It's hard to think of any car in Singapore as 'budget' - high COE prices and taxes guarantee a significant hole in anyone's pocket. It's perhaps better to think of such so-called budget cars as 'bread-and-butter' vehicles, cars that offer a decent amount of features and daily drivability at a reasonably 'bargain' price that sits at the bottom end of the price spectrum.
The Hyundai Elantra has long been positioned as such a car, and has found great success. Introduced in 1990, the Elantra was a global best-seller for the brand, especially with the immensely popular fourth generation model called the Avante. But these days, with manufacturers finding ways to increasingly pack more features into these bread-and-butter cars, it's not enough to just have a decent box on four wheels.
Now in its sixth generation, and with more cars than ever before to duke it out with in its segment, can the Elantra exceed expectations and offer more than it has been bargained for?
Exterior
The Elantra has always been visually striking, with its sweeping lines creating an impression of fluidity and motion. This brand new car retains the same good-looking sheet metal, but ditches some of the more curvaceous lines for sharper, neater ones. Slightly longer (40mm) and wider (25mm) than before, the new model adopts a more athletic stance on the road.
The Hyundai Elantra has long been positioned as such a car, and has found great success. Introduced in 1990, the Elantra was a global best-seller for the brand, especially with the immensely popular fourth generation model called the Avante. But these days, with manufacturers finding ways to increasingly pack more features into these bread-and-butter cars, it's not enough to just have a decent box on four wheels.
Now in its sixth generation, and with more cars than ever before to duke it out with in its segment, can the Elantra exceed expectations and offer more than it has been bargained for?
Exterior
The Elantra has always been visually striking, with its sweeping lines creating an impression of fluidity and motion. This brand new car retains the same good-looking sheet metal, but ditches some of the more curvaceous lines for sharper, neater ones. Slightly longer (40mm) and wider (25mm) than before, the new model adopts a more athletic stance on the road.
The front end has now been completely restyled for a more modern and aggressive look. A massive radiator grille (Hyundai calls it a 'shark's mouth'), pointier head lights and restyled fog lights with front wheel curtains give the Elantra a face that breeds a European similarity.
A strong character line accentuates the car's striking profile, and the sharp lines move across the entirety of the body and conclude at the rear, with a ducktail boot lid. The rear combination LED taillights also add a level of stylish detail. Also new are the LED door handle approach lights, which light up as you approach the car. Quite atas, we reckon.
A strong character line accentuates the car's striking profile, and the sharp lines move across the entirety of the body and conclude at the rear, with a ducktail boot lid. The rear combination LED taillights also add a level of stylish detail. Also new are the LED door handle approach lights, which light up as you approach the car. Quite atas, we reckon.
Interior
The sense of sophistication and modernity also translates into the car's interior. While it would be a stretch to call it luxurious, the interior is well-put together, and the use of soft-touch materials at key points of contact add to the sense of comfort and quality. It is also fairly spacious for a compact sedan, actually capable of squeezing three average-sized adults in the rear.
The Elantra is also extremely well-equipped. Hyundai boasts that the car packs the most features in its class (and ostensibly a class above), and it's hard to argue against this. Premium features include electric memory driver's seat and side mirrors, a dual-zone automatic temperature control with auto defogging system, as well as ventilated/heated driver and passenger seats.
We particularly love the inclusion of ventilated seats (something you generally only find in premium cars). In our torrid Singapore heat, there's nothing more shiok than getting into a baking hot car, turning the seat ventilation up to full, and feeling icy cool air washing all over your body.
The sense of sophistication and modernity also translates into the car's interior. While it would be a stretch to call it luxurious, the interior is well-put together, and the use of soft-touch materials at key points of contact add to the sense of comfort and quality. It is also fairly spacious for a compact sedan, actually capable of squeezing three average-sized adults in the rear.
The Elantra is also extremely well-equipped. Hyundai boasts that the car packs the most features in its class (and ostensibly a class above), and it's hard to argue against this. Premium features include electric memory driver's seat and side mirrors, a dual-zone automatic temperature control with auto defogging system, as well as ventilated/heated driver and passenger seats.
We particularly love the inclusion of ventilated seats (something you generally only find in premium cars). In our torrid Singapore heat, there's nothing more shiok than getting into a baking hot car, turning the seat ventilation up to full, and feeling icy cool air washing all over your body.
However, beyond just being well-equipped, the interior has also been thoughtfully designed. The layout of the instrumental panel buttons and controls are organised and grouped by functions, and is angled towards the driver at a seven-degree tilt for optimal ergonomics.
