While companies like Ford and Chevy move away from sedans in favor of trucks, SUVs, and crossovers, we’ve got to give credit to Hyundai and sister-company Kia for sticking to the low-riding, three-box format. Joining the Kia Stinger, K900, and K5 as the newest member of the Cool Korean Sedans Crew is the 2021 Hyundai Sonata N Line.
The N Line isn’t a “real” N, but with suspension upgrades, a 290-horsepower turbo-four, and a dual-clutch transmission, it’s way more interesting than your high school buddy’s Sonata. It adds a sportier-looking front fascia with three extra intake slots, side skirts, 19-inch wheels, a slightly more aggro rear diffuser, dual-twin exhaust tips, and, of course, N Line badging. On the inside, the sport-leaning Sonata features dark chrome trim, red stitching, and sportier seats.
“The 2021 Sonata N Line will attract more customers to both the rock-solid Sonata lineup and our increasingly popular N Line sub-brand. Sonata N Line will appeal to customers who desire sporty styling in a sedan package,” said Hyundai design head SangYup Lee in a press release.
Essentially what we have here is Korea’s answer to the Toyota Camry TRD. While we don’t doubt that there’s a market for mid-size family sedans that are more sporty than sport, we can’t help but wish Hyundai would build a full-on, baby blue, crackling-exhaust Sonata N for its next cool four-door.
Correction: Tuesday, September 22, 4:50pm ET: A previous version of this story incorrectly described the performance upgrades of the Sonata N Line. The headline and relevant text have been updated. The Drive regrets the error.