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We suspect Hyundai’s product planning department went through a few cases of the good stuff when Honda announced that the Civic Si would not return for the 2021 model year. The car Hyundai had benchmarked when creating the new 2021 Elantra N Line would be a no show for the fight. Honda says the Si will eventually return, but the temporary absence of that sport-compact icon has opened a window of opportunity for Hyundai as it releases the first performance variant of its compact sedan.
Don’t confuse the Elantra N Line with the 276-hp Elantra N, which we’ve already driven in prototype form. That higher-performance model will be more akin to the Civic Type R than the Si when it goes on sale next fall. As with the Si, a turbocharged inline-four turns the N Line’s front wheels. Its small yet willing 1.6-liter mill develops 201 horsepower at 6000 rpm but will happily rev to its 6500-rpm redline and sounds good doing it. More important when scurrying around town, its 195 pound-feet of torque peaks at just 1500 rpm and holds strong to 4000 rpm.

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Hyundai

Hyundai Elantra Has More Than a Daring Design

Hyundai Elantra N Prototype Knows the Hustle

Equipped with the standard six-speed manual transmission, the N Line pulls hard both off the line and out of tight second-gear corners, exhibiting just a hint of torque steer. The transmission’s first three gears are short and tightly spaced, which translates into great responsiveness in the city. However, second gear is all done around 55 mph, and the additional gear change to third will add a couple tenths to its zero-to-60-mph time. An equally close-ratioed seven-speed dual-clutch automatic is an $1100 option. The manual’s clutch and shifter are light but offer sufficient feedback, and the pedals are well placed for heel-and-toe action. Unfortunately, this 1.6-liter hangs onto revs momentarily when you let off the throttle, which can make smooth shifts difficult around town.
Built on the third generation of Hyundai’s K platform, the Elantra N Line weighs about 3000 pounds with either transmission. That’s about 200 pounds lighter than the similarly sized yet more powerful Volkswagen Jetta GLI, now its most natural rival. Hyundai’s design team has also taken significantly more risks than VW’s, what with the new Elantra’s dramatically sloping roofline, sharp-edged tail, and a handful of polarizing visual elements, most notably the three body creases that intersect on its front doors. However, less imagination was exercised for the N Line’s model-specific pieces, which are fairly standard sporty small-car stuff. Black mirrors and trim? Check. Blacked-out grille with a more aggressive mesh? Yup. Body-color side sill moldings? Got it. Two chrome exhaust tips, a small rear spoiler, and a new rear bumper stylized to look like a diffuser? Of course.

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Hyundai

Similar design clichés dot the N Line’s interior. Red accents have been added to the Elantra’s clean analog gauge cluster, and its three-spoke steering wheel, seats, and door panels wear plenty of red stitching. At least the red stripe on the shifter is interesting, and the sport seats look and feel right with their prominent bolsters and embossed N logos. Hyundai didn’t skimp on technology, either: A wireless phone charging pad and wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are all standard.
Projector headlights, LED taillights, and a sunroof are also standard, as are dark-finished 18-inch wheels wrapped in 235/40R-18 tires, either Hankook Ventus S1 RX all-season or Goodyear Eagle F1 summer rubber. The N Line shares the regular Elantra’s strut front suspension but gains an independent rear end, larger front brake rotors, stiffened powertrain mounts, and revised chassis tuning. Along with firmer dampers, the anti-roll bars are stiffer and spring rates have been dialed up a whopping 26 percent in front and 71 percent in the rear versus the standard Elantra.

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Hyundai

Given the revisions, we were prepared for a bridle ride. But the N Line’s comportment feels pleasantly compliant and exhibits good body control. Its steering ratio is spot on, and there’s plenty of communication with the front tires. The N Line retains its composure when pushed hard, and its front end has good bite when turning into corners. While it doesn’t have the power or intensity of the harder-core N model, it is good fun and should be able to hang with your buddy’s Civic Si on curvy roads.
At $25,095 to start, the Elantra N Line is an undeniable value, undercutting the Jetta GLI by more than $2000. But the VW, which recently made our 10Best list for the second year in a row, may still have a performance edge over this Hyundai. We won’t know for sure until we get an N Line to the test track, but Hyundai is clearly intent on making the new Elantra a serious player in the sport-compact segment.

