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Hyundai Elantra Review
As any successful automobile company in India, Hyundai too made it big with its small hatchback the Santro. Back in 1996 when Hyundai entered in India, there were not many car makers except for main stream biggies like Tata Motors and Maruti Suzuki.
Hyundai Santro was very well received by the Indian consumers as there was some freshness in the small car market. Success of Santro, i20 and the Accent proves that Hyundai has earned the required brand trust in India. The company is the largest car exporter and the second largest car manufacturer in India.
Though the company was successful in selling cars, the design of them was not among the best. Be it the hatch Santro or the premium Sonata, the cars lacked the zeal of a modern car until guys at Hyundai dropped the Fluidic language on all its models. Enter the Fluidic line and there was a sudden transition. The missing oomph factor was now present in abundance.
The Elantra which was launched in the A4 segment of cars in India was a good car but then the Neo Fluidic Elantra has torn the traditional by going under the scissors and coming out in an explicitly gorgeous way. Does the Neo Elantra take on competition with its fluidic lines is what we check out in this review.
Appearance Exterior
The previous generation Elantra was not a looker at all but then this one is too gorgeous to be real. I doubt it that perhaps this was one was a concept prototype which accidentally made it to production as well.
The new generation Elantra carries the same Fluidic Design language which the Verna brought in India. The flowing lines on the car make it look very sporty and aggressive. The front face gets well stretched headlamps which flow all the way to the side shoulderline. The strong profile line on the bonnet flows all through the body and joins the pillar with a high waist line. The fog lamp design matches the headlight’s lines.
Exterior design of this car is unlike other Hyundai. It has its shares of overhangs but then the extra proportions support and accentuate the design language. This one looks to e inspired from sharks. Short nose long mid body shape followed by a crisp boot line gives it a sporty stance. It has two distinct lines flowing on the side profile. One flows from the headlight and merges with the window line while the other flows straight across the doors and joins the tail lamps.
Wheel arches look flared. Door handles are done in chrome. The window line flows very close to the base line and gives it a fluidic roofline. The C-Pillars flow very elegantly from the roof with multiple layers.The rear tail lamps are very closely paired and give the car a very distinct rear look. The boot lid has a spoiler type lip integrated with it. Even the rear reflectors have been done in a very stylish way.
Appearance Interior
The Hyundai Elantra carries the fluidic language on the interiors too. It has multiple layers with the contours all over the trims. The central dashboard is made up of three colors grey, Aluminum and beige.
Instrumental cluster is very neatly done and is easy to read. Inside the meters, the needles are in red while the digits have a blue background which is not very pleasing to look at. However the entire arrangement is clean and can be operated easily. The instrumental cluster shows engine temperature, trip meter, fuel but then it surprisingly does not show the distance to empty tank which is very important a feature considering the segment and price of this vehicle.
The central console is wide on the top and gets narrow and slender as it flows down. It features a 2 DIN entertainment system with CD, USB and AUX-IN support. The music system performed decently across frequencies. The music system can also be operated with the help of controls on the rear passenger arm rest. It is a useful feature indeed but then it becomes a very irritating one if your rear passengers are curious 5-6 years old.
The AC Control deck is situated at the bottom. Even the rear passengers get AC vents to cool the second row space. In the Elantra, there is an option to control individual temperatures for driver and co-passenger directions. This one also has climate control. The unit performed really well in cooling the cabin efficiently. This section also has front row seat ventilation option which keeps the seats nicely ventilated.
The seats are nice and soft. The comfort in it is very good as the cushioning done is nice. In the negatives, the under thigh support of the second row seats is not sufficient and can be a reason of fatigue on long journeys. The driver seat can be adjusted electrically and the co-driver seat has to be operated mechanically. Because of the flowing door lines, the space may get cramped. For an average size individual, the legroom is good in the front row. In the second row, the sloping roofline will be an issue for taller passengers. The sloping roof line and the raising the window line make it a crowded area in the rear section.
The glove box doubles up as a cooling box with the connection via the AC. There are a number of pockets and storage options for both the front row as well as the rear passengers. The interiors of Elantra have been done well but then it cannot be termed as the best in its range. It scores lesser points than the fluidic outside.
Performance Drive
It comes in engine trims; the diesel is the same as on new Verna with similar performance figures. The diesel engine has a displacement of 1582cc and produces 128 PS of power and 26.6 kg.m of torque. The petrol unit which has a displacement of 1797cc produces 149.5 PS of power and 18.1 kg.m of toque. Both the engines are offered in manual as well as in automatic transmission. For this review, we had the petrol engine.
With the new Elantra, Hyundai has proved that they can make driver centric cars too. Even its predecessor when launched had made a new reputation for the company. The Neo Fluidic Elantra seems to push the envelope further.
The 1.8 L engine of the Elantra is very athletic in nature. The Verna is not very popular among enthusiasts for its driving dynamics but the Elantra is fantastic. It has a meaty growl at peak rpms. I have always believed that no car sounds like Honda when it comes to sporty exhaust notes but then the Elantra just challenged and changed my image.
The Elantra impressed me so much with its drivability that for now it my favorite Indian getaway car. It is not just the engine but the overall body design which helps the handling of this car. Even though it has a long wheelbase, the Elantra is super agile on corners. This car will make you super happy inside the city and also on the highways it performs decent. However, when the engine climbs higher rpms the surge in the power is not as much. Performance in mid level rpms is too good. The Elantra delivered a mileage of 11Kmpl which is average if not good considering the overall performance of the car.
