Hyundai Elantra

The 7th Generation of the Hyundai Elantra hits Malaysian shores in December 2020, boasting a new look and futuristic interior.

Hyundai’s design has always been an eye-catcher, with this new sleek design and prominent ‘Z’ on the side, it is a bold design choice that many would find interesting.

The design is modern, with aircraft-cockpit-like driver-oriented layout.

Made up of a 10.25-inch Supervision LCD colour display that switches colours and layouts depending on drive mode.

The seats are finished in a combination of leather and fabric with either black or white colour options. It has heated and ventilated functions, lumbar support, and the driver gets the powered adjustable function.

Front occupants have no issues with space. However, the rear passenger may face a shortage of legroom if there is a tall passenger in front who fully extended the seat.

It has a decent size glove compartment that can easily fit the Elantra’s user manual and service booklet. It also has a small armrest compartment that can keep a sunglasses case and a Smarttag.

There are 4 cup holders (2 near the front armrest, and 2 located at the rear armrest) and 4 places to store your water bottles each located by the door panels.

The Elantra has a 12 volts power socket, two USB ports, and a wireless charging pad, giving the occupants the flexibility to charge multiple devices at the same time.

With 470 litres of boot space, it can easily carry two to three golf bags.

The measurements are 4,675 mm in length, 1,825 mm width, 1,430 mm height, with a wheelbase spanning 2,720 mm. It is longer by 55 mm and wider by 25 mm compared to the previous sixth-generation Elantra facelift. It also has a larger wheelbase but 20mm lower height.

The Elantra exudes a sleek, sporty exterior with a large front honey-comb grille, that stands out from standard designs. 

The rear of the car exhibits sharp lines, with a light bar connecting the two taillights giving it that sporty and futuristic looks.

The front headlamps are LED units with Auto High Beam function, which is slanted downward giving it a very focused look.

The tail lamps are LED units connected by a light bar that resemble the letter H when viewing from the rear.

It is power adjusted and power folded, with a turn-indicator and blind-spot warning indicators.

Equipped with the two-tone five spokes blade design 17-inch wheels.

The Elantra has the following driver assist systems; Forward Collision Warning, Blind-spot Collision Warning, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, driver attention warning, and tyre pressure monitoring system.

Passive safety includes six airbags, seat belt anchors and pre-tensioners.

Four drive modes available - Eco, Smart, Sport and Comfort.

Features an 8.0-inch touchscreen unit that is compatible with Android Auto and Apple Carplay, as well as inbuilt Bluetooth connectivity for all your music devices.

With the adaptive cruise control with stop and go function, long distance driving will be less fatigue.

The 1.6-litre Smartstream engine produces 121 hp at 6,300 rpm and 154 Nm of torque at 4,500 rpm.

Featuring Hyundai's Intelligent Variable Transmission (IVT) with eight virtual speeds.

Power is sent to its front wheels.

The 1,245 kg Elantra can sprint from 0-100 km/h in 10.4 seconds, while reaching top speeds of up to 196 km/h.

Hyundai claimed the combined fuel consumption figure is 5.6 l/100km, or 17.85 km/l.

It has a dual-zone climate control system, keyless-entry with push-to-start button and a wireless charging pad.

There’s a rear air vent located at the centre, behind the front occupant’s arm rest.

The seats are comfortable and the ride quality is slightly firm.

It has a good sound insulation, with its road noise mostly muted.

In terms of looks, the sporty and slim design of the car will grab attention and would attract most millennials looking for something modern and practical for the long run.

The pricing of the Elantra will be a challenge for the Korean carmaker to compete against its Japanese competitors, but let's not forget it is a fully imported model.

Those who frequently travel to outstation, may save more fuel with the Hyundai's Intelligent Variable Transmission (IVT) with eight virtual speeds.