| Published
on 25
Jan
2011 |
All rights reserved.
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Mainstream C-segment
family cars are usually styled conservatively. The
reason is simple – they cover the widest customer portfolio, from
blue-collars to white-collars, from young couples to retirees, from
housewives to police department… so their makers tend to play safe in
design. Recalling my memory for the past 20 years, very few C-segment
cars demonstrated a radical styling theme – the 1997 Mercedes A-class, 1998 Ford Focus, 2002 Renault Megane II, 2005 Citroen C4 and the current Honda Civic european
hatchback. That's probably all. Now we are pleased to see Hyundai
has joined this camp with its new Elantra.
As before, the car is called Avante on its home soil and Elantra for
export market (mostly USA and China). A new name would have been more
appropriate to fit its radically new image, but the Korean, like
Japanese, are keen to stick with traditional nameplates in order to
extend their accumulative sales records.
Compare with other cars in the class, the new Elantra looks clearly the
sportiest. It is low (50 mm lower than the new Ford Focus) and long,
accompanied with a generous 2700 mm wheelbase and incredibly steep A
and C-pillars to realize a sporty profile. "Fluidic Sculpture" is the
right term to describe its twisting and flowing body shape. An
in-your-face front grille and headlamps might not be everyone's taste,
but they do make the Elantra striking. It sends a clear message to its
established Japanese and European rivals: Move on or I'll eat you ! Now
I wonder what Volkswagen American think of its hugely conservative new
Jetta.
The new Elantra is not all about design. It is also adequately built
and
engineered. No matter the cabin, engine compartment or luggage bay,
there are no signs of cost savings normally associated with Hyundais of
the past. Yes, the interior might not employ as much high-quality soft
plastics as the latest European family hatches, but most of its
surfaces are textured, matt-treated or padded so that it can easily
shame the entry-level Jetta and Corolla with which it compete. The
organic design of its interior might not be everyone's taste, but it is
undeniably well equipped and spacious. US EPA rates its interior as
mid-size car, a testimony of its spaciousness. Passengers front and rear
enjoy good deal of legroom due to its super-long wheelbase. The only
complaint is rear headroom, which is compromised by the slopping rear
window. However, you will need to be over 6 ft to find real problem.
Dig
deeper under the skin, you will find a chassis whose torsional rigidity
is 37 percent up from the last generation, yet the whole car weighs a
class-lightest 1160 kg in its
basic form. Torsion-beam rear suspension and electrical power steering
are nothing special for the class, but the engines it employs are
especially sophisticated. In South Korea they get a 1.6 GDI "Gamma"
engine with aluminum head and block, dual-continuous VVT,
variable-length induction, direct injection, roller timing chain and
low-friction diamond-like coating on tappets. It produces a remarkable
140 horsepower and 123 pound-foot of torque, the best among mainstream
naturally aspirated 1.6-liter engine. (for comparison, Toyota's 1.6
Valvematic produces 132hp despite of variable valve lift) In the United
States where GDI is still uncommon due to high sulphur fuel used, they
get a port-injected 1.8-liter "Nu" engine instead. Much the same
technology results in 148 hp and 131 lbft. It guarantees an impressive
40 mpg EPA highway rating. Transmission is up-to-date, too. You can
choose between a 6-speed manual or 6-speed automatic with manual
override.
Nevertheless, the good specifications are not totally reflected on the
road. Don't get me wrong, the new Elantra is still a vast improvement
from the old car in terms of driving dynamics. Its performance is good
for a 1.8-liter naturally aspirated engine. In most of the time the
engine feels willing and refined, too. However, push it beyond 6000 rpm
and it starts sounding harsh. Compare with its turbocharging rivals,
most notably FIAT's 1.4 Multiair, Volkswagen 1.4 TSI and PSA's
1.6-liter DI turbo, its lack of low-down torque leads to less
accessible performance, hence you are more likely to rev it into its
noisy zone. That doesn't make it a particularly refined car.
The NVH engineering also seems to be somewhat compromised by the
pursuit of lightweight. We can live with its European-style firm ride,
but not the excessive road noise heard in the cabin. Although its noise
insulation is already an improvement from the old car, it cannot match
the vastly lifted class standard brought by its European rivals like
Golf, Focus and Astra, or to lesser extent Chevrolet Cruze. As a
result, once on the move the Hyundai feels like it is built to cost.
The handling of Elantra neither impresses nor disappoints. It displays
decent body control, grip and braking, and is overall easy to drive.
However, fun
it is not. Its electric power steering feels artificial and numb, way
below the
standard of its latest rivals. Its gearboxes are no more than average –
manual
gearbox comes with a light clutch and vague gearshift, while the
6-speed auto is
reluctant on downshift due to its lack of throttle-blip.
Hyundai's latest C-segment effort is strange. While it looks sporty
outside, it is actually dull to drive. While its interior measures like
a class
above, its design and refinement say otherwise. That said, we like its
exterior
styling and excellent value for money. Although it is still some way
behind class
leaders, it won't be a bad purchase to those who do not demand the most
sophisticated build and driving dynamics.
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Verdict:  |
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