The Hyundai Elantra’s Korean magic
SMARTPHONES, K-pop stars, cosmetics, Korean BBQ, flat-screen TVs, and Korean cars. It doesn’t take an sociologist to realize that there’s been some sort of a Korean socioeconomic revolution over the last 15 years – and big Korean brands such as Hyundai have prospered with all this momentum.
From humble beginnings, Hyundai slowly built on its brand until it achieved its current status of being world-class. The badge now represents value for money, attractive designs and competitiveness in the automotive world.
In this week’s episode of Wheels, we revisited the charismatic Hyundai Elantra, which has been around in its current iteration since 2016, but continues to captivate many buyers. We took the chance to drive it around the Metro and to the Alpha Suites — classy, serviced suites towering above Ayala Avenue in Makati — where stylist and makeup artist EJ Litiatco shared her thoughts about Korean makeup, Korean beauty techniques and her secrets to achieving the “no-makeup makeup” look via Avant-Scѐne Korean cosmetics.
Taking off from the Alpha Suites, we drove to the City of Dreams Manila where we celebrated amazing and healthy Korean food at the O Kitchen restaurant. The “O” in the title stands for Oriental, and its Korean manager Hany Han was more than excited to explain the different flavors that came into play in its parade of Korean dishes.
Among its most popular dishes were a spicy Kimchi Stew; the timeless and super healthy Dolsot Bibimbap (rice topped with vegetables of different colors and mixed with a red Korean paste, served in a hot clay pot); L. A. Galbi which is grilled, marinated beef ribs; and a Tofu with Kimchi dish that is popularly eaten as a pulutan (dish paired with social drinking).
Han explained that she finds it fascinating that many Filipinos are very familiar with their Korean artists — and is amazed how they know their Korean pop stars even more than she does.
Riding on the rise of a more global acceptance of Korean products, Hyundai has most definitely made its mark in the Philippines — and it is not difficult to see why. Case in point: the Hyundai Elantra. It looks sleek and dynamic, and was crowned “Best New Small Sedan” at the Middle East Car of the Year Awards when the vehicle was first launched. The Elantra’s interior uses soft-touch materials, the dash buttons are intuitive, and the steering wheel and seats are delightfully ergonomic. After driving this car around traffic-riddled Manila, I came away impressed by its commendable fuel frugality.
At the end of the day, Hyundai is indeed a trusted, global brand that has sold its products not only within the region, but just as actively in the large markets such as Europe and the Americas. With their fluidic, eye-catching designs and eminently affordable price tags, the brand is sure to continue on its rise toward international recognition.