Specifications

Specifications
2021 Hyundai Elantra N Line
VEHICLE TYPE front-engine, front-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door sedan
BASE PRICE $25,095
ENGINE TYPE turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 16-valve inline-4, aluminum block and head, direct fuel injectionDisplacement 97 in3, 1591 cm3Power 201 hp @ 6000 rpmTorque 195 lb-ft @ 1500 rpm
TRANSMISSION 6-speed manual, 7-speed dual-clutch automatic
DIMENSIONS Wheelbase: 107.1 inLength: 184.1 inWidth: 71.9 inHeight: 55.9 inPassenger volume: 100 ft3Trunk volume: 14 ft3Curb weight (C/D est): 3000–3050 lb
PERFORMANCE (C/D EST) 60 mph: 6.5–6.7 sec1/4 mile: 14.5–15.0 secTop speed: 125 mph
EPA FUEL ECONOMY (C/D EST) Combined/city/highway: 28–31/25–28/34–36 mpg

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The noble, dirty sport of rally racing has been responsible for many roadgoing performance heroes. Cars such as the Audi Quattro, Lancia Delta Integrale, Ford Sierra RS and Escort RS, Toyota Celica GT4, and the Subaru WRX were all born of manufacturers having to build streetgoing version of their racers. But when the homologation requirement for a winning World Rally Championship car to be based on a purchasable vehicle ended in 1997, the link was broken.
Until now, that is. The Toyota Yaris GR isn’t a roadgoing WRC car, but it does get impressively close, having been created by Gazoo Racing, Toyota’s in-house motorsports arm. It is the first product born of Toyota boss Akio Toyoda’s insistence that his company’s return to topflight rallying and that motorsports should have direct relevance to the company’s products.

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2020 Nissan Versa vs. 2019 Toyota Yaris

The 2020 Toyota Yaris Hatchback

We drove the Yaris GR in England, on damp and twisty roads almost perfectly suited to demonstrating the talents of this all-wheel-drive hot hatch. Sadly, there are no plans to bring the Yaris GR to the United States. Customers didn’t exactly line up to buy the Mazda-based Yaris before it was quietly dropped from the lineup. But we will see a version of this all-wheel-drive powertrain in a U.S.-bound performance model better suited to American tastes.

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Toyota

There have been motorsport-inspired versions of the Yaris before—we drove the supercharged GRMN in 2018—but the GR is radically different. Beyond its name, the two-door GR has very little in common with the European Yaris or the former American Yaris. Although its wheelbase is the same, it sits on a Franken-platform version of Toyota architecture. The Yaris GR combines the regular Yaris’s front-end structure with a rear section made using the GA-C architecture that underpins Corolla and C-HR. The rear suspension has upper and lower control arms and a radically enhanced track width, plus there’s an underfloor tunnel to package the all-wheel-drive system’s driveshaft. The only parts shared between GR and Euro Yaris are the headlights, tail lights, side mirrors, and the antenna on the roof.
The Yaris GRMN from a few years ago used a supercharged 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine tuned by Lotus. Despite losing a cylinder and some displacement, the GR’s engine boasts more power than the GRMN’s four. The turbocharged 1.6-liter three-cylinder is closely related to the one used in the junior World Rally Championship 2, and its 257 horsepower makes it the most powerful production three-pot in the world. No attempt has been made to hide its turbocharged character. It is hesitant and laggy at low revs with an elasticity to its power delivery as turbo boost builds. It sounds great—like many three-bangers, it almost has the aural character of a V-6 when worked hard—and it pulls keenly to a 7200-rpm redline.

