Since its introduction as a 2018 mannequin, the newest Honda Civic Kind R has form of been the usual by which different compact high-performance vehicles are measured. Heck, we even led off a monitor take a look at of the Hyundai Elantra N by mentioning the Civic R within the first sentence. However does the mighty R nonetheless need to be talked about because the default El Jefe of the class?
Effectively, latest developments are definitely making us query that assumption.
The discharge of the Veloster N, the Toyota GR Corolla, and now the Hyundai Elantra N has definitely given the Civic R a lot of firm, if not a lot of competitors, within the super-powered compact phase.
With the Elantra N, Hyundai continues its lengthy streak of wins, persevering with alongside its path of constructing a few of our favourite vehicles proper now. As a daily automotive, the Elantra scores excessive marks by being simply the correct measurement: giant sufficient to be comfy and spacious however sufficiently small to really feel tidy and straightforward to park.
The trunk is epic. Actually, the automotive in all probability might have labored higher as a Civic-style hatchback as a result of the trunk opening is barely quick vertically, however something you may match previous the edge will discover a lot room for actions as soon as inside.
Within the cabin, Hyundai channels ’90s and ’00s Toyota with wonderful ergonomics, nice visibility–significantly, it’s refreshing to not have windowsills proper below your earlobes–and, maybe better of all, buttons! Hyundai is killing it with UX, which is to say it’s offering precise, tactile buttons, knobs and switches for key features whereas leaving DIC menu diving or contact controls to extra secondary features. And the corporate retains doing it whereas turning out clear, uncluttered and good-looking interiors.
The seat/wheel/pedal association is likewise wonderful. It’s similar to the Veloster N’s and doubtless shares a whole lot of the identical geometry, though we marginally most well-liked the Veloster’s format. However each vehicles have wonderful headroom for helmets, together with sufficient vertical seat adjustability to get the steering wheel proper up in your face, the place you’ve got a way more pure arm sweep for 9 and three rotation.
Additionally just like the Veloster N, the Elantra N is critical enterprise mechanically, and on paper it ought to be the stronger machine. Each share the identical 2.0-liter 4, out there with a six-speed handbook or eight-speed DCT, however the Elantra N makes use of a bigger turbocharger to provide 276 horsepower and 289 lb.-ft. of torque versus 275/260 for the Veloster. With a curb weight simply 40 kilos heavier than a equally geared up Veloster, the Elantra ought to have a straight-line benefit, however our monitor testing confirmed almost an identical acceleration curves.
As only a automotive–not essentially a monitor automotive–the Elantra N additionally excels, providing every little thing from loads of torque to a snug inside. On the far finish of the automotive’s deep trunk, you’ll discover a tubular brace painted in can’t-miss pink. Pictures Credit: David S. Wallens (Trunk, Engine), Chris Tropea (Inside)
To the Monitor!
On monitor the Elantra felt composed and pushable, though possibly not fairly as pressing because the Veloster. The Elantra provides about 3 inches of wheelbase to the Veloster, and that would clarify why it had much less of a willingness to leap right into a nook–however perceive that we’re speaking about fractional variations right here, and monitor and environmental circumstances might have had simply as a lot of an impact.
Total, the Elantra N was an distinctive monitor companion, with implausible steering really feel and an ideal steering ratio for the potential of the chassis. It’s a automotive that does a superb job of feeding information again to the driving force and responding to inputs persistently and precisely the best way a chassis is meant to.
Whereas that feels like one thing each automotive ought to do, that’s not at all times the case. And even when it’s, speaking the dynamics to the driving force is regularly a muddled recreation of phone that requires studying a particular language to know. The Elantra, alternatively, simply speaks physics.
This extraordinarily communicative nature makes issues like nook entry below path braking an actual pleasure, with wonderful suggestions coming from the brake pedal, the wheel and the chassis itself. And bear in mind, we’re heaping this reward on a automotive with manufacturing unit alignment settings and 240tw tires. Throw some camber and higher rubber into the combination, and efficiency will solely enhance.
