Thursday, March 28

Looking Forward to the New Elantra

Elantra

2016 Hyundai Elantra

The next generation Elantra is already out on the streets in South Korea as the Avante.  Even though the company uses different names for the car (most do for their models) the Avante is very much what we expect to be the new Elantra.  Of course when it is revealed as the Los Angeles Auto Show late in November we will get a full look at the new version of a car from Hyundai that we have already loved in many versions, but this one appears to be more stylish and sculpted in nature.

The powertrain is one part that will be different, as expected, but what is offered in Korea just might make it here as well.  The Avante gets a 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine that makes 130 horsepower and 119 lb.-ft. of torque, a 1.6-liter diesel which will produce 134 horsepower and 221 lb.-ft. of torque and a 2.0-liter which uses the Atkinson cycle, creating 147 horsepower and 132 lb.-ft. of torque.  The rumor is we will get a turbocharged version of the 1.6-liter engine that is found in the Tucson and makes 175 horsepower and 196 lb.-ft. of torque.  Any of these or all of them would do fine for the Elantra, except for the diesel.

The platform for this new car is built from 53 percent high strength steel which is up from the 32 percent on the previous version.  This gives the Elantra a stiffer frame which allows for better driving manners and feedback to the driver.  Not only is this going to give you a more engaged ride but it performs better in crash tests than the previous model.  The safety and security are also upgraded with autonomous emergency braking, high beam assists, blind spot detection and rear cross traffic alerts to help you when driving.

The look of this new Elantra is breathtaking.  The overall improvement is a simpler shape and design that makes the car appear to be more elegant than before.  Somehow the stance appears wider and lower than before even though the car is less than an inch longer and wider than before.  The lines flow nicely from front to the back with hood to roof angles that are smooth and continuous to the trunk.  Up front a large grill is meant to shout “look at me” while the belt line gives the car an air of quickness even from a standstill.

We won’t see full details for this new Elantra until the unveiling of the car in Los Angeles, but it certainly appears to be one that is ready to show us what Hyundai has to offer use for the next generation.  As a company that has continuously given us cars at a great price that is filled with excellent features the expectation for the new Elantra is that this will continue with some additional items and a price that we can all afford.  If that’s not enough to build your anticipation for the auto show in November, I don’t know what else will make you want to check out the Elantra; it will be well worth a look at the Hyundai booth.

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