2024 Hyundai Elantra starts at $21,475, a $525 bump over 2023

Hyundai rolled out a refreshed Elantra and Elantra N for 2024 a couple of months ago, now we know what some trims of the non-hybrid car will cost. The three variants shown at Hyundai's retail site are the SE, SEL and Limited, meaning the N Line will appear later in the year. The 2022 Elantra also hesitated on getting the N Line out. Looking at the figures we have, MSRPs for the 2024 Elantra before the destination fee and their differences from 2023 are:

• SE: $21,475 ($525)
• SEL: $23,425 ($1,225)
• Limited: $26,915 ($115)

The extra money buys new looks at the front, counting the thinner grille, the forward-leaning headlights, reshaped front fenders and a flat, stainless steel logo. There's also an updated rear bumper with new gloss black trim, new wheel designs, new exterior colors and some color changes for the interior, plus a revised 4.2-inch screen in the instrument cluster on the basic trim.

We're waiting on figures for the Elantra Hybrid and Elantra N. On top of the alterations made to the base sedan, the go-fast "corner rascal" N sedan picks up stiffer bushings and mounts for the engine and suspension, new calibrations for the electronic suspension control and electric power steering assist, and tighter tolerances in the steering box. Revised ducts improve engine and brake cooling, while extra thermal insulation on the front brake lines improves brake performance over time. Speaking of brakes, they hide behind 19-inch forged alloys that weigh a combined 33 pounds less than the previous wheels and are shod in Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires. Drivers stuck behind the Elantra N are invited to admire the dual exhaust tips and tweaked diffuser.  

Powertrains for the range carry over unchanged. Hyundai technical advisor Albert Biermann — the ex-BMW M engineer that once presided over the N division — says a future version of the Elantra N could get a larger motor, though. The current turbocharged 2.0-liter makes 276 horsepower and 289 pound-feet of torque, a 20-second overboost button allowing power to reach 286 hp. Biermann told Australian outlet Drive that he made sure the engine bay in the next-generation sedan could fit Hyundai's 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder now found in the Sonata N Line making 286 hp and 311 lb-ft.

The corporate question is what's to be done with the trim at all. Our Elantra is sold as the i30 in Europe, various countries getting an i30 N hatchback or i30 N fastback. A hotter turbo 2.5-liter wouldn't play well with Europe's coming regulations, leaving corporate planners with choices like dropping the N model completely, selling it with more performance exclusively outside of Europe, selling different versions made for different regions, or something else we haven't considered. Taking into account Hyundai's typical three-year cycles, the refreshed 2024 Elantra won't give way to the next generation until late 2026, but Biermann believes the company will make a decision this year on which way to go.

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