Suspension setup is stiff. The Elantra also makes use of silica tyres which claim of a better mileage and overall performance. There is a shift indicator which keeps reminding the driver to up shift or down shift on a particular rpm to get the best fuel efficiency.
The steering is nice and crisp and is loaded with controls to operate the media, cruise control and other options. The steering feel is nice. Braking is decent but it lacks the punch and bite. It has discs on all four wheels. Maneuvering the car is decent. The Elantra also comes with a Electronic Stability Program(ESP) which keeps monitoring the dynamics of the car body and applies brakes once it detects the vehicle is about to skid. It also has Vehicle Stability Program which helps the car maintain its direction even in sudden braking on both dry as well as wet roads.
Technology wise, the Elantra has a VTVT (Variable Time Valve Train) which takes care of the intake and exhaust valve at different rpms. It helps the engine to produce better performance without compromising on mileage. In Safety, the Elantra has dual front airbags for the driver and passenger plus dual front seat mounted airbags and dual side curtain airbags which offer additional protection against side impacts.
Tech Specs
| Technical Specifications | ||
| Make | Hyundai | |
| Model | Neo Fluidic Elantra | |
| Variant | PL (Dual VTVT) | DSL(CRDi VGT) |
| Engine Capacity | 1797 | 1582 |
| Power in PS/RPM | 149.5/6500 | 128/4000 |
| Torque in Nm/RPM | 178/4700 | 260/2750 |
| Gears | 6/MT/AT | 6/MT/AT |
| Fuel | Petrol | Diesel |
| Length mm | 4530 | 4530 |
| Width mm | 1775 | 1775 |
| Height mm | 1470 | 1470 |
| Wheel base mm | 2700 | 2700 |
| Kerb Weight in Kg | 1270 | 1300 |
| Ground clearance mm | 167 | 167 |
| Fuel tank capacity | 55 | 55 |
| Turning circle radius in M | 5.2 | 5.2 |
| Tyre Spec | 205/60 R16 | 205/60 R16 |
| Fuel Effeciency(KMPL) | 16.3(MT) /14.3 (AT) | 22.7(MT)/ 19.1(AT) |
Features
| Features | VTVT 1.8 S | VTVT 1.8 SX | VTVT 1.8SX AT | CRDi 1.6 S | CRDi 1.6 SX | CRDi 1.6 SX AT |
| Power Steering | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Power windows | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Central locking | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| A/C | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Music system | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Fog Lamps | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Rear wind shield washer | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Defogger | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 16 " Alloy wheels | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Electrically adjustable ORVM | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Steering mounted audio control | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Rear seat arm rest | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Fuel consumption display | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Driver seat height adjustment | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| TGS Knob-leather | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Push button start | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Rear Camera | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Solar Glass | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| Driver seat electric lmber support | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| Auto Cruise Control | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| Leather seats | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| Leather AT knob | No | No | Yes | No | No | Yes |
| ABS | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Dual airbag | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Side and curtain airbag | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| Price Ex Showroom Mumbai | 1332483 | 1461308 | 1566202 | 1450954 | 1577893 | 1682803 |
Competition All Specs
| Specifications |
Hyundai
Neo Fluidic Elantra |
Renault
Fluence |
Honda
Civic |
| Variant | SX | Petrol E4 | 1.8V MT |
| Ex showroom Price Mumbai | 1441231 | 1529770 | 1432098 |
| Engine Capacity | 1797 | 1997 | 1799 |
| Power in PS/RPM | 149.5/6500 | 137/6000 | 132/6300 |
| Torque in NM/RPM | 178/4700 | 190/3700 | 171/4300 |
| Gears | 6/MT | 6/MT | 5/MT |
| Fuel | Petrol | Petrol | Petrol |
| Length mm | 4530 | 4618 | 4545 |
| Width mm | 1775 | 1813 | 1750 |
| Height mm | 1470 | 1488 | 1450 |
| Wheel base mm | 2700 | 2703 | 2700 |
| Kerb Weight in Kg | 1270 | 1210 | 1210 |
| Ground clearance mm | 167 | 170 | 170 |
| Fuel tank capacity | 55 | 50 | 50 |
| Turning circle radius in M | 5.2 | 5.3 | 5.4 |
| Tyre Spec | 205/60 R16 | 205/60 R16 | 195/65 R15 |
| Fuel Effeciency | 16 | 13.4 | 15 |
| Features | |||
| Power Steering | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Power windows | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Central locking | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| A/C | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Music system | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Fog Lamps | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Defogger | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Alloy wheels | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Upholstery | Leather | Leather | Leather |
| Steering mounted audio control | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Rear seat arm rest | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Fuel consumption display | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| ABS | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Airbags | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Conclusion
The Hyundai Elantra comes up as a very strong car. The exterior design is a very bold statement from Hyundai. With its fluidic looks and flowing lines, Hyundai offers a superb package. The Elantra is a sign of a matured Hyundai.
Slight issues like the fit and finish not being in league with the international players can be an issue. Also with the fact that Elantra is not made here, the cost of ownership is on the higher side. Slow availability of spares can be a risk one has to opt for. Purely talking mileage and the Elantra is not near to the Corolla Altis but then this car is a very interesting proposition. Hyundai with its densely populated service network assures will surely be a merit for the Elantra.
