KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 7 — Its 2017, and perhaps it’s time to take another look at Korean cars, the Hyundai Elantra Sport, in particular.
The new 2017 Elantra, launched a few weeks ago, comes with two engine choices in three variants. There are two variants with a 2.0 litre engine (with two different levels of trim), namely the 2.0 MPI Executive, and the 2.0 MPI Dynamic. The cream of the crop seems to be the third, high performance variant fitted with a 1.6 litre turbo-charged engine.
Ranked among the top 10 best-selling models in the world, the Elantra has achieved global cumulative sales of more than 10 million units since the introduction of the first generation in 1990.
The 2017 model is all-new, and sets a new standard in its segment with new levels of sophistication applied to its interior and exterior as well as a platform, which delivers a new level of, ride comfort with smooth, precise handling and enhanced safety. Key highlights of the new upgraded model include:
- ‘Dynamic Precision’ – The New Fluidic 2.0 Design Concept
- New Powerful Powertrain – NU2.0 MPI and Gamma 1.6 T-GDI
- State-of-the-art platform with the use of 53% Advanced High-strength Steel (an increase of 32% as compared to the previous model), offering improvement in torsional stiffness, ultra-rigid chassis and bending resistance strength
- Comprehensive Safety Features include:
- Vehicle Stability Management (VSM)
- Electronic Stability Control (ESC)
- Hill-start Assist Control
- 6 Airbags
- Emergency Fastening Device
- Blind Spot Detection (Applicable for Elantra Sport only)
- Intelligent Technology and Convenient Features which include:
- Hands-free Smart Trunk
- AV System that supports Android Auto and Car Play
- Rear camera
- Auto Cruise Control
- Front and Rear Parking Assist
We have so far taken the Elantra Sport for a test drive, and will be getting the 2.0 MPI variant soon, so for the moment, we shall talk only about the Elantra Sport.
I have driven the Hyundai Veloster, which shares the same drive train, but it being a hatch and with its strange door arrangement of one door on one side and two on the other sort of limited its appeal.
Now what Hyundai has done with the Elantra Sport is to expand the Veloster mechanicals over to the sedan range, and thus has provided more options for its buyers. Now a ‘family’ type person can go for the additional performance and still have a vehicle that can suit his day to day needs.
A few words about the drive train — what makes the Hyundai Elantra Sport go like stink is its 1.6 litre DOHC direct injection turbocharged engine. Made of aluminium, which helps to keep overall weight down, and which also helps engine cooling, the turbo-charging gives it approximately 200 horsepower, and 265 Nm of torque. Zero to 100km per hour is achievable in 7.5 seconds, and top speed is 200 kph.
To make all the above numbers possible, Hyundai has coupled a 7-speed direct clutch transmission (DCT) to the engine, with close ratio gears and a lowered final drive. The DCT also minimises clutch slip and cuts down shift times.
On the road, the Elantra Sport is quite fun to drive, especially when you look at the surprised faces on other drives as you leave them behind at the traffic lights once they turn green. Overtaking is also a breeze, and the paddle shifters do help. A Sport mode button is available if you want a few more revs in each gear. I took the Elantra Sport down to Port Dickson through the winding roads that start from behind the Sepang International Circuit, through to Sepang and onto Lukut. In some other parts of the world, the Elantra Sport has 18-inch wheels, but for Malaysia, the specifications are for 17-inch wheels with 225/45 R17 tyres. The 17’s performed well enough, so there is no problem there. Anyway, 17-inch tyres are a whole lot cheaper to replace than 18’s.
The sporty nature of the turbo-charged drive train calls for some ride upgrades — the suspension construction is slightly different from the Elantra Sport’s more sedate 2.0 litre naturally-aspirated siblings.
For a start, the Elantra Sport gets stiffer springs and shockers, and in addition, the rear suspension is made up of a multi-link arrangement rather than a torsion beam. The Elantra Sport handles quite well, and if I were to give it a rating, I would say that it is on the ‘comfortable side of firm’. Interpreted, it means that it will be adequately comfortable for a person who wants a ‘normal’ car for the weekdays when he goes to work, and still be good enough for an outing up Ulu Yam and Gohtong Jaya with the boys on weekends.
The suspension designers dilemma as always is finding the perfect balance between excellent handling and good comfort, which are at two different ends of the spectrum, extreme comfort at one end and extreme handling at the other – every car is positioned somewhere on the left or the right of the imaginary centre, so you can have either more of one or the other, but never both. There is a way around this, of course, and that is in having ‘chassis control’, as in having another feature that allows one to control the stiffness of the suspension — unfortunately, this is a high cost item, and not only the more expensive cars have them.
For the record, the Hyundai Elantra Sport does not have it, not that the company does not have the technology, but more for the reason of marketability. Still, there is yet another way around this – if you really want to, you can always get harder shockers and or springs, and tune it up yourself.
In terms of size, the Hyundai Elantra has a wheelbase of 2,700mm (this being the centre to centre distance between the front and rear wheels), which is the current standard for C segment vehicles, and an overall length of 4,570mm. With an overall width of 1,800mm, and height of 1,440mm, it is comparable in size with its Japanese competitors. Overall weight is around 1,410 kg.
Fuel economy is pretty decent — I would say that the 11.7 kilometres per litre (equivalent to 8.54 litres per 100 km) I got from a mixed driving style would be typical for the average road user. A person with a light foot could probably get a little better result, but if you want fuel economy, maybe you might want to go for the naturally-aspirated version.
The Elantra Sport is meant for those who want more performance; with the turbo you have a choice, as driving with a light foot can actually yield good results, but you would have paid more for the higher tech in the first place – for me, I would go straight for the turbo.
Overall, the Elantra Sport is a great package — you can enjoy a ‘family’ car, yet it allows you to have fun every once in a while. For RM131,488.00, it is hard to beat.
