In case you haven’t been automobile procuring shortly, you is perhaps shocked by one of many new automobile design traits: Hybrids are sporty now.

It was most likely inevitable that automotive engineers would get us right here. Two powertrains now equal extra energy.

It’s true of the signature hybrid — for the 2023 mannequin yr, the Toyota Prius received a glow-up that took it from the butt of jokes to a sinister-looking wedge with virtually 200 horsepower.

And it’s true of vehicles you might not understand are hybrids now except you see the badge. Living proof: the 2024 Hyundai Tucson N Line.

N and N Line

The Tucson, you might know, is Hyundai’s compact SUV. A competitor to the Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V, it’s recognized for one of the vital spacious interiors in its class, worth pricing, and robust security scores.

Hyundai’s N division could also be newer to you. It’s an in-house efficiency store that produces faster, sportier variations of Hyundai merchandise.

Some Hyundai choices get true high-performance fashions that compromise some day-to-day livability to get track-day efficiency numbers. These are known as N fashions. The Elantra N, as an illustration, packs 276 horsepower within the type of sedan the place you anticipate half that a lot giddyap, however every kind of bracing make it too stiff for drivers who don’t need one thing inflexible.

Different Hyundai automobiles get weekend athlete editions which are sportier than the standard variations however are by no means meant for the observe. These are known as N Line fashions. They typically have sportier suspension modes and typically turbocharged engines however lack the type of track-day enhancements that make a automobile a compromised commuter. The Tucson, starting in 2022, received an N Line mannequin.

The 2024 Tucson can even get an N Line mannequin. Nevertheless it’s a hybrid.

Extra Energy, Decrease Gasoline Prices

The 2024 Tucson N Line will use a 1.6-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine mated to an electrical motor to get 226 horsepower — 39 greater than the usual Tucson. It additionally beneficial properties customary all-wheel drive (AWD), an added-cost choice on different Tucson fashions.

As you’d anticipate from a hybrid, it’s additionally extra gas environment friendly. The N Line mannequin now will get 37 mpg in mixed driving — in comparison with 28 mpg from gas-powered fashions with front-wheel drive and 25 mpg from AWD fashions.

The 2024 Tucson N Line Hybrid AWD will begin at $36,405, a $1,130 enhance over the equal 2023 gas-only N Line mannequin.

Your complete Tucson lineup will get just a few different enhancements for 2024, together with new rear aspect airbags, a lane-keeping system that vibrates the steering wheel to warn you while you’re drifting out of your lane, and customary blind-spot collision-avoidance tech.