2021 Hyundai Sonata N-Line to have 290 horsepower

The 2021 Hyundai Sonata N-Line model is coming into focus, as Hyundai released some official information to Car and Driver on the hot sedan coming soon. It’ll have a 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that makes approximately 290 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque — those figures are still subject to change, but they’re a big jump up from either the 2.5-liter non-turbo (191 hp/181 lb-ft) or the 1.6-liter turbo (180 hp/195 lb-ft). This engine will be paired exclusively with an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic, sending power to the front wheels.

It’s more than just the hot engine, too, according to C/D’s reporting. Hyundai lowered the car by 0.2 inch and gave it more aggressive shocks, springs and anti-roll bars for better handling. On top of this, the N-Line gets summer tires mounted on N-Line-specific wheels. Larger brakes all around bring the more powerful car to a stop, as well.

These incremental performance gains are consistent with what Hyundai has most recently done with the N-Line name. It’s a step below a full-on N car, but offers considerably more performance than a regular Hyundai. The Sonata N-Line is set to look the part, too. We don’t have images of a completed N-Line at this point, but expect a host of design adjustments and aggressive styling all around. A sportier-looking interior is a given, as well.

We’re excited to see the N-Line taking shape as Hyundai continues its launch of the new Sonata. What we won’t see, according to a Motor1 report, is a Sonata N. That would mean ramping it up to another level of performance, putting it on the same plane as the Veloster N. It would’ve been neat, but we’re not heartbroken.