2022 Hyundai Elantra N Spy Shot: turning the performance dial in a compact space.

Hyundai just launched the 201-hp Elantra N line, but the automaker, more specifically N Performance Skunk Works, is already testing an even hotter variant.

This new variant is the Elantra N, developed alongside the new Elantra N TCR racing car. The Elantra N line arrived in showrooms in December, and this Elantra N will be available later this year as a 2022 model.

The Elantra N line is powered by a 1.6-liter turbocharged inline-4 engine, while the Elantra N will almost certainly be powered by the 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-4 engine found in the Veloster N.

The Elantra N should also pick up the N-tuned 8-speed dual-clutch transmission that just became available in the Veloster N in 2021, and hopefully a 6-speed manual for drivers who need a third pedal will be available. The drive system will most likely be front-wheel drive only (there are currently no rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive Hyundai N cars).

Compared to the Elantra N line, the Elantra N prototype in the spy shots has larger wheels, stronger brakes, and a fixed rear wing. The exhaust tips are also larger and surround the rear diffuser. The interior also appears to have racy modifications, including lightweight bucket seats, Alcantara trim, and N-branded badging.

Hyundai fans can look forward to seven N models hitting showrooms by the 2022 model year. The first three have already appeared in the form of the updated Veloster N, the new Elantra N Line and the Sonata N Line, all of which appeared in the 2021 model year. These will be followed by the Kona N Line and Tucson N Line, and the Kona N and this Elantra N