Hyundai Elantra

On the inside, the previous generation Elantra’s flowing-themed dashboard has made way for a sharper looking all black cabin which looks more European than it ever was.

The three-spoke chunky leather-wrapped steering wheel with mounted controls for audio and cruise is something which we have already seen on other Hyundai cars as well. The instrument console behind the steering wheel has now become a bit more conventional looking than before. We honestly think it could have been designed in a bit more in a swankier way.

Like most of the European cars, the center console is now tilted towards the driver. The 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system atop of the centre console being the star of the package, which comes with all the modern amenities that one looks in such systems. The automatic climate control console comes with a silver finish around it, thus adding some more dash of premium feel to the cabin.

In terms of features and equipment, the Hyundai Elantra is currently the segment leader. It has features such as leather upholstery, electrically powered driver’s seat, keyless entry with push-button start, cruise control, reverse camera, 60-40 rear split folding seats, smart trunk opening and tyre pressure monitoring system present to make the overall cabin feel up to date. In terms of interior space, the Elantra is quite spacious with enough legroom and shoulder room. However, thanks to the sloping roofline, the headroom is quite limited.

Complementing its fluidic design philosophy, the Hyundai Elantra sports the company’s second generation of fluidic style theme. It now comes with the same curvy design, but with an edge of sharpness to it. It is due to this design theme that the Elantra now looks sharper and more beautiful than ever before, and guarantees second glances wherever it goes.

At the front, the Hyundai’s trademark hexagonal grille with chrome slats has now become a bit curvier and larger in visual appeal, making it look more elegant than before. The boomerang-shaped housings for fog lamps look nice and make the front fascia look even more distinctive. The eyebrow-shaped headlamp units come inbuilt with projector bulb and daytime running LEDs for more enhanced visual appeal.

From the sides too, the Elantra has now become a bit lesser curvy, but sharper than before. The coupe-like roofline has been kept intact, however, the sedan now boasts crisp lines towards the rear, making it look more angular and leaner than before. The machined alloy wheels and chrome finish on the door handle as well as window beltline add in some more premium appeal. At the rear, the Elantra now comes with a tweaked boot lid which looks less bulky and slimmer than before, with sleeker LED tail lamps. In the more premium Dynamic variant, the Elantra comes with a body kit all around the lower portions, which make it look even more sportier.

The Hyundai Elantra comes with MacPherson struts at the front and a tubular beam at the rear, which unlike in all the previous generation models, has been tuned in a slightly stiffer manner. This definitely has made the overall dynamics of the car even better, with the Elantra feeling planted and sure-footed in high speeds. The steering also feels responsive and heavier than before. The presence of disc brakes all around the car makes the overall braking very well-controlled.

The Hyundai Elantra in this Malaysian-spec avatar sources its power from a 2.0-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine, which is the only engine option available for the Elantra here in the country. The engine is capable of putting up 152 PS of power and 192 Nm of torque, which makes it one of the most powerful engines in its segment. As expected from a car of this class, the engine feels powerful with enough punch in mid-range and top-end of the rev range. The engine comes mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission.

Being a premium mid-size sedan, the Elantra is fully loaded with all the bells and whistles in terms of safety equipment. The list of safety features present in the Elantra includes a total of six airbags (front, side and curtain), ABS with EBD, Electronic Stability Control, Hill-start assist control, brake assist, vehicle stability management, reverse parking sensors with camera, and cruise control as well, for better controllability.

In its current generation, the Hyundai Elantra feels the most desirable as it is easily the best designed Hyundai car till date. With a swanky exterior coupe-like design, the Hyundai Elantra is meant to turn many heads on the road for sure. The interior layout might have lost the funkiness of the previous generation car, but then, it still oozes out a lot of sophistication and premium feel. The engine feels peppy and powerful. The overall ride and handling balance have been well sorted out in this car. Overall, the Hyundai Elantra now feels more European than an Asian car, with more focus on driving dynamics than ever before.