San Diego Union-Tribune (Sunday)
HYUNDAI’S NEXT-GEN ELANTRA IS CREASED, CONNECTED
Hyundai’s seventh-generation Elantra sedan sports a coupelike design, optional features including side-by-side instrument and infotainment screens under a single piece of glass, and a hybrid model that’s expected to average more than 50 mpg in combined driving.
Hyundai is not just not giving up on cars. It’s clearly aiming for segment leaders such as the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla, although the Elantra does come up short in available power, for now, at 147 horsepower in the gasoline model. A sport version with a turbocharged motor is probably not far off. The Elantra goes on sale in the U.S. in the fourth quarter, Hyundai said.
The Korean automaker unwrapped the new compact sedan in West Hollywood last week. The global debut at The Lot Studios was streamed live. Hyundai disinvited the media last week because of fears over the coronavirus.
“While some manufacturers no longer see the value in the car side of the business, we’re doubling down by offering an all-new model with both gas and hybrid powertrains,” said Brian Smith, COO for Hyundai Motor America.
The 2021 Elantra is longer, wider and lower than the outgoing model. It’s the second vehicle to employ Hyundai’s new “Sensuous Sportiness” design language. The creased exterior, with three lines meeting on the sides of the vehicle, is called “Parametric Dynamics” by the brand’s designers.
“The new Elantra is highlighted by its stance that looks like geometric crystals and divided body surfaces to get a strong emotional response from customers,” said Luc Donckerwolke, chief design officer for Hyundai Motor Group. The design is more coupelike than the outgoing model but has about the same interior space.
In the interior, the Elantra has available features usually seen on pricier cars. In addition to the optional 10.25-inch instrument cluster and infotainment screens, wireless Apple Carplay and Android Auto are a segment first, as is Hyundai’s digital key that unlocks the car on Android smartphones.
Voice recognition to adjust the climate control and other functions comes with the optional navigation system, which has a data connection that allows for realtime traffic information and route updates similar to smartphone applications, Hyundai said.
In addition to a standard suite of safety features, optional ones include radar cruise control and lane centering, a safe-exit warning when vehicles are approaching from behind and reverse automatic braking to avoid a collision while backing up.
The automaker did not provide pricing for the vehicle or its optional features.
The 2.0-liter four-cylinder in the gasoline model comes with a continuously variable automatic transmission, and Hyundai predicts the Elantra will deliver best-inclass fuel economy, but didn’t give a number.
The Elantra hybrid, a first for the nameplate, has a smaller, 139-hp 1.6-liter fourcylinder engine that combines with an electric motor driven by a lithium-ion battery. The hybrid is mated to a six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, which differentiates it from competitors that generally use a continuously variable automatic.