Hyundai Elantra: less in the shadow

Hyundai

Germain Goyer

Saturday, 14 October, 2017 09:00

UPDATE
Saturday, 14 October, 2017 09:00

Look at this article

The compact sedan segment has a ton of players. There are, obviously, the references that sits at the top ever since: Toyota Corolla and Honda Civic. There’s also the Volkswagen Jetta and the Mazda 3 for those who are willing to earn a little bit of driving pleasure to the detriment of reliability. And there’s the Hyundai Elantra.

Long looked down upon by its rivals, the Elantra came in a manner reviewed and improved in 2017, thus forgetting the previous generations.

The Elantra is popular in Quebec, we can discuss it. In the most recent rankings of the 50 vehicles sold in the province, the compact sedan of Hyundai has been ranked in the third place, behind the Ford F-Series and Honda Civic. A position enviable.

Hyundai Elantra 2017

Hyundai

What lurks under the hood

A choice of two four-cylinder engines is offered to the buyer of an Elantra: 2.0-litre atmospheric-and 1.6-litre turbocharged engine for the Sport version. The latter is available with a six-speed manual transmission or a dual-clutch automatic with a report of more.

As for the base engine, found in our trial version, it can be paired with the manual transmission, referred to above or to a conventional automatic with six reports. This last proved to be quite effective and many times less unpleasant than a continuously variable transmission (CVT) that is found in several competitors.

Developing 147 horsepower and 132 lb-ft, the engine does the job without flinching but also without lifting of passions.

Despite the superstructure of which Hyundai never ceases to boast about, the road handling of the Elantra remains acceptable and far from being mind-blowing. What is more striking, it is its softness and quietness. This is very nice and I enjoyed very much.

Hyundai Elantra 2017

Hyundai

At the pump

This is the component of the fuel consumption, the Hyundai Elantra doesn’t stand up well to its main opponents. In the city and on the highway, it consumes respectively of 8.3 and 6.4 L/100 km. In the city, it is as much as the Jetta, but it’s more than the Civic (7.8 L/100 km) and the Sentra (8.1 L/100 km). On the road, the Jetta (5.9 L/100 km), the
Civic (6.0 L/100 km) and, more accurately, the Sentra (6.3 L/100 km) offer a power consumption of less than the sedan in Korean.

Hyundai Elantra 2017

Hyundai

Development

Although a little low, the driving position remains quite acceptable. The interior is dark and predominantly black in color. It has not tried to do in arc-en-ciel and it is so much better. He gets older no doubt well. As for the seats, they could certainly provide better support. Personally, I was much better sitting at the edge of the
Jetta, for example.

The target clientele of the compact sedan is wider. We find both students and small families and members of the golden age. Regardless, the category to which you belong, a large trunk is always handy. Be aware that the one of the Elantra is roomy (407 litres), but still less than some of its rivals: 428 litres for the Honda Civic and Nissan Sentra and 440 litres for the Volkswagen Jetta.

Technology

The infotainment system as found on the Hyundai Elantra isn’t the most intuitive on the market. It would be false to say that it is complex, but its use still requires some effort. In comparison, the system UConnect, which is integrated in most vehicles of the group
FCA, is infinitely more easy to use. But hey, I guess it is also a simple matter of habit.

Hyundai Elantra 2017

Hyundai

Brief

If you are looking for a good deal, the Elantra could be an interesting avenue. The offensive marketing of Hyundai is very aggressive, and promotions followed. If this model interests you, stay tuned for offerings from the Korean manufacturer. It is in this chapter that it stands out among others.

By the way, if you buy an Elantra new, plan to keep it for a long time. Despite its qualities, it depreciates quickly and you would be greatly disappointed of its low resale value after only a few years.

Technical data sheet

Name: Hyundai Elantra 2017

Base price: 15 999 $

Price of model tested: 23 999 $

Configuration: the Vehicle front-wheel drive with engine at the front

Mechanical: Engine four-cylinder 2.0-liter atmospheric

Power/torque: 147 hp/132 lb-ft

Transmission: six-speed Manual or automatic six-speed

Fuel consumption announced: 8.3 L/100 km (city) 6.4 L/100 km (highway)

Warranty basic: 5 years/100 000 km

Competition: Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla, Nissan Sentra, Subaru Impreza, Volkswagen Jetta, Mazda 3

Rating (out of 10)

Fuel consumption: 6

Equipment: 7

Price: 8

Style: 7

Comfort (front): 7

Comfort (rear): 6

Road holding: 7

Performance: 6

Storage space: 7

Overall rating: 7

Forces

Base price attractive

Smooth ride

Automatic Transmission simply effective

Weaknesses

Boring to drive

Resale value less than its competitors

Front seats lacking in support