Evelyn Reynolds

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Hyundai says its N performance division is named for its Namyang proving ground in Korea and Germany’s Nürburgring, but the team involved probably would tell you it stands for No Sleep. Since the Veloster N was introduced in 2018, Hyundai engineers have been a busy bunch of bees developing six more products, including the new 2021 Elantra N Line, the more powerful Elantra N, which will go on sale late in 2021, and three SUVs that are coming soon.
The team insomnia-suffering speed merchants have also created Hyundai’s most powerful sedan ever, the 2021 Hyundai Sonata N Line. On sale now, it’s the first performance version of the brand’s popular mid-size sedan, and it’s looking to steal some practicality-minded enthusiasts from the Honda Accord 2.0T, Mazda 6, and Toyota Camry TRD. An afternoon spent driving it around Southern California, tells us it’s good enough to do just that.

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Behind its big blacked-out grille is a new turbocharged 2.5-liter inline-four shared with the Genesis G80 and GV80. The turbo four is also shared with the Sonata’s platform mate, the Kia K5 GT. In the Sonata, it pumps out a beastly 290 horsepower at 5800 rpm and a burly 311 pound-feet of torque at just 1650 rpm. That’s 99 more horsepower and 130 pound-feet of torque more than the Sonata’s naturally aspirated 2.5-liter and 110 more horsepower and 116 pound-feet over the Sonata’s available 1.6-liter turbo four.

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Hyundai

To get there, engineers fortified the naturally aspirated 2.5-liter’s block, integrated its exhaust manifold into the cylinder head, lowered the compression ratio from 13.0:1 to 10.5:1, and bolted on a turbocharger to swell the intake with boost.
Hyundai also fits its new eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, a gearbox that also pulls duty in the Veloster N, the Kia K5 GT, and in the upcoming Elantra N. Developed in-house, the transmission has a wet clutch pack, is properly responsive, shifts quickly and smoothly, but it doesn’t feel quite as immediate and snappy as it does in the Elantra N. The first four gears are tightly spaced and well matched to the engine’s torque curve, which is high and flat to 4000 rpm. There’s some serious midrange power here, and the big four-cylinder pulls well to 6250 rpm.
To reduce the time to 60 mph, Hyundai developed a launch-control program that makes drag racing this front-wheel-drive sedan easy. Those close ratios mean that second gear is done by about 50 mph. The N Line feels quicker than the Toyota Camry TRD, which hit 60 mph in 5.6 seconds in our testing. If it turns out to be quicker than the Accord 2.0T automatic’s 5.4-second time, it could be the quickest front-wheel-drive mid-size family sedan out there, but we won’t know until we get it to our test track.

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Hyundai

Unfortunately, there’s a downside to all that power. It’s been a while since we’ve complained about torque steer, but heavy applications of throttle are felt through the Hyundai’s steering. It doesn’t turn the clock back 20 years, changing lanes on its own at the hit like a supercharged Pontiac Bonneville SSEi—not even close—but you’ll know you bought a front-wheel-drive car every time you put your foot down.
All that power churning through the front wheels is apparent on a tight mountain road. Despite those meaty Continental Premium Contact 6 summer tires sized 245/40R-19 (Pirelli P Zero all seasons are standard), the Hyundai has considerably more oomph than forward bite. Engage Sport mode, which disables the Sonata’s traction control, and it’ll spin its front tires out of tight second-gear corners, generating graceful whiffs of white tire smoke that travel up and over the windshield. It isn’t as fun as it sounds as the tires scream and squeal for life. Don’t listen to their pleas to slow down. Keep pressing, and the Continentals prove they have more grip to give.

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Hyundai

The N engineers also retuned the chassis with significantly stiffer powertrain mounts, firmer dampers, and thicker anti-roll bars. The ride quality is sporty but comfortable, and there’s more than respectable lateral grip and steering feel. The Sonata N Line is capable of real pace in the hills, understeering only mildly when you overcook a tight corner, but it’s happiest in faster open sections, where it can stretch its legs and put its power down.
Larger 13.6-inch front and 12.8-inch rear brake rotors are also part of the deal. The pedal is reassuringly firm around town, and they feel good in the hills right up to the point when they overheat. The N Line weighs more than 3500 pounds, and it pulls like a freight train down the straights. The brakes get a workout. If you’re really on it, they’re cooked in just a few miles.