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Toyota

The best rally cars have torque-juggling active center differentials and sequential gearboxes. Toyota has kept things simpler in the GR with a six-speed manual transmission, and it has one of the nicest shift actions we can remember from a transverse-engine layout. Torque diverts rearward through an electronically controlled clutch pack at the back of the transmission. This is similar in principle to the Haldex system most associated with Volkswagen Group products, but Toyota’s boasts a lighter clutch and permanent engagement. The GR is all-wheel drive all the time.
Toyota overdrives the rear axle, which allows the front-rear torque split to be biased by either slipping or engaging the rear clutch. There are three modes: Normal sends 60 percent of torque forward, Sport changes the balance and dispatches 70 percent rearward, and Track splits the torque equally. Open differentials are standard at each end, but an optional Circuit Pack swaps these for Torsen limited-slip differentials and also brings forged 18-inch alloy wheels with Michelin Pilot Sport 4S summer rubber and a stiffer suspension.
Even equipped with the Circuit Pack, the GR doesn’t have an excess of dynamic aggression. The steering is heavier than Toyota’s normal generous level of assistance, but the GR doesn’t have the darty responses that chassis engineers often use to indicate enthusiasm. The rack delivers proportional responses and makes accuracy easy, allowing the clever all-wheel-drive system to shine.

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Toyota

In Normal mode, the GR feels like an extra-agile hot hatch, being powered to the edge of front-end breakaway and then brought back onto a chosen line with a slightly eased throttle while still maintaining traction. Toyota admits the rear-biased Sport mode has been designed for loose surfaces as much as hard ones; it gives a definite back-end bias without turning the GR unruly. Despite its name, the 50/50 split in Track mode actually feels best suited for use on slippery British asphalt, combining huge grip with a near-perfect balance between each axle.
A firm ride manages to avoid being abusive. The GR doesn’t have adaptive dampers or any switchable dynamic modes beyond its torque bias. At low speeds the Circuit Pack’s stiffened springs did prove adept at magnifying surface imperfections, but as both velocity and loads rise the chassis is more pliant, handling even big bumps and camber changes without complaint. The brake pedal lacks firmness but is properly placed to allow heel-and-toe downshifts. The GR also gets a defeatable rev-matching system of unerring accuracy.

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Toyota

Despite the substantive differences between it and the European Yaris, the GR feels similar from the driver’s seat. The instrumentation, switchgear, and dark plastics are all familiar. Equipment levels are good, including an 8.0-inch touchscreen, adaptive cruise control, auto-leveling LED headlights, and sports seats. The rear seat is much tighter than it would be in the regular Yaris, with access made awkward by limited headroom and the protruding driveshaft tunnel. And one strange omission: Unlike the regular Yaris, the GR doesn’t have a rear wiper. That’s something you’d expect from a rally car, and it’s nice to have when the inevitable English rain begins to fall.
In an ironic twist of fate—given its reason for being—the one thing the Yaris GR will miss is a competition-spec sibling. Toyota’s 2021 WRC entrant was set to be based on the Yaris GR, but COVID-19 caused testing to be halted. The team will be using the older four-door Yaris WRC for another season before the arrival of hybrid regulations in 2022 requires an all-new car. Still, it’s good to know that Toyota cares about cars such as this one. Now let’s hope the eventual U.S.-bound GR keeps the spirit that makes this Yaris feel so special.

Specifications

Specifications
2020 Toyota Yaris GR
VEHICLE TYPE front-engine, all-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door hatchback
BASE PRICE (UK) Base, $36,276; Convenience Pack, $38,933, Circuit Pack, $40,530
ENGINE TYPE turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 12-valve inline-3, aluminum block and head, port and direct fuel injectionDisplacement 99 in3, 1618 cm3Power 257 hp @ 6500 rpmTorque 266 lb-ft @ 3000 rpm
TRANSMISSION 6-speed manual
DIMENSIONS Wheelbase: 100.8 inLength: 157.3 inWidth: 71.1 inHeight: 57.3 inCurb weight (C/D est): 2900 lb
PERFORMANCE (C/D EST) 60 mph: 5.0 sec100 mph: 11.8 sec1/4 mile: 13.4 secTop speed: 143 mph
EPA FUEL ECONOMY (C/D EST) Combined/city/highway: 28/25/33 mpg

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First, a recap. Maybach (pronounced MY-bahk) used to be its own thing. Founded in 1909 by Wilhelm Maybach as an engine builder for Zeppelins, by 1921 the company was producing a luxury car that essentially superseded Mercedes-Benz as the poshest of all German mechanical contrivances. The company stopped making cars and switched to building engines for Panzer and Tiger tanks during World War II. After the war, the company died. By 1960, Daimler-Benz acquired the leftovers and the name, and in 2002 Maybach was revived as its own brand. That super-luxe experiment ended in 2012. Mercedes-Maybach now exists as a super-luxury sub-brand within Mercedes-Benz itself. Got it? Good.
With that history lesson in mind, this is the first time the Maybach name has been placed on an SUV—in this case, Mercedes’s large GLS-class model assembled in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama. At present, Alabama is not in Germany. The Maybach GLS may just be the most prestigious consumer product currently coming from that state. Roll Tide.

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Mercedes-Benz

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Mercedes-Maybach GLS600: Chauffeur-Ready Top Model

Mechanically, the Mercedes-Maybach GLS600 closely parallels the Mercedes-AMG GLS63. The powerplant is the same twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V-8 with a few modifications that relax output from the AMG-spec 603 horsepower to a still-mighty 550 horses. It’s supplemented, as is the AMG version, with a 48-volt electric motor that can add as much as 21 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque, all of which flows through a nine-speed automatic transmission. The combination of internal-combustion engine and electric motor results in a silken ride of torque.

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Mercedes-Benz

Unlike the Maybach S-class sedan that enjoys extensive changes to the dimensions and exterior design, the wheelbase of the GLS is unchanged from the Mercedes GLS-class and the sheetmetal carries over intact. The bits attached to the bodywork, like the grille, lights, and bumpers, are glamorously redone, but the most significant physical change to the GLS package is the elimination of the third row of seats. The second-row seats are pushed back for more legroom and so that an optional champagne cooler can be fitted between them. This is critical if the GLS is being used to ferry the kids to school every day and they need a mimosa in the morning to get the day going.
It also means that this is a four- or five-seat SUV. So, as a family hauler, its utility is limited. And since the rear seats don’t fold down, hauling new rain gutters home from Lowe’s is probably not happening.

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Mercedes-Benz

Cooled, heated, ventilated, and adjustable in nearly as many ways as the human body, the rear seats are sculpted for royalty and covered in leather from cows who may have volunteered for the honor of sacrificing their hides. There’s a 7.0-inch tablet set between the thrones for controlling the seats, the Burmester audio, and four-zone Executive Climate Control systems (with separate rear air conditioner). The driver and shotgun passenger (maybe literally armed) are there to support the titans of industry lucky enough to sit in back—nothing else.
The GLS Maybach on hand for our event featured seatback-mounted screens to display a presentation on the GLS600 while we were chauffeured. Word is that United States-market versions won’t have those screens since widespread use of iPads and other tablets in this country make them redundant.
All that plushy-plush indulgence doesn’t mean the Maybach GLS doesn’t drive well. In fact, it’s astonishingly athletic for a vehicle focused on ride comfort. But, well, the Mercedes GLS is astonishingly athletic considering it’s a three-row SUV.

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Mercedes-Benz

The powerplant is long on low-end grunt, almost freakishly quiet, the steering is precise but has a non-disclosure agreement with road surfaces, and the brakes could stop a crashing stock market. Road noise is muffled until it stops squirming, wind noise is slight and melodic, and the double-paned glass shushes anyone yelling about the injustices of capitalism.
Performance? When the masses arise against the oligarchs, the GLS600 will help them flee in a hurry. With a couple hundred pounds of additional curb weight over the GLS63 and slightly less power, we expect the zero-to-60-mph blitz to take 4.1 seconds. That’s hustling for a three-ton object.
This isn’t an SUV about sport or utility. It’s a vehicle for arriving, for making a big splash when it pulls up to an event, a club, or office building. It’s an announcement of intimidation, not something that’s built to dive into corners, take families on vacations, or even put at risk dirtying its standard 22-inch or optional 23-inch wheels.

