This can be clearly seen in the Elantra and, personally, I can see why it’s so hot on the tail of the Honda Civic. The styling is bang up-to-date and for the price, it has one of the best dash layouts in the business. In fact, Ward’s recently named it one of the 10 best interiors in the industry.
The Elantra has also earned a Top Safety Pick from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).
Performance-wise, the Elantra can mix it up with the best of them. Although the 1.8L I4 powerplant is slightly smaller than some of its competition (Ford Focus, Mazda3, Nissan Sentra, all of which are 2.0L models), its HP/L ratio is actually greater than these. In fact, add in the competitors’ similarly powered 1.8L models (Honda Civic, Chevy Cruze, Toyota Corolla), and the Elantra still comes out looking rather impressive.
|
| Although the 1.8L I4 powerplant is slightly smaller than some of its competition, its HP/L ratio is actually greater than these. (Photo: Hyundai) |
The Chevy Cruze is the only other model in this group to offer its customers both 6-speed manual & 6-speed automatic transmissions. In fact, the Corolla is still being marketed with a 4-speed autobox. Perhaps it’s no wonder then that the Elantra boasts of best-in-class fuel economy (6.9 L/100km city, 4.9 L/100km highway).
The automotive industry is changing rather rapidly and, whilst I’ll readily admit that ten years ago Hyundai wouldn’t have even made it onto my radar, today is a whole different ball game. So for those seeking a compact sedan, you owe it to yourselves to at least check out this vehicle. I think you’ll be surprised…a lot of people have been!
