26/10/2025
I spent the week with the Hyundai Elantra N TCR, and man, this thing’s a trip. It’s got that raw manual gearbox that actually makes you want to drive — every shift feels crisp, direct, mechanical in the best way. You can tell this car was built by people who actually care about driving. The power comes from a 2.0-litre turbo that pushes just under 280 horsepower, which sounds good on paper, but it feels even better in motion. It’s punchy, the throttle response is instant, and the pops on downshifts make you grin every time.
The big carbon-fiber wing definitely had me second-guessing myself at stoplights — it’s huge — but once you’re moving, you kinda forget about it. It’s planted, it’s stable, and somehow it still works as a daily. The ride isn’t too stiff, and the steering feels super alive. The brakes — big four-piston monoblocks with two-piece rotors — bite hard when you want them to, but they’re not twitchy.
What I liked most was that it didn’t feel like a wannabe race car trying too hard. It’s playful when you want it to be, comfortable when you just want to drive home. With the forged 19-inch wheels, the Alcantara touches inside, and that N performance blue seat belt popping out, it actually feels special. Starting around forty-seven grand in Canada, it’s not cheap, but it delivers a lot more attitude than most cars twice the price.
Honestly, the Elantra N TCR is one of those cars that reminds you what driving used to feel like — before everything went electric, filtered, and disconnected. It’s raw, simple, and just straight-up fun.
