We drove Hyundai’s new Elantra at Australia’s Gold Coast and found the Korean to have moved its goalposts in terms of spaciousness, refinement and performance. Its elegant styling is certainly not inferior to those of its Japanese competitors, either!
By Mike Fourie – Editor
We drove Hyundai’s new Elantra at Australia’s Gold Coast and found the Korean to have moved its goalposts in terms of spaciousness, refinement and performance. Its elegant styling is certainly not inferior to those of its Japanese competitors, either!
The Elantra is the seventh all-new model from Hyundai in 24 months and made its début at the New York Show in April. At the time, Hyundai hoped the Elantra’s curvier body, enhanced safety features and a longer wheelbase (for greater passenger comfort) would allow the Korean to move upmarket and trade on more than just its solid reputation for being dependable transport.
Surveying the car in the metal for the first time, it was immediately clear that Hyundai had added a notable number of tasteful curves and lines to its mainstay. I particularly liked the soft “S” character line that runs along the Elantra’s waistline, the plunging roofline and the curvaceous high rear section with its handsome trapezoidal wraparound rear lights. But while the rear of the car is quite striking – especially on cars with dark metallic finishes, the front of the Elantra (neat chrome-accented front grille notwithstanding) is too derivative of that seen on the Accent. However, given its 16-inch rims and flared wheelarches, Elantra strikes an elegant pose.
From the onset, Hyundai made a point of making reminding the media contingent that the Elantra is substantially roomier than either of its archrivals – the Honda Civic or Toyota Corolla. The Elantra’s wider and taller than its predecessor and its wheelbase has increased by 40mm (although the overhangs are shorter) and the American-based EPA now rates the notably spacious subcompact as a midsize car thanks to its claimed 3 174 dm3 of interior volume.
Inside the cabin, the Elantra offers excellent all-round visibility and tangible impression of good build quality. The dashboard has a soft-touch texture and although the architecture is anything but avant garde, there are space-age touches such as the protruding and the sky blue-illuminated climate control bank at the bottom of the fascia. The buttons illuminate brightly at night and the digital readouts are shown in an oval and chrome-rimmed “looking glass” – very Star Trek!
Apart from the roomy cabin, large boot and multiple storage options, the Elantra’s standard specification includes MDPS (Motor Driven Power Steering), tilt- and reach-adjustable steering wheel with mounted audio remote and cruise controls, power windows and solar controlled windshield glass, electronic trunk lid and keyless entry, adjustable cup-holders, an illuminated glove box, power central locking, power adjustable side mirrors with built-in heaters, three-way nozzle windscreen washers and a power outlet.
In terms of safety, the Elantra is not found wanting. The Korean offers six standard airbags, with two front-, two front seat-mounted side-impact-, and two side curtain units, ABS (front and rear brakes are larger than before), front-seat active head restraints and ESP. The subcompact rides on a MacPherson strut front suspension with coil springs and gas shock absorbers and a multi-link rear setup with twin-tube gas shock absorbers. The Elantra’s multi-link suspension’s independent coils are said to contribute to a more stable ride and better handling characteristics with improved resistance to lateral forces, better roll efficiency and reduced levels of NVH.
I drove both the five-speed manual and four-speed automatic versions of the 2,0-litre 16-valve CVVT model, which produces 105 kW at 6 000 r/min and 185 N.m of torque. Hyundai SA plans to introduce the 2,0-litre model in South Africa in the first quarter of next year with prices starting between R170 000 and R180 000. At the time of this report is was not yet clear whether both versions would be offered.
A full driving impression of the Hyundai Elantra, including a review of its handling, ride and overall performance capabilities, will appear in an upcoming issue of CAR Magazine.
