 14th with the company releasing a brief teaser video that draws us to the fabled Nurburgring race track in Germany. The company might not be ready to reveal the full details just yet, but it appears that the Kona N and the recently teased Elantra N are involved.
What We Know So Far, Will We See The Elantra N?
Hyundai’s teaser video does not reveal too much, with the bulk of the video featuring a computer-generated pen vigorously drawing the fore-mentioned track on a sheet of paper. After the pen performs its ink-filled ballet, we get a blink it or miss it glimpse at the Kona N as well as the recently teased Elantra N. The Kona N is a familiar face with the Korean car giant formally unveiling the pint-sized track terror a few months ago and the model just making its way to Hyundai’s main online configurator as a Fall arrival.
On the other hand, the Elantra N has been more elusive, and we have not seen much of it either out in the wild or via Hyundai’s digital channels. Hyundai is aiming for the Civic Si and the Volkswagen GLI with this spicy Elantra, and both of those models are very formidable benchmarks for Hyundai to benchmark. The company also confirmed in the past that the Elantra N would be making its debut in the next few weeks, so look for this event to perhaps be the moment that the shapely four-door thunders its way into the mainstream. One thing’s for sure; it will be a noticeable bump in performance over the stock Elantra.
The track itself could hint at a possible attempt at breaking segment records out on the Nurburgring. This modern pursuit of accolades is nothing new, with countless automakers (especially performance marques) using the track not only as a place to achieve bragging rights (the records) but also potent marketing points in subsequent advertising.
What About The N Halo Car?
This announcement will also undoubtedly shine some new light on the rumored all-electric N badged halo model. This model was teased on and off for a while with our last sighting at a Hyundai event a few years ago when it appeared as a vague sketch. No further information has emerged since, but maybe this online event could allow us to learn more about it, even if it’s just a fleeting glimpse or a subtle detail here and there.
The eventual appearance of the N halo car could be a case of excellent timing if Hyundai manages to play its cards right. An increasing number of countries are banning the sale of new ICE-powered vehicles in the distant future, which means that new ICE-powered N vehicles (including the Elantra N) would be affected. This EV would allow Hyundai and N brand to retain a presence in these markets and be a good gatekeeper model to lure customers. In the meantime, the current range is expected to be topped by a mid-engined sports car, though we’re still a few years away from seeing that particular model in the flesh.
Carl Malek has been an automotive journalist for over 10 years. First starting out as a freelance photographer before making the transition to writing during college, his work has appeared on numerous automotive forums as well as websites such as Autoshopper.com.
Carl is also a big fan of British vehicles with the bulk of his devotion going to the Morgan Motor Company as well as offerings from Lotus, MG, and Caterham. When he is not writing about automobiles, Carl enjoys spending time with his family and friends in the Metro Detroit area, as well as spending time with his adorable pets.