Hyundai’s N is the Korean car-maker’s high-performance division. The division they turn to when they want to light a fire under one of their cars. So when a car has the N badge on it, you’d probably think that it’s a seriously quick performance car for the road, and you’d be right, well, sort of. Just like Mercedes’ AMG, and BMW’s M, Hyundai’s N is serious business, and having one of these badges on your car, means it’s simply better than the ones that don’t, and Hyundai is well aware of that. That’s why they offer their cars in the N-Line, which is for people who want to go fast, but not that fast. And the latest edition to their N-Line of performance-but-not-too-much-performance cars is the 2021 Sonata N-Line.
With a quad exhaust, extra front air intakes, 19-inch wheels as standard, sporty side-skirts, arear diffuser, and black trims on the bumpers, it surely looks different from a standard Sonata. Inside, there are touches of red trim, dark chrome accents, and sport seats to really hold you in place as you go slightly faster than normal around roundabouts during grocery runs. Oh, and obviously, There’s N-Line badging in many places on the cars exterior and the interior, to remind you that you are better than other Sonata drivers.
Though there was no word on what will power the new Sonata N-Line today. Back in December, Hyundai announced that the car will be powered by a turbocharged 2.5liter four-cylinder, that will make at least 290 hp and 310 lb-ft of torque, mated to an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. The N-Line will ride 0.2 inch lower than other Sonatas and will have N-Line specific dampers, springs, and anti-roll bars as well as larger brake disks.
According to Hyundai’s last year announcements, the Sonata N-Line should hit the showrooms late 2020. Since then, Hyundai has neither updated nor confirmed this estimate. Though it is possible that the Coronavirus Pandemic may have affected the launch timing, the release of these press photos is a good sign and could be an indicator that the launch is indeed near.
