New Elantra unveiled in Korea

Hyundai yesterday revealed its sixth generation Elantra at the company's Namyang R&D Centre in South Korea.

Sleeker than the car it is set to replace with a drag coefficient of 0.27Cd, the new Elantra is also slightly larger (20mm longer, 25mm wider) and stronger, with a body shell containing higher levels of ultra-high-strength steel.

Three engines on offer will be a 1.6-litre direct-injection petrol four-cylinder, a 1.6-litre turbo-diesel and a 2.0-litre port-injected petrol four-cylinder running an Atkinson cycle. Hyundai has three transmissions available for different drivetrain variants. These are six-speed manual and automatic transmissions, plus a seven-speed dual-clutch unit.

Boasting safety features such as Autonomous Emergency Braking, High Beam Assist (HBA), Blind Spot Detection and Rear Cross Traffic Alert, the new Elantra will also introduce sophisticated comfort and convenience features to its equipment list, including Integrated Memory Seat (IMS), Smart Trunk and an eight-speaker Harman Kardon audio system.

"The Elantra has set forth new standards for global compact-size sedans in each generation. With the pursuit to achieve world's best technology, the newly introduced All-new Elantra was developed with concerted efforts of all our employees at Hyundai Motor," said Woong-Chul Yang, Vice Chairman of Hyundai R&D.

"The All-new Elantra incorporating Hyundai Motor's full capacity will not only provide innovative experiences and values to customers worldwide but also lay the foundation to regain momentum amidst difficulties surrounding the automobile industry," added Yang.