Can the new Hyundai Elantra N-line save the manual?

The year is 2025. There’s been a shift in the automotive world, with petrol-driven cars taking a bow and soundless EVs dominating the streets.

Somewhere in a bustling metropolis, a crazed hermit decked out in a fireproof racing suit, peppered with all kinds of car badges, is stopping people left, right and centre, handing leaflets out. His message: “Save the manuals!”

In and among this throng of passers by, Marty McFly and the Doc exchange looks of excitement. They’ll have to fire up the DeLorean, send 1.21 gigawatts of electricity through the flux capacitor, floor it to 88 miles an hour, and go back a few years to 2021, when the last of the six-speed manuals left the production line.

What’s the fuss about manual transmission?

There’s something truly enlightening about shifting gears at the precise moment. It’s almost like this moment right here:

Just ask Gordon Murray. He’s one of those guys that gets a kick out of feeling a gear change, and who can blame him? Instead of going hybrid or electric, Murray focused his attention on creating the best driver’s car in the T.50. And an Xtrac 6-speed manual gearbox was the key player in his master plan.

We’ve gone to lengths to describe the stark differences between automatic and manual transmission, and we can safely say that stick equals the ultimate driving experience.

That’s not to say there aren’t some fun automatic-transmission cars out there. Get yourself a nice VW R32 with a DSG automatic gearbox and you’ll feel like you’re piloting a go kart of sorts. But still, the six-speed manual transmission has been a revelation in the automotive world, and it would be a shame to see it go.

N-Line saves the day

We’re pretty pleased that the 2021 Hyundai Elantra compact Sedan is going all sport and will come with a six-speed manual. It will be a part of the N-Line family, which means N-level performance.

Add to the stick shift a turbocharged 1.6L engine with larger air intakes for better cooling, and you’ll be quite chuffed with the 201 horses and 195 lb-ft of torque, driven through that sacred six-speed.

If you’re not comfortable with the stick shift, you can still opt for a quick-shifting seven-speed dual-clutch automatic with paddle shifters.

So get N-Line (#dadjoke) for Hyundai’s latest bad boy, coming your way in 2021.

What’s the future of cars?

We’re still in the dark about what’s going to happen in the EV era when it comes to manual transmission. It looks like there are possibilities around it. I mean, just look at Mustang’s SEMA 2019 prototype, which featured a 6-speed manual transmission on an electric.

But the question here is, even if they do start releasing EVs with sticks, will it feel the same? Only time will tell. And if it doesn’t, we’ll just have to dial Doc and Marty up, and send them back in time to make sure the manual transmission petrol-cars don’t completely fall through. 

#Savethemanual!