Hyundai N models, including Elantra N and Ioniq 5 N, are part of automaker’s new high-performance sub-brand [Video]

LOS ANGELES (KABC) — Hyundai makes lots of practical vehicles. For example, the Elantra compact. But there’s also a performance sub-brand at Hyundai called simply “N,” which stands for Nürburgring, the famed test track in Germany where top performance cars prove their mettle. And for Namyang, the South Korean district where Hyundai does most of its R&D work.

The Elantra N is the snorting, high-powered hotter cousin of the regular model, with 276 turbocharged horsepower under the hood, the option of a six-speed manual transmission, and track-developed suspension and brakes. It may still be a practical four-door sedan, but this purpose-built Elantra could embarrass some much more expensive cars on a curvy road. The Elantra N has a base price of $33,700 with the six-speed manual transmission. The automatic version starts at $35,200.

Now comes another facet of the Hyundai N brand, an all-electric model. The Ioniq 5 Nemploys the same formula for high performance, it …