Hyundai's seventh-generation Elantra will soon receive the sporty N Line treatment, and design renderings published by the firm reveal the visual updates included in the transformation. Although it's not a full-fat N model like the Veloster, the sedan gains a more muscular design that likely hides several mechanical upgrades.

N stands for performance in Hyundai-speak, and the N Line will be positioned near the top of the Elantra range. Designers gave it an angrier-looking front fascia characterized by a model-specific grille painted black and wider air intakes with chevron-shaped inserts. It also receives side skirts, gloss black trim around the windows and on the mirrors, a trunk-mounted spoiler, as well as twin exhaust tips that stick out from the right side of an air diffuser.

Hyundai hasn't released images of the interior, though it noted the passengers will be surrounded by red accents. We don't know what's under the hood yet, but the bigger brakes visible through the 18-inch alloy wheels aren't there as decorations. Like we previously reported, power will almost certainly come from a turbocharged four-cylinder tuned to deliver at least 200 horsepower, and possibly as much as 220. An automatic transmission with shift paddles will send the engine's power to the front wheels, but it's too early to tell if a stick will be offered.

Suspension changes will be part of the package, too. Seeing an independent, multi-link rear suspension instead of the standard Elantra's more basic twist-beam setup seems likely. It will be milder than the 275-horsepower Veloster N, think of it as Hyundai's answer to the Honda Civic Si, but it still needs to be engaging to drive.

The extroverted Hyundai Elantra N Line will make its full debut online in the summer of 2020, and it will arrive in showrooms across the nation in the fall. It should land at about the same time as the Hybrid model. Fans of go-fast Hyundai models have a lot to look forward to in the coming months. Spy shots taken on the Nürburgring confirm the South Korean brand is working on a high-performance N-tuned Kona, and we hear the Venue — its smallest crossover — will spawn an N Line variant that will receive updates similar to the Elantra's.

Source: Autoblog

The Ioniq does something that we haven't seen before.

We fully charge a 2020 Hyundai Ioniq Electric and take it out on the New Jersey Turnpike to see how far it will go at a constant 70-mph (113 km/hr) in the latest chapter of the InsideEVs EV highway range tests. 

When the Ioniq Electric launched in 2017, it was the most efficient EV at the time. However, it wasn't long before the Tesla Model 3 Standard Range Plus edged out the Ioniq to become the efficiency king of the hill. Now the Ioniq's back with a larger battery and 46 more miles of EPA-rated range.

However, because of that larger battery (38.3 kWh compared to the previous version's 28 kWh), the 2020 Ioniq is slightly less efficient. But based on our highway range test, you'd barely notice. 

The 2020 Ioniq has an EPA-rated range of 170 miles, although we saw estimated ranges of 180 to over 200 miles when the vehicle was fully charged. However, that was after we drove it mildly around town, not at highway speeds so we weren't sure exactly how well the vehicle would do at a constant 70 mph. 

So far, the Tesla Model 3 has been the most efficient vehicle we've tested on our highway range tests, averaging 4.25 mi/kWh (14.59 kWh/100 km). The Ioniq crushed that and delivered an average 4.5 mi/kWh (13.78 kWh/100 km) over the test. 

The Ioniq shows an estimated driving range of 201 miles after charging up. That's 31 miles more than the EPA range rating. That's probably possible, but only with low-speed, easy driving.

We finished up driving 167.2 miles and had 2% battery state of charge remaining. We're certain we could have gone another 3.8 miles on the remaining 2% (and probably drove at least a mile after the state of charge reached zero, so we're calling the final range at 171 miles; exactly one mile greater than the Ioniq Electric's EPA rated range. 

We've never had an EV on our highway range tests prove capable of matching, or in this case, exceed its EPA range rating while driving at 70-mph, until now. Like Tesla, Hyundai has been known for its high-efficiency electric cars. Our recent 70-mph highway range test for the Kona Electric saw us netting 247 miles or range (the Kona Electric is EPA rated at 258 miles) with an average efficiency rating of 3.9 mi/kWh.

The final numbers on the Hyundai Ioniq Range test. *We still had 2% SOC when we stopped.

The Kona Electric 3.9 mi/kWh was second only to the Tesla Model 3's on our highway range tests at the time. Now, Hyundai and Tesla own the top three spots as far as efficiency goes on our highway range tests. We'd like to get a Tesla Model 3 Standard Range Plus to test, as it's the most efficient version of the Model 3, and actually the most efficient EV available today, according to the EPA. However, unlike every other auto manufacturer, Tesla doesn't provide media loans for road tests. The Model 3 we previously range tested was my personal vehicle. 

