Hyundai 2018 Elantra

Synopsis

2016 Hyundai Elantra has gone ahead of the last generation's curvy styling with no denial to the fact that it has gained much more modern design bits all around its body. The car now feels much more premium and locks horns with the market competition consisting of Toyota Corolla Altis, Skoda Octavia and Chevrolet Cruze. Each one of them has a specialty of its own, ranging from excellent mileage to a powerful engine and luxurious interiors to loads of space. Let's see how the new Elantra performs in its very own segment.

Dimensions

The car measures 4570 mm in length, 1800 mm in width and 1465 mm in height. The wheelbase is 2700 mm, being exactly the same as the old generation car. It has grown 40 mm in length, 25 mm in width while the height has been lowered by 20 mm.

Exterior

Hyundai's shift from the fluidic design language can be clearly seen on the 2016 Elantra. The edges which were finished in a flow are now more sharp while the relaxed nature of the older generation Elantra now gets some modern day attitude into it. The front looks totally refreshed, bringing the half a decade old design into 2016. The headlights have gone sharp while the design simply mixes into the hexagonal, modern and face enhancing grill. Addition of Boomerang shaped sections while missing the DRL's for a small projector fog lamp clearly indicates that Hyundai will cut those costs which are still not mandatory in India.

The rear section feels more upmarket with edgy lights and a big rear bumper. The boot opening feels a bit above other sedans of the class while the side profile looks superb and indicates how the boot design has been raised for a definite and unique character. Chrome handles and body colored ORVM's are the same as every car in its class. The roof line is in the traditional Hyundai style, leaving behind smaller windows to rear seat passengers.

Interior

The fluidic design within the interior has also been left for the much simple yet in-fashion design of the car's interior. The upper and lower dashboard has been neatly divided into two parts with a thick silver bar running all across the space. The large touchscreen sits proudly over all other components, making it on the easy reach of driver at all of the times.

The air vents have been neatly finished with no chrome hint, making brushed silver as the gentle and beautiful looking companion on the inside. The car now has a fully loaded, all new steering wheel, new instrument console with large MID which also brings back the analogue fuel gauge and engine temperature indicator. The temperature control and even the push start button are finished in fine Matt Silver. For the 1st time in India, Elantra now comes with an electric sunroof.

Engine & Gearbox

The new Elantra is powered by a 1.8 L dual VTVT petrol and 1.6 L CRDi VGT diesel motor. The petrol engine is a 1999 cc, 4-cylinder unit producing 152 PS @ 6200 rpm and 192.2 NM @ 4000 rpm. The diesel on the other hand is a 1582 cc, 4-cylinder unit producing 128 PS @ 4000 rpm and 260 NM @ 1900-2750 rpm. Both the engines are offered with a six speed manual as well as a 6-speed automatic transmission. The car if offered in a front wheel drive variant only.

Both these engines are highly refined and return some class leading efficiency figures (Petrol - 14.6 kmpl/Diesel - 22.5 kmpl). The ride feels powerful while triple digit speeds are more confidently dealt in the new Hyundai Elantra. The lack of paddle shifters is not evident as such as the car loves cruising more than it loves revving hard on the roads.

Brakes & Suspension

Hyundai offers the Elantra with 4 wheel disc brakes, which are further loaded with safety features like ABS, EBD, Electronic stability program and vehicle stability management. The front suspension is coupled torsion beam axle while the rear uses McPherson strut type with coil spring. The car engulfs a lot of swings within itself whereas handling the large potholes on some really dirty Indian roads is still unknown.

Safety & Comfort

Elantra offers a safe ride with its dual front as well as side and curtain airbags. The car comes loaded with seat belt pre-tensioners while speed sensing auto lock as well as impact sensing auto unlock makes it safe in times of emergency conditions. The automatic variant is even offered with Hill Start Assist while parking camera and sensors for the rear makes reverse as easy as driving up front.

Hyundai has not compromised on comfort of the passengers as the dual zone fully automatic temperature control system helps in providing the best possible climate inside the car. The steering mounted controls makes the least possible diversion for the driver by providing all the controls of telephony and music playback on the wheel itself. Not just that, the car even comes with ventilated front seats, cruise control and a 8 inch touchscreen infotainment system with navigation.

Shades

The new Elantra is offered in 5 mind blowing shades named Marina Blue, Polar White, Sleek Silver, Phantom Black and Red Passion.

Variants

Hyundai offers Elantra in 5 variants named S, SX, SX AT, SX(O) and SX(O) AT. The SX AT is not available for the diesel variant.

Price

The prices for the new Elantra starts at INR 12,99,000 (ex-showroom Delhi) for the S petrol variant while the diesel S comes at INR 14,79,000. The top spec diesel AT Elantra costs INR 19,19,000.

Verdict

The car has been very well placed in the Indian market. The starting price of INR 12.99 lakh is amazing while what may disturb some enthusiast is the lack of features on the S trim, loosing out the side and curtain airbags, reverse parking, projector headlight and even the LED taillights. The Elantra actually has been stripped totally down on the S variant while the SX even does not have some really important features.

The SX(O) has been well loaded while the price difference between the petrol and diesel is not properly justified. Paying INR 1.8 lakhs extra for the least powerful engine of its class over the great 2.0 L petrol won't be that nice. Overall, the car has been built with an all new spark, providing Hyundai lovers with a whole new story and a totally new design language.

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