Concerning lap instances, the Elantra trailed behind the Veloster N by about 0.6 second, with the Civic Kind R evenly splitting the distinction between the 2 vehicles. Diving deeper into the information, the Veloster seems to be making up the time throughout nook exit in a few slower sections, being faster to get the ability down out of tight corners.
These two traces present how the Veloster N (pink hint) barely outpaces the nonetheless spectacular Elantra N (blue hint). The Veloster N was quicker via the high-speed kink (1), leading to a quicker exit and better prime velocity on the finish of the subsequent straight. Each vehicles, nonetheless, had wonderful entries into the constant-radius Flip 8 (2). And regardless of the Elantra’s listed further torque, the acceleration curves (3) look an identical.
Which may be as a result of shorter wheelbase serving to the automotive rotate earlier, however it’s additionally simply defined by monitor circumstances, particles and rubber at exits, tiny variations within the programming of the electronically managed limited-slip diffs of every automotive, the section of the moon or a lot of different components. The remainder of the information traces are unsurprisingly an identical, and also you’d be excused for not understanding they have been completely different vehicles.
We talked about earlier that regardless of the moderately minimal energy and torque discrepancies, acceleration was an identical, and this was true usually. There have been a number of laps the place the Elantra outdragged the Veloster via a second- and third-gear acceleration zone, though the thrust via the third- and fourth-gear zones was virtually reduce and pasted between each vehicles. With a real energy distinction, we’d count on the alternative to be true, so we’re chalking up our testing discrepancies to margin of error.
Fractions of a Second
And actually, that’s the entire story with the Elantra versus the Veloster. Whereas one turned a quicker lap than the opposite–a 1:21.49 versus a 1:22.08 round our 1.55-mile monitor–they did it at completely different instances of the yr at a facility that had seen 18 months’ value of climate and occasions in between. And the information appeared all however an identical save for a number of tiny morsels we needed to hunt for.
Oh, and it’s in all probability value mentioning that we tried the N Grin Shift system. When activated, it permits for 20 seconds of overboost and supposedly alters the shift algorithms within the eight-speed DCT. And, uh, we couldn’t inform the distinction, and neither might the information. Acceleration curves appeared the identical and shifts appeared simply as fast.
We must always point out that the Florida Worldwide Rally & Motorsport Park, our official take a look at monitor, doesn’t have any 20-second straights, so we needed to decide our spot for what we thought can be essentially the most fruitful activation of the system. No matter the place we tried it, although, we observed no actual acceleration distinction on the FIRM’s quick straights.
Maybe Street Atlanta’s again straight or Street America’s lengthy uphill begin/end straight can be extra opportune venues, however we noticed no measurable profit. It’s a cool-looking button, although.
R or N?
Evaluating the Elantra N’s on-track information hint to the Civic Kind R’s exhibits extra variations than with the 2 Hyundais, however they’re nonetheless extra alike than completely different. The Honda’s barely quicker lap time of 1:21.79 appears to be largely a results of superior thrust early in third gear, launching the Civic off the FIRM’s medium-speed corners with a bit extra authority.
On shorter straights the place we have been holding third, the Civic held the benefit, however as quickly as a third-fourth shift was required, the Elantra’s quick-shifting and closer-ratioed eight-speed DCT erased after which overcame the drawback. Once more, we’re speaking about tiny fractions of a distinction right here that we actually want information to discern, not big, noticeable variations.
The conclusion right here is that the Elantra N–at an MSRP of $32,150–is each bit as succesful as the rest in its class at a much more favorable worth than a few of its most notable competitors. In autocross and time trial competitors, it is going to possible find yourself classed towards the Civic Kind R, and our greatest guess is that the Honda will nonetheless be the best choice for autocross for the rapid future as a result of its superior preliminary off-corner thrust and its platform’s deeper data base. We gained’t be stunned to see Elantra Ns snatching a number of trophies in growing numbers within the nationwide Solo scene as extra vehicles enter {the marketplace}, nonetheless.
For time trial use, we expect issues could also be even nearer–significantly when the Hyundai is provided with the DCT, as faster shifting and extra ratios make up for its lack of rated energy. And with a tuned ECU, that energy benefit the Honda holds off the showroom flooring might evaporate altogether, making the Hyundai a prime competitor towards the Kind R.