InsideEVs 70-mph highway range tests average efficiency, best to worst:

• Hyundai Ioniq: 4.5 mi/kWh (13.78 kWh/100 km)
• Tesla Model 3 Dual Motor Long Range 4.25 mi/kWh (14.59 kWh/100 km)
• Hyundai Kona Electric: 3.9 mi/kWh (15.9 kWh/100 km)
• MINI Cooper SE: 3.7 mi/kWh (16.76 kWh/100 km)
• Chevy Bolt EV 3.4 mi/kWh (18.24 kWh/100 km)
• Nissan LEAF Plus 3.4 mi/kWh (18.24 kWh/100 km)
• smart Electric Drive Cabrio 3.4 mi/kWh (18.24 kWh/100 km) *estimated 

Some notes about this range test:

The tires were adjusted before the drive to meet the manufacturer's recommended 36 psi. It was 71° F (22° C) degrees at the start and 79° F (26° C) at the end of the test. There was a mild, 4-6 mph crosswind for most of the drive. We drove in a loop on the New Jersey Turnpike to attempt to offset any elevation change and potential head or tailwind. The air conditioning was on for most of the drive and was set to 71° on the low fan setting.

About our highway range tests:

We always like to mention that these range tests aren't perfect. There are variables out of our control like wind, traffic, topography, and weather. However, we do our best to control what we can. We do these 70-mph range tests to provide another data point for potential customers that are looking for as much information on the driving range as they can get. As always, let us know your thoughts in the comment section below. 

Source: Inside EVs

The population of manual hot hatches is dwindling, and that's not surprising at all since the demand for three-pedal performance cars is shrinking as well. Volkswagen has dropped the stick-shift option for the hotter Golf variants (the diesel GTD and electrified GTE) with both only using DSGs. Thankfully, the German marque has kept the GTI with a six-speed manual.

Honda and Ford have also kept their manual hot hatches, with the Civic Type R, Focus ST, and Fiesta ST all using six-speed manual gearboxes.

Hyundai, on the other hand, vows to not abandon manual transmission for its N cars, according to a report by Carsales.

"Where possible, we would continue to like to offer buyers the choice of a manual transmission for purists or the eight-speed dual-clutch transmission," said Hyundai product planner Howard Lam in the Australian publication's report.

We're not completely surprised by this, though. Hyundai refreshed the i30 N hot hatch this year and thankfully, its six-speed manual tranny is still intact in its list of options along with a new seven-speed dual-clutch.

The i20 N, on the other hand, is nearing its launch. Previous reports speculated that the pocket rocket will or will not get a stick shift, but now purist fans of the brand will be able to sleep knowing that the Korean marque isn't dropping the MT option.

However, Hyundai recognizes that the demand for manual transmissions isn't that high anymore. In Carsales' report, Lam said, "It’s hard to say what growth we will achieve, but we understand that our competitors who offer an automatic have achieved significant mix with those transmissions ... We’ll just have to wait. I would say more people will buy the auto than the manual."

Source: Motor1

SangYup Lee, Hyundai's SVP and head of global design, surprised Auto Express with welcome news in saying, "There will be a production version of Prophecy coming after a production version of the 45 concept." Auto Express believes the retail version of the 45 will show later this year. The Prophecy could appear next year, slotted into the lineup as replacement for the current Ioniq. The South Korean automaker has worked intriguing ideas under the Ioniq's skin, taking the plunge four years ago to sell the same vehicle as a hybrid, a plug-in hybrid, and a battery-electric car. We don't imagine many will be disappointed to see the Ioniq reskinned with the Prophecy's lines — retaining the heavy curvature of "Sensuous Sportiness" design — in the process potentially becoming one of the most interesting eco-minded options on the market.

We've seen spy shots of 45 prototypes out in cold weather testing this year. The prototype's "more modern SUV style that's more mainstream" appears to still be in league with the production hatchback's form, but the 45 concept — which we thought stunning — sold itself in the detailing. We'll need to wait until the camo comes off the production models to really know what we're dealing with. 

It seems detailing and overall design has become an even bigger deal at Hyundai lately. Instead of creating a range with models defined by a common form but set apart through detailing, Lee told AE, "Our cars will be more like a chess board where you have a king, queen, bishop, knight. They all look different and function differently, but when they’re together they come as one team." The practical result is that the 45 and the Prophecy, both built on Hyundai's skateboard-shaped Electric – Global Modular Platform (E-GMP), "will look completely different." The Hyundai family DNA will come through in lighting technology instead of sheetmetal, the pixel lamp lights from both concepts the uniting feature in both form and function. We won't know what this truly means until the production Prophecy shows up next year, but we're looking forward to it.

Source: Autoblog