This is quite clearly a Hyundai is the latest car for the Indian market and is jumping right into exclusive sedan class. It is the new Hyundai Elantra. Hyundai’s previous cars didn’t have such a good run here in India but more recently with the Verna we have seen that Hyundai can give some really solid products that hit the sweet spot in Indian market. Can the Elantra hold on the Hyundai template now. Let's check it out.
Hyundai’s new Elantra has been making waves global and going just by the way it looks it is bound to be a winner in India as well. Coming to the design. Although, the flowing design somewhat looks like previous cars, the Elantra is distinguishable from other Hyundai’s. The headlamps are slimmer which stretch to the back and look sharper. Two sharp lines on the side and tight glass area make the Elantra looks sportier. The window line is sharper to the edge for a sporty look and it is neater than the other. The slim two backlight designs are very closer to the Sonata than the Verna. The high boot lip also has a sporty spoiler lip integrated into. The Elantra sports marks 16 inch alloys with 205 section rubber on it. That completes a striking and attractive package. The Elantra also features fog lamps and power mirrors with indicaotrs.
The Verna’s interiors were quite up to the mark when it came to materials and fit and finish. But now here the Elantra, things have gotten better several launches. The interior design of this 5th generation Elantra is a far drive from the interiors of the 3rd generation car that was on offer in India earlier. The multilayer dashboard throws down towards the center console. The design will make you smile, the narrow waist, the glossy black rim and chrome lining are really nice flourishes. The instrument cluster looks cool and it is easy to read too. There are lots of practical storage spaces around the cabin as well.
The dashboard has a digital clock on the top with the music system below. Apart from CDs it has connectivity for Bluetooth, USB and auxiliary post as well. The climate control air conditioning is found right at the bottom has independent temperature controls for the driver and the passenger. The Elantra sports keyless start, automatic headlights, cruise control, tilt and make adjusting to the steering wheel, a reverse camera and power folding mirrors with indicator lights. The top end Elantra features six way power adjustments for the driver seat well the passenger seat has to be adjusted manually. But both the seats are cool.
Elantra comes with an option of two engines – the petrol model is a new 1.8 liter motor that can change valve timing on the intake and exhaust case. It can also change the length of the intake track for the engine. All this technology has to improve efficiency and economy while reducing intake. The 1.8 liter petrol engine has a power of 146bhp and 18kgm of torque. With an option you can choose the 6-speed manual or automatic gearbox. The second option engine is the diesel engine 1582cc CRDI Motor with 126bhp power and 26.5kgm of torque. When the power is channelised to the six speed manual gearbox , the Elantra was quite perfect. Elantra gives a mileage of 13 kmpl in a six speed manual gearbox which is really impressive. Now if you are driving in lower speed in the city it gives pretty good performance to beat the traffic but if you put your foot down suddenly dynamic expecting to move ahead, it's not going to do that. On fast smooth highways the six speed manual the Elantra cruise effortlessly. It hits triple digits with ease and crunches kilometers without any lag. Now when it comes to the automatic gearbox, the Elantra uses six speed automatic gear transformation for better performance on highways. The diesel automatic version is very clearly focused to the cites driving and stop go conditions but the wheel drove it pretty much out on the highway. In diesel manual mode, the shifts are smooth and quick responsive for a better drive ability. Overall seems to be a pretty nice gear. Still Elantra is a very exciting vehicle to drive very smooth and long highways.
The suspensions are very good in low speed drive and city drive it feels very comfortable but as a speed drive out in the highways you will find that body control is not that great. At low speed the steering feels very nice but at higher speed you will feel inconsistent. However the Elantra can boost of a really long 270cm wheel base. A couple of millimeters more would have made it a longest in its class. The 16 inch alloy wheels with p205/60R16 tires also promise a difference in the dynamic department. Even though it won't be exciting the combining micro electronic area of ESE, ABS and VSA are sure to make Elantra a safer sedan. Elantra promises everything we expect from Hyundai’s new generation of cars and in some areas it delivers a little bit small. The Elantra is a stylish looking vehicle with lots of features. It is a slight city focused car, low speed drive I very comfortable, high speed dynamics not the best but it is better than what we expected. Another area of improvement needed is in the interior fit finish and quality. Overall it is a vehicle which offers you a lot of value and its engine option also gives you a lot to think about it. You have got a option of petrol, diesel, automatic gearbox , manual gearbox all for a midrange variant makes it a really strong package offered from Hyundai. The Ex-howroom price of Hyndai Elantra is Rs.1300000/- in India.
