Hollywood - There’s no blending into the crowd for Hyundai’s seventh-generation Elantra sedan, which was revealed at the Lot Studios in West Hollywood on Tuesday night.
Rearing to play a starring role in the C-Segment sedan scene that’s usually dominated by the Corolla, the 2021 Hyundai Elantra will stand out from its rivals with a daring new design which Hyundai refers to as “an everyday exotic four-door-coupe look”. Like its smaller i20 sibling that was recently unveiled, it also takes a significant technological step forward, at least when it comes to cabin features.
The 2021 Elantra is built around Hyundai’s new K3 platform and its proportions have adjusted to suit the sportier design, with the vehicle being 20mm lower and 25mm wider, while overall length increases by 60mm and the wheelbase by 20mm. The car also weighs less than before, according to Hyundai.
On the performance front, there are no fireworks to speak of as yet, but in all fairness Hyundai has yet to reveal the Sport version, or the rumoured ‘N’ for that matter.
For now, most models will be powered by a 2-litre normally aspirated Atkinson Cycle engine that produces 109kW and 179Nm. It’s paired with an Intelligent Variable Transmission, which is essentially Hyundai’s version of a CVT, but featuring a chain rather than the more conventional push belt.
Hyundai has also announced a hybrid version that pairs a 1.6-litre Atkinson Cycle normally aspirated engine to an electric motor for system outputs of 103kW and 264Nm. The transmission of choice here is a six-speed dual clutch unit.
The new Elantra’s cabin has been significantly modernised, and customers can now opt for two 26cm screens (for instrumentation and infotainment) under a single piece of glass.
Tech highlights include wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity, which is a segment-first, and a digital key that allows the car to be unlocked, started and driven via a smartphone or NFC card. The Elantra also comes with an enhanced natural-language voice-recognition system with Speech-to-Meaning and Deep Meaning Understanding technologies.
Driver assistance tech includes semi-autonomous features such as Highway Driving Assist, which keeps the vehicle centred in the lane, and Smart Cruise Control, while Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist with Pedestrian Detection are also on the menu.
Hyundai South Africa has confirmed to us that the new Elantra is currently not under consideration for South Africa.