I will be brutally honest here. I have always liked the
Elantra. The styling is outrageous, owing primarily to the grille which is not
liked by a lot of people. Me, I like it. And the rest of the car too, the way
it looks. You might recall the Tuscani, the sports car that Hyundai flaunts a
lot (the new one is called the ‘Genesis’ coupe). Elantra sports a nose section
borrowed from the sports coupe. It sits low with a sporty profile and has a
very attractive rear end, those gorgeous tail lamps being the heavily
contributing element. So while some can surely argue about its looks with me to
no end, a car’s looks are a subjective matter. The most important point though
is that you cannot mistake the Elantra for any other car. It is very distinctive
and easily recognizable.
Once you enter the cabin, you will appreciate the quality of
materials used. The interiors are sumptuous. But it is not just about being
plush; the cabin is practical as well, with lots of cubbyholes within easy
reach. However, the design of the dash will see you raise an eyebrow. It’s like
being in the late eighties, but the purple back-lit dials do help cheer things
up. The Elantra is a spacious car but the rear headroom is compromised a little
because of the sloping roof. The seats, though hugely accommodating and
comfortable, are set too low which takes away from the overall comfort
experience. Elantra has been one of the best VFM options. This is the only car
in its segment to offer ABS, EBD, traction-control and airbags!
You get two engines to choose from, and if we were you, we’d
go in for the diesel. No, diesel being the cheaper fuel has nothing to do with
it. The 2-litre, CRDi four-pot motor is essentially the same in architecture as
the Accent CRDi’s engine, but with one more cylinder. The max power, rated at
112bhp, will plaster a huge grin on your face. The oil-burner is pretty
powerful and can take the battle to any petrol car in its segment. Another
positive is the mileage. Be sure of getting slightly over 11kpl in city while
15kpl on the highway is not being unrealistic. The petrol engine however is
quite the opposite. Yes, it is refined and tractable and on paper the numbers
sound good too. 1.8 litres delivering 127 horses sounds brilliant and the
engine responds better after 3000 revs. Yet, it will not allow you to get into
your racing overalls. And the fuel efficiency is nothing to write home about.
Managing a dismal 8kpl in the city, you can congratulate yourself if you get
anything above 13kpl on highway maintaining a steady throttle feed and a
constant 80kph.
The suspension on the Elantra is set slightly on the stiffer
side so the ride quality is not as supple and cushy as the Toyota Corolla and
the potholes will be made evident in the cabin. The stiff suspension however
does endow the Elantra with exceptional high-speed stability and you feel
confident while doing highway speeds. The brakes are absolutely brilliant and
the safety technology helps them. The handling is not sporty and the steering
feels lazy. There’s predictable understeer on the limit which is acceptable.
All this brings to fore the cruising nature of the Elantra, and we thought it
to be a track tool!
A
great overall package, the Elantra is almost a complete luxury car. Mind you,
we said ‘almost’. It is spacious, reliable, performs well and is equipped
heavily. The ride is quite bad, seats are low and the dynamics are uninspiring.
But the diesel engine is what matters! Oh, lest we forget, let us warn you that
the depreciation will be quite steep
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