2017 Hyundai Elantra Limited
As an engineer at heart, I can’t help but be excited by the technology that is likely to transform the transportation ecosystem over the next couple of decades. But as someone that actually likes to drive, the move toward autonomy is kind of depressing but realistically, that’s unlikely to affect me much for many years to come. On the other hand, the market shift away from cars toward utility vehicles is much more concerning right now. Some automakers are already scaling back their car development efforts in favor of utilities a number of the car nameplates on sale today will not be replaced at the end of their lifecycle. Fortunately, most automakers haven’t given up on cars just yet, among those is Hyundai which has just launched an all-new version of the Elantra compact.
Through May 2016, the U.S. market has continued to grow overall but in the compact car segment, only the Honda Civic and Nissan Sentra have avoided a sales decline. Elantra volumes are among those that have shrunk although that is likely impacted by constrained supplies during the model changeover to the redesigned 2017 model. If customers take a serious look at this new car for the rest of this year, that trend will probably reverse because this is a very good car.
2017 Hyundai Elantra Limited
Like other recent redesigns from Hyundai, the Korean brand has retained some of the signature cues that have come to represent the brand while incorporating some restraint that gives the new versions an extra degree of sophistication. It should come as no surprise that the coupe-like greenhouse profile that has become de rigueur on modern sedans has actually become extreme on the 2017 Elantra. Consumers have clearly demonstrated that they like the sportier profile even on their everyday family cars. This approach provides the appearance of sportiness without the hassle of trying to get kids or adult passengers into the backseat of a two-door. Despite the fastback roof contour, adults over six-feet tall will still have ample room in the back seat of this sedan.
At launch, the 2017 Elantra offers two powertrain options. The Eco model gets a 1.4-liter four-cylinder turbo paired with Hyundai’s marvelous seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. The SE and the Limited that I drove get a naturally aspirated 2.0-liter four-cylinder running on an Atkinson cycle for greater efficiency along with a six-speed automatic. The SE can also be ordered with a six-speed manual, but those will probably represent a small single-digit percentage of sales. At 147-horsepower and 132 lb.-ft. of torque, the 2.0-liter isn’t the most powerful mill in the segment, but it certainly feels stronger than than the 1.8-liter in the Toyota Corolla.
2017 Hyundai Elantra Limited
The Elantra is nearly 200-pounds lighter than the Ford Focus and while this won’t be a substitute for a GTI or Kia Forte SX the performance will be adequate for most drivers everyday needs. I wouldn’t call the Elantra a sports sedan, but I never had any qualms about trying to merge with freeway traffic either. I would however be a bit more conservative when choosing whether to make a pass on a two-lane road.
Click here to compare the 2017 Elantra to the competition
What the Elantra does really well is get you where you want to be while being thrifty with a gallon of gasoline. It wasn’t so many years ago that Hyundai got dinged by the EPA for issues in the way it calculated fuel economy that caused the label estimates to be overstated. The 2.0-liter automatic Elantra is rated at 28 mpg city, 37 mpg highway and 32 mpg combined. During my time driving Hyundai’s newest, I averaged 36 mpg and even city driving was into the low 30s.
2017 Hyundai Elantra Limited
Another surprisingly good aspect of the new Elantra is the performance of the driver assist systems. Adding the technology and ultimate packages on the Elantra gives a remarkably well equipped car with power moonroof, navigation, heated front and rear seats, adaptive headlamps that turn into curves, radar-based adaptive cruise control and a lane-keeping system.
The Elantra’s driver assists work nearly as well as Tesla Auto Pilot
2017 Hyundai Elantra Limited
Like other current Hyundai and Kia models, the Elantra has an excellent central touchscreen display for the infotainment system. Whoever supplies these displays for Hyundai Motor Group has come up with a technology that seems almost impervious to glare (an important feature when driving with the sunroof open) while maintaining high visibility when looking at it from an angle or through the dreaded polarized sunglasses (Toyota, pay attention here!).
The built-in interface is straightforward and easy to navigate while both Android Auto and Apple Carplay are now supported as well. Hyundai’s Blue Link telematics system also enables remote access to the car for locking/unlocking and remote start using a smartphone app on Android or iOS devices or from an Android wear smartwatch.
While Hyundais are no longer significantly cheaper than many of their competition, they still provide excellent value for dollar. The base SE with a manual transmission starts at just under $18,000 while the loaded Limited I drove came to $27,710 including delivery. Personally, in smaller cars, I prefer the extra utility of a hatchback with its large opening and space for bulkier cargo with the seat folded. At this point, Hyundai still offers the previous generation Elantra GT and hasn’t announced whether it will offer a hatchback version of the new model. If the GT does go away, the Kia Forte5 offers the same underlying goodness with that brand’s distinct style. Either way, you’ll get an excellent car while not following the crossover crowd.
Click here for full specifications of the 2017 Hyundai Elantra
