A new generation of the Avante, the compact sedan sold in the US as the Elantra, is on sale in Korea. Hyundai calls it the all-new Avante (디 올 뉴 아반떼), and contracts opened on August 5, 2026. In the US, Hyundai’s site still lists the 2026 Elantra, which carries over the outgoing generation.
So for now, the Avante and the Elantra aren’t just one car with two names. They’re two different generations. We compared Hyundai Korea’s catalog and price lists with Hyundai USA’s 2026 Elantra specs on October 21, 2026. Here’s what Korea has and what Hyundai hasn’t announced yet.
How we compared
All specs and prices below come from Hyundai’s official sources: Hyundai Korea’s Avante catalog and price lists, Hyundai Motor Group’s Korean press release, Hyundai USA’s Elantra spec page and Hyundai’s owner’s manual portal. We didn’t use figures from news reports.
Figures in parentheses (hp, lb-ft, inches, gallons and mpg) and the size differences are our own conversions and subtractions.
Same name, two generations right now
Hyundai calls the new car the eighth-generation Avante, a full redesign six years after the previous one. The owner’s manual portal shows the split through model codes.
- Korea, 2027 Avante: CN8
- Korea, 2027 Avante Hybrid: CN8KH
- Korea, 2026 Avante N: CN7N
- US, newest gas Elantra manual on the portal: 2023 (CN7a)
CN7 is the code for the outgoing generation. The portal has no newer gas Elantra manual, but the 2026 Elantra’s listed engine and dimensions match the outgoing car, and Hyundai hasn’t announced a new US generation. So we treat the 2026 Elantra as CN7. As we explain further down, the Avante N hasn’t moved to the new generation either.
What’s on sale in Korea
The all-new Avante comes with two powertrains, a 2.0 gas engine and a 1.6 hybrid, and three trims: Modern, Premium and Inspiration. In its August launch release, Hyundai scheduled gas deliveries to start in the third quarter of 2026. Hybrid deliveries start after the car appears in the government’s eco-friendly vehicle notice, when Hyundai will also publish its tax-reduced price.
These are Hyundai Korea’s list prices, including VAT, from the price lists for the model released August 5, 2026. Options are extra.
| Trim | 2.0 gas (KRW) | 1.6 hybrid (KRW) |
|---|---|---|
| Modern | 23,980,000 | 30,420,000 |
| Premium | 27,710,000 | 33,610,000 |
| Inspiration | 31,520,000 | 36,990,000 |
The hybrid prices are before tax benefits. The hybrid price list leaves the after-benefit price blank and says it will be announced after the official eco-friendly vehicle notice.
Every trim gets Hyundai’s new Pleos Connect infotainment with a 12.9-inch or 14.6-inch screen. The base Modern trim also has 10 airbags, smart cruise control with stop-and-go and Lane Following Assist 2. The Gleo AI voice assistant is standard from the Premium up and comes in an option package on the Modern.
New Avante vs the 2026 US Elantra
This table puts the Korean 2.0 gas car next to the gas Elantra on Hyundai USA’s spec page. The US figures are for the SE. The SEL Sport and SEL Sport Plus columns on the same page list the same engine and dimensions.
| Korea: all-new Avante 2.0 | US: 2026 Elantra | |
|---|---|---|
| Generation | 8th (CN8) | Outgoing (CN7, see above) |
| Engine | 2.0 gas, 1,999 cc | 2.0 gas, inline 4-cylinder |
| Power | 149 PS (147 hp) at 6,200 rpm | 147 hp at 6,200 rpm |
| Torque | 18.3 kgf·m (132 lb-ft) at 4,500 rpm | 132 lb-ft at 4,500 rpm |
| Transmission | IVT | IVT |
| Length | 4,765 mm (187.6 in) | 185.4 in |
| Width | 1,855 mm (73.0 in) | 71.9 in |
| Height | 1,425 mm (56.1 in) | 55.7 in |
| Wheelbase | 2,750 mm (108.3 in) | 107.1 in |
| Fuel tank | 47 L (12.4 gal) | 12.4 gal |
| Base screen | 12.9-inch Pleos Connect | 8-inch touchscreen (SE) |
| Starting price | 23,980,000 won | $22,825 MSRP |
Hyundai Korea calls the 2.0 more powerful than the engine in the previous Korean Avante, but against the US car the listed output is the same once you convert the units. What grew is the body. By our subtraction, the new gas Avante is about 56 mm (2.2 in) longer, 29 mm wider, 10 mm taller and has a 30 mm longer wheelbase than the 2026 Elantra.
We haven’t converted the prices. Korean list prices include VAT, while US MSRPs exclude freight, taxes and fees, so an exchange-rate comparison would mislead more than it helps.
The official Korean combined rating for the gas car is 14.3 km/L on 16-inch wheels, or about 33.6 mpg US. The US EPA figure for the SE is 35 mpg combined, but the two tests are run differently, so the gap doesn’t tell you which car is thriftier. Our Kia K8 guide has a converter if you want to turn other Korean km/L ratings into mpg.
The hybrid
The Avante Hybrid pairs a 1.6 gas engine (105 PS) with a 45 kW motor, for a system output of 157 PS (155 hp), through a 6-speed dual-clutch gearbox. It stands 1,430 mm tall, 5 mm more than the gas car. Its official Korean combined rating is 21.2 km/L on 17-inch wheels, about 49.9 mpg US, and 19.9 km/L on 18-inch wheels.
Hyundai also lists a stay mode, which runs the climate and infotainment on battery power while the car is stopped and the engine is off. We didn’t check the US Elantra Hybrid’s spec page for this guide, so we haven’t compared the two hybrids.
What Hyundai hasn’t said yet
US timing and specs. On October 21, 2026, Hyundai USA’s site listed only the 2026 Elantra. We didn’t find US specs, prices or a launch date for the new generation on Hyundai’s official pages. Until Hyundai publishes one, treat any date you see as a guess.
The Avante N. Hyundai Korea still sells the Avante N on its own page, from 33,560,000 won. Its newest manual is the 2026 model with the CN7N code, so it’s still based on the previous generation. We found no official announcement of an N version of the new car.
Reading Korean Avante listings
Korean dealers and used-car sites write the name as 아반떼. “디 올 뉴 아반떼” (The All-New Avante) is Hyundai’s name for the eighth generation. Older Avantes carry other prefixes, and our Hyundai and Kia name lookup table explains how those prefixes work.
The quickest check on a used listing is the date. Contracts for the new car opened on August 5, 2026, so an Avante first registered before then is the previous generation. One registered after that date could be either, since the Avante N, still on the previous generation, is sold alongside it. In that case, look at the car itself. The new one has Hyundai’s Art of Steel design and what Hyundai calls H-edge lighting at the front.
The Avante isn’t the only Hyundai sedan known by another name abroad. Our Grandeur vs Azera guide covers the larger sedan that Hyundai’s global site lists as the Azera.
Where to check the current specs
Hyundai updates its price lists, so check these pages before relying on a figure:
- Korea: Hyundai all-new Avante (in Korean, with the price list and catalog linked from the page)
- Korea: Hyundai Avante N (in Korean)
- Korea: Hyundai Motor Group press release on the Avante launch (in Korean)
- US: Hyundai USA 2026 Elantra specs
- Model codes: Hyundai owner’s manual portal
Last checked: October 21, 2026. Sources: Hyundai Korea all-new Avante catalog and price lists for the gas and hybrid models (model released August 5, 2026), Hyundai Korea Avante N page, Hyundai Motor Group press release of August 5, 2026, Hyundai USA 2026 Elantra specifications, Hyundai owner’s manual portal (Korea and US).