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Hyundai

Tweaks to the sedan’s interior and exterior are mild but meaningful. Unlike TRD, which has dressed the Camry fast and furiously, Hyundai has taken a more conservative path while still following the sports-sedan dress code. There are a few small N Line badges scattered about and a new front fascia with three large air intakes. Its rump is redressed with four exhaust pipes, a black lower bumper, and, of course, a diffuser. The wheels have a complex 20-spoke design.
Inside we expected the three-spoke steering wheel from the Elantra N, but the Sonata sticks with the Sonata’s four-spoke unit. The push-button shifter also carries over from the regular Sonata. The N Line bits are limited to a nice set of sports seats wrapped in leather and suede. Standard features include a digital gauge cluster that displays simple round dials, a big 10.3-inch infotainment touchscreen, a Bose premium audio system, a panoramic sunroof, and Hyundai’s digital key, which can turn your phone into the car’s key.
At $34,195, it isn’t the cheapest option in the class, but the engine and chassis make it a strong value. The problem is that the same money gets you a rear-drive 255-hp Kia Stinger. We’d pick the Stinger over the Sonata N Line, and we don’t even have to lose much sleep on that choice.

Specifications

Specifications
2021 Hyundai Sonata N-Line
VEHICLE TYPE front-engine, front-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door sedan
BASE PRICE $34,195
ENGINE TYPE turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 16-valve inline-4, aluminum block and head, port and direct fuel injectionDisplacement 152 in3, 2497 cm3Power 290 hp @ 5800 rpmTorque 311 lb-ft @ 1650 rpm
TRANSMISSION 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
DIMENSIONS Wheelbase: 111.8 inLength: 192.9 inWidth: 73.2 inHeight: 56.9 inPassenger volume: 105 ft3Trunk volume: 16 ft3Curb weight (C/D est): 3550 lb
PERFORMANCE (C/D EST) 60 mph: 5.4 sec100 mph: 18.0 sec1/4 mile: 13.7 secTop speed: 150 mph
EPA FUEL ECONOMY Combined/city/highway: 27/23/33 mpg

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Cresting 100 mph down the back straight at the top of fourth gear, it’s clear the former Formula 1 driver isn’t exactly challenged by the speed of the new 2022 Subaru BRZ. Just before he breathes off the throttle and slides the car through a fast right-hand kink, which is followed by a hard braking zone for a tight left-hander, Scott Speed casually removes his right hand from the wheel, points to the sports car’s new digital gauge cluster, and says, “I really like the g-meter. It’s fun to watch it move around as I drive around the track.”

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The winner of four straight American Rallycross Championships, Speed may not be sweating the pace of the redesigned rear-drive four-seat coupe, but he is enjoying its dynamics, drifting it around most corners and relishing its balance and response. “There’s more traction than before,” he says. “But biggest difference between this and the old car is the additional horsepower. It gives you so much more control over the car’s attitude. I can pitch it in and drift it out just like the old car, but now I can do it more precisely and I can keep it sliding longer.”
Our brief racetrack ridealong with Speed lasts just a lap and a half, but the new BRZ’s additional grip and grunt are apparent from the passenger seat. The car is still small, light, low, and tossable, just like the original, but it also feels tighter and considerably more powerful.

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Subaru

Stiffer Chassis and Suspension
Like the original, which has been around since 2012, the second generation of the BRZ is a collaboration between Subaru and Toyota, which will again sell its own version called the 86. Toyota once again handled the design, while engineering and construction are Subaru’s end of the deal. The sports car’s chassis carried over, but some new materials and adhesives taken from Subaru’s Global Platform have increased the rigidity of its front end by 60 percent. “The stiffer chassis allowed us to stiffen the suspension mounting points, as well as the suspension tuning itself but still with a focus on improving its ride quality,” said Michael Redic, Subaru’s car-line planning manager for the BRZ, WRX, and Forester.
Subaru’s engineers also made a slight increase to the rear track. The geometry of its strut front suspension is unchanged. There’s still some body roll but less than before, and the compliance of the suspension feels right as Speed bounces the car off the track’s tall curbs and runs it out over the rumble strips.
When it goes on sale early fall 2021, two models will be available, and the biggest performance difference between the two will be the tires. The Premium will ride on an as-yet-undisclosed set of 17-inch all-seasons sized 215/45R-17. Speed is driving a BRZ Limited, which rides on Michelin Pilot Sport 4 summer tires wrapped around attractive 18-inch 10-spoke alloys. That’s the same rubber you now get on the STI-tuned BRZ tS.

