Hyundai Elantra Elite
Road Test
Price Guide (recommended price before statutory & delivery charges): $25,590
Options fitted to test car (not included in above price): Metallic Paint $375
Crash rating: Five-star (ANCAP)
Fuel: 91 RON ULP
Claimed fuel economy (L/100km): 7.1
CO2 emissions (g/km): 169
Also consider: Ford Focus, Holden Cruze, Honda Civic, Kia Cerato, Mazda Mazda3, Mitsubishi Lancer, Nissan Tiida, Proton Persona, Suzuki SX4, Toyota Corolla
It’s obvious the small sedan and hatch sector Down Under is more popular than ever before. The Mazda3 for example was one of Australia’s best selling cars in recent months and Holden expects similar wins from its recently revised Cruze range. With this in mind, there’s strong evidence to suggest Hyundai’s new Elantra should also take a reasonable-sized slice of the small car pie.
For starters Elantra is competitively priced, and although it doesn’t scrape into the psychological sub-$20K bracket, it’s worth noting that few in this category still do. Add to that the amount of standard equipment packed into this not-so-squeezy small car and the figures really do make sense.
Testing the mid-spec Elantra Elite, we find a generous level of standard kit including Bluetooth telephony and audio streaming, keyless entry and push-button start, fog lamps, alloy wheels, cruise control, dual-zone climate control, rear parking sensors, auto headlamps and rain-sensing wipers.
What’s more these features aren’t just tacked on aftermarket items made to tick a box on the brochure -- they’re integrated. Function as you’d expect, espeically in the instance of the audio and infotainment array, is user-friendly to the point that the owner’s manual is virtually redundant.
An aluminium 1.8-litre four-cylinder provides ample motivation for most applications and adheres closely to the claimed combined cycle average of 7.1L/100km (we achieved 7.4L/100km). The output of 110kW/178Nm is sufficiently disseminated via a smooth shifting six-speed automatic transmission.
Handling is improved when viewed against the outgoing model with the chassis responding judiciously to changes in direction. The ride, however, borders on unyielding with even the smallest of corrugations felt through the otherwise comfortable seats and steering column. On smoother roads this isn’t an issue, and surprise, surprise, Elantra actually manages to inject some fun into the daily commute. But on rough C roads and unsealed surfaces it’s an obvious flaw in what’s otherwise a well suspended car.
Although it’s a pleasure to live with for the most part, Elantra is let down by thick A-pillars (that hinder visibility) and apathetic steering. The weighting through the wheel is appropriate for Elantra’s category, but the feel is artificial with a listless response from off-centre. Road and tyre noise is also considerable, and may affect those buyers who spend a lot of time on the open road.
Ingress and egress is notably straightforward. Elantra’s wide opening doors and accommodating H point give a feel of a much larger car. This should appeal especially to older buyers or those loading small children into car seats. On that note, Elantra offers three top-tether child seat mounts across the rear bench.
Cabin accommodation in front is generous with seat and steering column adjustment adequate for the majority of drivers. The rear seat however is best suited to younger children or shorter adults – the amount of headroom restricted by the car’s rakish roofline and the seat squab short of thigh.
The size of the boot’s aperture and amount of cargo space is better than expected (at 425 litres), but it isn’t class leading [Corolla takes that title]. A cargo net to keep smaller items from rolling around is a nice touch while larger items are assisted by a 60:40 split-fold rear seat. These can be opened from inside the boot, which is great. The space consumed by Elantra’s boot hinges into the cargo area is not.
For its handful of minor issues, Elantra is actually a very pleasant and well screwed together little package that proves just how far Hyundai has come in a relatively short space of time. Now on par or, in some cases, better than same-priced Japanese rivals, Elantra is one car worth test driving if a small sedan is on your shopping list.
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