There is also a smart trunk system - stand at the rear of the car with your key with you, wait three seconds, and the trunk pops open automatically, revealing 458 litres of boot space. It's a handy feature when you have your hands full with groceries.
Admittedly, some aspects of the interior do feel slightly dated. While certainly functional, the 5.0-inch infotainment system appears to be the main culprit, no thanks to the chunky buttons and prominent CD slot.
There is also a smart trunk system - stand at the rear of the car with your key with you, wait three seconds, and the trunk pops open automatically, revealing 458 litres of boot space. It's a handy feature when you have your hands full with groceries.
Admittedly, some aspects of the interior do feel slightly dated. While certainly functional, the 5.0-inch infotainment system appears to be the main culprit, no thanks to the chunky buttons and prominent CD slot.
Drive
The 1.6-litre engine in the Elantra offers 126bhp and 155Nm of torque. If those figures sound familiar, it's because they are - the 1.6-litre Gamma MPI engine is unchanged from the fourth generation model first launched in 2006.
These figures may not seem like a lot on paper, but with the car weighing in at just 1,250kg, the surprisingly punchy engine offers ample power that gets the car up to the edge of legal speeds much faster than you would expect. It does not possess the quietest or most refined of engine notes when you push it past 4,000rpm, but drive sensibly and it's barely noticeable.
The ride is brisk and stable, with the firm suspension setup meaning that the car always feels planted to the ground, soaking up bumps in the road very well.
One common characteristic of bread-and-butter cars is that it's easy to know when you are edging the speed limit, as these cars tend to become twitchy and less stable once you hit higher speeds. There's none of this in the Elantra though. Its refinement means that it's not uncommon to find yourself unwittingly on the wrong side of the speed limit.
The new Elantra also feels tight and stable around corners. The chassis feels taut, making the car easy to place, and certainly inspires confidence. The rigid chassis has been reinforced with 53 percent advanced high-strength steel, resulting in 29.5 percent stiffer torsional rigidity.
This significantly improves the car's handling, ride quality and driving dynamics. Unlike some cars in its segment that feel overly light and disconnected, the Elantra offers an engaging driving experience, and certainly feels more alive than you would expect from a bread-and-butter car.
Additional features include Auto Cruise Control, Blind Spot Detection, and three selectable Drive Modes - Eco, Normal and Sport. While the three modes seem to largely just affect the throttle response, it's a feature not seen in other vehicles in its class.
Conclusion
It's easy (and abundantly common) for carmakers to tout phrases like 'class-leading', 'best-in-class' and 'class-above' when it comes to marketing their new vehicles, as these phrases are no doubt eye-catching and prime advertisement and banner material. The problem is that, too often, the cars struggle to stand up to those lofty proclamations.
But the new Elantra is a lot more than just an exercise in budget wrangling. It doesn't just feel like a case of Hyundai's designers and engineers sitting at a table and thinking, "Okay what is the maximum amount of things we can fit into this car at this price point?" The execution reveals an overall congruence and sensibility that works to provide a comfortable, enjoyable and a thoroughly sensible and mature car that is fun to drive and easy to live with.
What we are saying, then, is that the new Hyundai Elantra is more than just a really impressive spec sheet. For a car pegged as a bread-and-butter car, the Elantra shines through the pack with its extensive features and an engaging drive. Hyundai has certainly done an admirable job in pushing the envelope on what an affordable car can offer.
Conclusion
It's easy (and abundantly common) for carmakers to tout phrases like 'class-leading', 'best-in-class' and 'class-above' when it comes to marketing their new vehicles, as these phrases are no doubt eye-catching and prime advertisement and banner material. The problem is that, too often, the cars struggle to stand up to those lofty proclamations.
But the new Elantra is a lot more than just an exercise in budget wrangling. It doesn't just feel like a case of Hyundai's designers and engineers sitting at a table and thinking, "Okay what is the maximum amount of things we can fit into this car at this price point?" The execution reveals an overall congruence and sensibility that works to provide a comfortable, enjoyable and a thoroughly sensible and mature car that is fun to drive and easy to live with.
What we are saying, then, is that the new Hyundai Elantra is more than just a really impressive spec sheet. For a car pegged as a bread-and-butter car, the Elantra shines through the pack with its extensive features and an engaging drive. Hyundai has certainly done an admirable job in pushing the envelope on what an affordable car can offer.
