Hyundai is in the process of revising the look of its sedans around the globe, and the Elantra is next in line. This isn’t the first time we’ve seen the facelifted sedan, but it is our first look at a North American model wearing Elantra badges.
You may recall the Hyundai Avante making an appearance back in early March. That’s the name given to the compact sedan in Hyundai’s home market of South Korea, and it was presented in full with nearly 50 images. There’s always a chance that changes could come for different markets, but our new batch of spy photos shows the same updated fascia that splits the controversial single-piece grille of the current model into upper and lower sections. A similar treatment was given to its larger Sonata sibling.
With the new fascia comes slimmer headlights and updated fenders to accommodate the changes. A new hood features sculptured body lines sweeping forward to connect with similar lines on the fascia, with a large Hyundai badge positioned in the middle. The rear fascia is updated as well, bringing a bold new look to the lower portion with minor changes to the taillights up top. Badging on the back shows this particular Elantra is a Limited trim level. In short, it looks exactly like the Avante we saw a couple of months ago.
While our LA sighting doesn’t include interior photos, there’s no reason to believe it will be any different from the updated Avante, which isn’t different from the current Elantra save for a few tech changes. A built-in dash cam is among the new features, along with a clever air conditioning system that helps reduce the chance of mold in the car. Of course, there isn’t a guarantee these items will be part of the new Elantra in North America.
For performance fans, the Elantra N should return. It’s already a thing with the refreshed Avante, previewed back in April though there’s no word yet on potential changes to the powertrain. The current Elantra N makes 276 horsepower, while in the US, the standard Elantra packs a 2.0-liter four-pot with 147 hp or a 1.6-liter turbo with 201 hp. There’s also the Elantra Hybrid using a non-turbo 1.6-liter engine and an electric motor for a combined 139 hp.
We expect Hyundai will officially debut the refreshed 2024 Elantra soon, possibly in the next few weeks but by the fall at the latest.