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Mercedes-Benz

With a price starting at $161,550, after adding a few options like the 23-inch wheels and the champagne cooler, a total chit nearing $200,000 wouldn’t be surprising. An AMG GLS63 has even more power, is optimized for better handling, and is still very, very luxurious. Plus, it has a third row of seats and the second row folds down. It also starts about $30,000 less. As a daily driver, it’s more practical and fun than the Maybach.
If you’re rich enough to afford a Maybach GLS, do you want to announce your prosperity so brashly? Doing so might be fine for that sliver of glitterati without the self-awareness to question their own need for social validation. Like an Aston Martin DBX, Bentley Bentayga, Rolls-Royce Cullinan, and Italianate villas in Miami Beach, the Maybach makes a strong statement. But while those competitors don’t require an explanation, the Maybach may require a history lesson.

Specifications

Specifications
2021 Mercedes-Maybach GLS600
VEHICLE TYPE front-engine, all-wheel-drive, 4- or 5-passenger, 4-door wagon
BASE PRICE $161,550
ENGINE TYPE twin-turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 32-valve V-8, aluminum block and heads, direct fuel injectionDisplacement 243 in3, 3982 cm3Power 550 hp @ 6500 rpmTorque 538 lb-ft @ 2500 rpm
TRANSMISSION 9-speed automatic
DIMENSIONS Wheelbase: 123.4 inLength: 204.9 inWidth: 79.9 inHeight: 72.4 inPassenger volume: 116 ft3Cargo volume: 14 ft3Curb weight (C/D est): 6100 lb
PERFORMANCE (C/D EST) 60 mph: 4.1 sec100 mph: 9.4 sec1/4 mile: 12.5 secTop speed: 130 mph
EPA FUEL ECONOMY Combined/city/highway: 15/19/16 mpg

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Hyundai’s North American senior designer Davis Lee walks us over to the new 2021 Hyundai Elantra and quickly addresses the car’s boldly styled flanks. He reaches down and runs his hand along the three prominent creases that intersect on the sedan’s front doors. “It can look out of place at first,” he says, “but we wanted the car to stand out. And it adds character to the car.”
Those character lines are a risky element of the Elantra’s redesign, one that isn’t shared with the larger Sonata or the 2022 Tucson. “We want to avoid a Russian-doll lineup,” he adds. “Our design philosophy is that each vehicle must stand on its own visually. Notice how it’s way more angular and edgy in back than the Sonata.”

2021 Hyundai Elantra Sedan Looks Good, Adds Hybrid

Hyundai Elantra N Prototype Knows the Hustle

The redesign may turn off some traditional buyers, but the risks are small. The Elantra’s 10-percent share of the compact sedan market is far less than the Honda Civic’s and the Toyota Corolla’s, both of which together command more than half of the segment’s sales. To gain market share, especially among younger buyers, Hyundai had to go big. And it has, both visually and literally.

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Hyundai

The seventh-generation Elantra is physically larger than it ever has been. At 184.1 inches, the Elantra stretches 2.2 inches longer than before and is nearly two inches longer than the best-selling Civic. It’s also an inch wider and 0.8 inch lower than its predecessor, matching the dimensions of the Honda. More important, Hyundai stretched the wheelbase by 0.8 inch to 107.1 inches, giving the Elantra both the longest wheelbase in its class and a substantial amount of rear legroom. Rear headroom remains the same despite the sedan’s lower overall height and swoopier roofline, but it’s still tight for those taller than six feet. The Elantra’s 14 cubic feet of trunk space is also about the same as before, splitting the difference between its two main rivals. A 60/40-split folding rear seat is standard.
Built on the third-generation of Hyundai’s K platform, the Elantra features struts in front and a torsion-beam rear axle. Only the hybrid, N Line, and full-strength N models get an independent rear suspension, but you won’t miss that more sophisticated setup on the standard car. The Elantra’s handling dynamics have been tuned by people who actually like to drive. Body control in corners is excellent, and there’s surprisingly good feel from the well-balanced steering.