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Subaru

If you don’t think a tire can make a big difference, take the current BRZ’s skidpad result of 0.90 g and compare it to the BRZ tS’s 0.98 g. With its curb weight remaining below 2900 pounds, those numbers won’t get worse.
Subaru has also retuned the stability-control system, which has five settings, to allow more driver input before the nannies step in. The system can still be turned off completely. The current BRZ is available with a Performance Package that includes Brembo brakes and other performance upgrades. A similar package for the 2022 model won’t be available at launch, but one is coming.
More Power, but Still No Turbo
If you’ve been waiting for a turbo—many BRZ fans have been—you’re about to be disappointed. There isn’t one. “Everyone wants to know why no turbo,” said Dominick Infante, Subaru’s director of corporate communications. “Naturally aspirated keeps it affordable.”

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Subaru

Instead, Subaru replaced the BRZ’s current 2.0-liter flat-four with its 2.4-liter of the same configuration. It features Toyota’s D-4S port and direct fuel-injection system, 13.5:1 compression ratio, and chain-driven double overhead cams with variable timing. “It’s basically an Ascent engine without the turbo,” Infante said.
The 100-hp bump many have been hoping for isn’t happening, but the 2.4-liter’s 228 horsepower at 7000 rpm and 184 pound-feet of torque at 3700 rpm is a considerable improvement over the 205 horsepower and 156 pound-feet of its predecessor. That’s 18 percent more torque, and it hits at a much lower rpm—the old car’s torque peak was at 6400 rpm—which certainly explains the BRZ’s stronger pull out of those second-gear corners. Redline has dipped slightly, from 7700 rpm to 7500 rpm.

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Subaru

Two years ago, the BRZ tS shot to 60 mph in 6.3 seconds. It’ll be interesting to see if this additional power can get the coupe down into the five-second zone. Both a six-speed manual transmission and a six-speed automatic will be offered, and the automatic gets a new Sport mode with quicker response, rev matching, and more aggressive gear selection during hard driving. A limited-slip differential will be standard across the board.
More Muscular Design
By now you’ve checked out the photos, so you know the BRZ will also get much better looking. Toyota’s design team put in some overtime this time around, improving its proportions, stance, and muscularity without adding size. The car sits a bit lower than before, and overall length increases by less than an inch.
The roof, hood, and front fenders are aluminum to keep weight down, and all the ducts are functional. Those big front scoops cool the brakes, and the large front fender vents, which remind us of the Lexus RC F, allow hot air to escape from the engine compartment. The BRZ’s subtle double-bubble roof remains, but its greenhouse was narrowed by about three-quarters of an inch, giving its curvaceous hips more visual pop. Though the same width as before, the car looks considerably wider, especially from the rear, which features two big chrome exhaust pipes and a cleanly integrated ducktail spoiler. Squint, and it kinda looks like an Aston Martin Vantage. Maybe. A little. From some angles. Keep squinting.

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Subaru

If you’ve been waiting for Subaru to chop the BRZ’s top, give up the dream. “We have no plans for a convertible,” Infante said. “It’s not our thing.”
Inside, the occupants sit slightly closer together but not enough to matter. The interior design is evolutionary, but it’s also a significant improvement. The dash is still a sea of hard plastic, but it doesn’t look as cheap. The secondary controls look and function better, and the new digital gauge cluster has two configurations, both of which keep the tach front and center, where it should be.
The front seats are new, but they look and feel about the same as before. Still useless for human passengers, the back seats fold to expand the trunk. On the tech side, EyeSight will be available, and the BRZ infotainment system gets an 8.0-inch touchscreen and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity.

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Subaru

Subaru has sold just more than 41,000 BRZs since 2012, which isn’t much, but its average buyers are youngsters in their early 30s. Only the WRX brings younger buyers to the brand. In an effort to keep that small but desirable crowd of enthusiasts coming back, Subaru kept the BRZ small and desirable, thoughtfully resisting the temptation to add steamroller tires and a boosted engine to one of our favorite back-road bombers.
“We kept to the original formula of a lightweight, compact, rear-drive sports car,” said Infante. “If we grew the car too much, that would have changed the overall character of the car, and it took a lot of work to keep the car this small, light, fun, and affordable.”
We’ll know more about just how fun it is when we actually get behind the wheel sometime in 2021.
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