Only for South Korea and USA
The compact sports sedan Hyundai Avante N remains reserved for Koreans and Americans, among others, but do Dutch enthusiasts of Hyundai’s N models miss something about that? To find out, we put the sedan through its paces at the place where it has its roots: the Nürburgring.
What is a Hyundai Avante?
You will not find the Avante in Dutch Hyundai showrooms. That’s a shame, because it is an attractive sedan, especially in the N version, that is pleasant to the eye, has sporty technology on board and offers a lot of space. It is a sporty sedan for the family. It is perfectly suitable for daily use, if desired with the whole family, with which you can have a lot of fun and which is also completely in its element on the Nordschleife of the Nürburgring when dad wants to let loose. What else do you want? But unfortunately, the Avante N is only available in the United States, Australia, South Korea and China. Instead, Hyundai fans in our country should make friends with the electric Ioniq 5 N, and such an electric powerhouse should just be your thing.
Despite its absence in Europe, was this Hyundai N also developed at the Nürburgring?
It is what it is, we can only tell you whether or not you miss something about the Avante. We were allowed to drive this sedan exclusively on and around the Nürburgring. Hyundai has a development center at the German circuit. The special thing is: although this model is not available in Europe, it was developed here. When we pick him up, we see that there is an annual pass in the car with which we can participate in the ‘Touristenfahrten’ on the circuit. In other words, we can drive a few laps around the circuit at the end of the day. First we take a closer look at the Hyundai and drive it through the Eifel, that winding part of Germany where you can also excellently judge a sporty car on its merits.
Same engine as the i30 N
Let’s start with the technology. Under the hood is the 280 hp and 390 Nm strong two-liter turbo engine that we know from the i30 N. The Avante N also shares the optional eight-speed dual-clutch transmission with this model. The base model has a six-speed manual transmission. The boost function provides a power of 290 hp for twenty seconds. You activate this function via the NGS button on the handlebars. The i30 N also offers this function, but with that model the power remains at 280 hp. You will then simply have access to the regular maximum power of the engine if you select the boost function.
How fast is the Avante N?
The Avante N sprints to 100 km/h in 5.3 seconds with the help of launch control. At a speed of 250 km/h, the limiter intervenes, just like with the i30 N. For comparison: the i30 sprints to 100 km/h in 5.4 seconds with launch control. So one tenth slower. The question is how that happens. Maybe because of the weight? That seems strange, because you would expect the sedan to be heavier than the i30. That is not the case, because according to factory specifications the Avante is almost a hundred kilos lighter than the hatchback (i30 N with DCT transmission: 1,530 kg).
And the chassis?
Well, this car has an electronic limited slip differential and Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires in size 245/35 on 19-inch wheels (i30 N: 235/35 R19). And then there is the well-known, multi-adjustable adaptive suspension. The higher power, the tires, the chassis and the lower weight ensure that we should be able to achieve faster lap times on the Ring than with the i30 N. Unfortunately, we cannot measure that today.
Does it sound as nice as an i30 N?
Later today we can drive two laps of the Nordschleife, but first we explore the hilly landscape around the Nürburgring. Immediately after driving away we already have a big grin on our face. The exhaust system produces a wonderfully sporty sound, the likes of which we have never heard before in a Hyundai on public roads. Agreed, it is not equipped with the petrol particulate filter that is mandatory in Europe. In the N position the exhaust system crackles happily, wonderful. When upshifting we hear big bangs; it’s almost like driving a race car.
How does it drive?
As it sounds, so does it drive. The seats offer a low seating position and plenty of lateral support, great. The character of the car is very versatile, from a comfortable mid-range sedan to a sports car with four doors. Sure, it’s not a sedan aimed at making its occupants as comfortable as possible, but enough creature comforts have been retained to make daily drives enjoyable. The steering is responsive, but like the car as a whole, never nervous. The rear axle is lively and you can play with it if you want. Moreover, the engine is nice and punchy and revs eagerly. The gearbox is very responsive and shifts incredibly quickly, as we know from the i30 N. How does it perform on the Nordschleife? Well, this Hyundai feels completely at home there. The front axle, for example, offers a lot of grip. The suspension seems to be perfectly tuned for this track in Sport Plus mode, despite the slightly softer setting. The sedan absorbs the curbstones and bumps perfectly. This Hyundai offers a lot of driving pleasure, even more so than the i30 N. It is a real shame that it is not for sale in Europe.
Are we missing something here?
In our opinion, it looks great, takes corners just as lively as the i30 N, it is certainly not slow on the track, you can drive it quite comfortably if desired and at the same time it is nice and dynamic. In other words, an excellent total package that, in our view, would have a chance of success. Hopefully there are enough enthusiasts to make gray import possible.
– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl