Hyundai Elantra facelift spotted testing in India for the first time

- Likely to be launched in India sometime in 2019. 

- The mid-life update brings a fresh new design with aggressive styling and added equipment.

Hyundai took the wraps off the new and updated Elantra in August this year. The sedan gets a comprehensive cosmetic makeover with sharper styling along with added features. Ahead of its Indian debut next year, the D-segment sedan was spotted in India for the first time, jostling through the streets of Gudalur, Tamil Nadu. 

The facelifted Elantra comes with a new take on Hyundai’s cascading grille. The large grille is complemented by a sharp set of headlights which get angular LED lighting. The bumper gets an aggressive design with triangular fog lamps on either side. There are creases on the bonnet as well, adding much-needed drama. At the rear, the i30 inspired tail lights are more upmarket than before. The silhouette remains the same, with the addition of stylish alloy wheels that make the Elantra look more European compared to the older car. 

On the inside, the Elantra now comes with a new eight-inch infotainment system with smartphone integration and wireless charging on the top-spec variant. The additional safety features include a blind spot monitoring system, collision warning and autonomous braking, lane departure warning along with active lane control and cross-traffic alert system. Another new feature is the Safe Exit Assist which can alert the occupants to any potential dangers before exiting the vehicle.

Under the hood, things remain unchanged. So powering the updated Elantra is the same 2.0-litre four-cylinder naturally aspirated petrol engine producing 150bhp and the 1.6-litre diesel with an output of 126bhp. Both the engines get a choice of either a six-speed manual and automatic transmission.

When it is launched in India next year, the Elantra will continue to rival against the likes of Toyota Corolla Altis and Skoda Octavia in the D-segment apart from the upcoming Honda Civic. Prices will remain the same as the current model, i.e., between Rs 13-20 lakhs (ex-showroom).

Source: Rushlane