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Hyundai

On twisty two-lane roads, the Elantra impresses with ample front-end bite, and its rear end isn’t easily upset by midcorner bumps. We drove a top-of-line Limited model with chunky 17-inch wheels wrapped in 225/45R-17 Kumho Majesty Solus all-season tires, which proved to be quiet to our ear while offering plenty of grip. The Elantra’s ride quality is pleasantly firm, and there’s a nice heft to its steering. It’s relaxed around town yet still direct enough to be engaging. The view out front is expansive, thanks to a low dash and thin, carefully formed A-pillars.
Under the Elantra’s hood, Hyundai’s naturally aspirated 2.0-liter inline-four is paired with a standard continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) that responds well to manual inputs for its simulated gear ratios. Though the combo is a bit sluggish off the line, the engine is generally responsive and makes good power above 4000 rpm, which is conveniently positioned at 12 o’clock on the tachometer. The engine’s 132 pound-feet of torque peaks at 4500 rpm, and its 147 horsepower crescendos at 6200 rpm. Just as important, the SEL and Limited’s EPA estimates of 31 mpg city, 41 mpg highway, and 35 mpg combined are competitive in its class. The base SE sees a 2-mpg bump in all three economy metrics.

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Hyundai

Inside, the Elantra takes some additional design risks, such as the unnecessarily large grab handle on the passenger side of the center console. And the abstract circular design in the black void left of the steering wheel looks a bit weird. But the new cabin is otherwise spacious, attractive, comfortable, and nicely equipped. Even the base SE model, which starts at $20,645, gets an 8.0-inch touchscreen and the first application in the class of wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Automatic front- and rear-collision avoidance assistants with pedestrian detection are standard, as are lane-keeping and blind-spot collision avoidance assists.
That commendable amount of standard gear makes the SE a solid value. But the sweet spot in the lineup is the $21,895 SEL model with the optional $950 Convenience package, which nets 16-inch wheels, pushbutton start, a proximity key, a digital gauge cluster, a wireless phone charging pad, and other upgrades. Splurge for the $26,445 Limited trim and you’ll gain a 10.3-inch touchscreen and customizable ambient interior lighting.
With the 2021 Elantra’s new eye-catching wrapper, impressive feature count, and solid dynamics, Hyundai has smartly followed the playbook used by Honda when it introduced the current Civic—the most successful Civic generation on record and consistently Honda’s best-selling car. Whether that formula works as well for the Elantra has yet to be seen, but it does make Hyundai’s compact sedan more compelling than ever.

Specifications

Specifications
2021 Hyundai Elantra
VEHICLE TYPE front-engine, front-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door sedan
BASE PRICE SE, $20,645; SEL, $21,895; Limited, $26,445
ENGINE TYPE DOHC 16-valve Atkinson-cycle inline-4, aluminum block and head, port fuel injectionDisplacement 122 in3, 1999 cm3Power 147 hp @ 6200 rpmTorque 132 lb-ft @ 4500 rpm
TRANSMISSION continuously variable automatic
DIMENSIONS Wheelbase: 107.1 inLength: 184.1 inWidth: 71.9 inHeight: 55.7 inPassenger volume: 100–102 ft3Trunk volume: 14 ft3Curb weight (C/D est): 2750–2900 lb
PERFORMANCE (C/D EST) 60 mph: 8.1–8.3 sec1/4 mile: 16.4–16.5 secTop speed: 120 mph
EPA FUEL ECONOMY Combined/city/highway: 35–37/31–33/41–43 mpg

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