For the first week of January we had the 2026 Hyundai Elantra N-Line to help us slowly get back on track with our day to day routine, outside of the holidays.
I liked the sportier look of the Elantra, stylish with angular lines across the body. The shadows they cast really popped against the white paint job.
The 2026 model felt like it was going back to basics with sprinkles of luxury and sport intertwined. There was a traditional odometer and speedometer, and a leather wrapped gearshift with the N-line logo labeled across it. This logo matched the leather seats and the floor mats. Similarly on the classic vein, the trunk and gas cap release button was the old-school lift lever, located at the base of the driver seat on the left hand side.
I was impressed by how much fuel such a small vehicle possessed. Over 580km, and even more when engaged in smart mode, which is their version of eco. Even with a week full of activities and outings I was still left with more than 1/4 tank left.
I thought it interesting that they dedicated so much space to the drive mode button. Located on the left hand side of the steering wheel, there was so much emphasis to push it. Although the act appeared more exciting than the result. Therefore, I wished I had more to toggle between than three options of normal, sport, and smart.
The vehicle felt intelligent, warning me of ice on the streets, and that I might potentially be driving the wrong way on a one way road. It was incorrect each time, but it was nice to know that it cared enough to try.
However, I couldn’t figure out how to sync my phone to the vehicle, despite the option to do so showing on the touch screen infotainment system. This was a shame, as there is an average sized screen that would have been nice to utilize. At least all my daily use buttons were within reach, readily available to my hands below said screen. The screen itself was smaller for a heightened view and minimalist feel across the dash.
As for the way the 2026 Hyundai Elantra drove, I did feel like it hesitated when accelerating and it was jerky through turns. Yet too much pressure on the petal caused an excess pressure of power. Although now that I say it, it actually probably equates to my driving ability, and that there was a lot more power than I expected from the 2026 Elantra.
