Hyundai Elantra / Avante

	Hyundai Elantra / Avante
	Debut: 2010 Maker: Hyundai Predecessor: Elantra / Avante (2006)

Published on 25 Jan 2011

Mainstream C-segment family cars are usually styled conservatively. The reason is simple – they cover the widest customer portfolio, from blue-collars to white-collars, from young couples to retirees, from housewives to police department… so their makers tend to play safe in design. Recalling my memory for the past 20 years, very few C-segment cars demonstrated a radical styling theme – the 1997 Mercedes A-class, 1998 Ford Focus, 2002 Renault Megane II, 2005 Citroen C4 and the current Honda Civic european hatchback. That's probably all. Now we are pleased to see Hyundai has joined this camp with its new Elantra.

As before, the car is called Avante on its home soil and Elantra for export market (mostly USA and China). A new name would have been more appropriate to fit its radically new image, but the Korean, like Japanese, are keen to stick with traditional nameplates in order to extend their accumulative sales records.

Compare with other cars in the class, the new Elantra looks clearly the sportiest. It is low (50 mm lower than the new Ford Focus) and long, accompanied with a generous 2700 mm wheelbase and incredibly steep A and C-pillars to realize a sporty profile. "Fluidic Sculpture" is the right term to describe its twisting and flowing body shape. An in-your-face front grille and headlamps might not be everyone's taste, but they do make the Elantra striking. It sends a clear message to its established Japanese and European rivals: Move on or I'll eat you ! Now I wonder what Volkswagen American think of its hugely conservative new Jetta.

The new Elantra is not all about design. It is also adequately built and engineered. No matter the cabin, engine compartment or luggage bay, there are no signs of cost savings normally associated with Hyundais of the past. Yes, the interior might not employ as much high-quality soft plastics as the latest European family hatches, but most of its surfaces are textured, matt-treated or padded so that it can easily shame the entry-level Jetta and Corolla with which it compete. The organic design of its interior might not be everyone's taste, but it is undeniably well equipped and spacious. US EPA rates its interior as mid-size car, a testimony of its spaciousness. Passengers front and rear enjoy good deal of legroom due to its super-long wheelbase. The only complaint is rear headroom, which is compromised by the slopping rear window. However, you will need to be over 6 ft to find real problem.

Dig deeper under the skin, you will find a chassis whose torsional rigidity is 37 percent up from the last generation, yet the whole car weighs a class-lightest 1160 kg in its basic form. Torsion-beam rear suspension and electrical power steering are nothing special for the class, but the engines it employs are especially sophisticated. In South Korea they get a 1.6 GDI "Gamma" engine with aluminum head and block, dual-continuous VVT, variable-length induction, direct injection, roller timing chain and low-friction diamond-like coating on tappets. It produces a remarkable 140 horsepower and 123 pound-foot of torque, the best among mainstream naturally aspirated 1.6-liter engine. (for comparison, Toyota's 1.6 Valvematic produces 132hp despite of variable valve lift) In the United States where GDI is still uncommon due to high sulphur fuel used, they get a port-injected 1.8-liter "Nu" engine instead. Much the same technology results in 148 hp and 131 lbft. It guarantees an impressive 40 mpg EPA highway rating. Transmission is up-to-date, too. You can choose between a 6-speed manual or 6-speed automatic with manual override.

Nevertheless, the good specifications are not totally reflected on the road. Don't get me wrong, the new Elantra is still a vast improvement from the old car in terms of driving dynamics. Its performance is good for a 1.8-liter naturally aspirated engine. In most of the time the engine feels willing and refined, too. However, push it beyond 6000 rpm and it starts sounding harsh. Compare with its turbocharging rivals, most notably FIAT's 1.4 Multiair, Volkswagen 1.4 TSI and PSA's 1.6-liter DI turbo, its lack of low-down torque leads to less accessible performance, hence you are more likely to rev it into its noisy zone. That doesn't make it a particularly refined car.

The NVH engineering also seems to be somewhat compromised by the pursuit of lightweight. We can live with its European-style firm ride, but not the excessive road noise heard in the cabin. Although its noise insulation is already an improvement from the old car, it cannot match the vastly lifted class standard brought by its European rivals like Golf, Focus and Astra, or to lesser extent Chevrolet Cruze. As a result, once on the move the Hyundai feels like it is built to cost.

The handling of Elantra neither impresses nor disappoints. It displays decent body control, grip and braking, and is overall easy to drive. However, fun it is not. Its electric power steering feels artificial and numb, way below the standard of its latest rivals. Its gearboxes are no more than average – manual gearbox comes with a light clutch and vague gearshift, while the 6-speed auto is reluctant on downshift due to its lack of throttle-blip.

Hyundai's latest C-segment effort is strange. While it looks sporty outside, it is actually dull to drive. While its interior measures like a class above, its design and refinement say otherwise. That said, we like its exterior styling and excellent value for money. Although it is still some way behind class leaders, it won't be a bad purchase to those who do not demand the most sophisticated build and driving dynamics.

Verdict:

Published on 28 Jun 2012

Elantra Coupe

As you can see, Hyundai Elantra Coupe looks remarkably close to its sedan sibling. Apart from a blackened mask, the loss of rear doors and redesigned side windows, it is difficult to tell what separates it from the 4-door. Because the latter already possesses a coupe-style roof line, Hyundai even keeps that roof line intact on the coupe. The result is a remarkably roomy cabin – both rear head and legroom are no smaller than the sedan's.

The downside? Lack of character. These days almost all other manufacturers work hard to differentiate coupes from their based sedans by rebodying them and retuning the mechanicals. Most fit them with more powerful engines, too. In contrast, the Hyundai keeps not only most body panels but also the same powertrain, i.e. a long-stroke 1.8-liter Nu DVVT and VIM engine in combination with either 6-speed manual or 6-speed auto. It produces decent horsepower but the way it delivers the power is far from willing, especially at high rpm. The manual gearbox is clunky to be hurried, whereas the auto box tends to upshift early to save fuel. With a longish 6th, it delivers 40 mpg on highway, which would be a rare achievement for a compact sedan, let alone a coupe.

But then the Elantra Coupe is not a real coupe but a thinly disguised econo sedan. This is obvious to see from its interior which features the same dashboard, seats and everything. The underpinnings are also much the same, save a quicker ratio steering and the addition of an integral anti-roll bar to the twist-beam rear suspension. The latter manages to destroy its ride refinement on broken surfaces without any obvious benefit to handling. The steering remains vague. If you want to have a bit driving fun, you had better to look elsewhere. Scion tC, Kia Koup and Civic Coupe are neither rated highly here, but they are good enough to beat the Hyundai for driving experience. However, if all you want is a roomy, frugal and affordable car with a coupe look, then it may be worth considering.

Verdict: