We’ve lost count on how many sedans Hyundai is unveiling these days. A week after debuting the new Accent/Ventra at the Beijing Auto Show, the Korean-based automaker went back to its homeland to debut another one of its mid-level sedans, the next-generation Hyundai Elantra (Avante in the Korean market).
Similar to the styling cues of the lower level Accent, the Elantra took a page off of the design of the Sonata and, in addition to the aesthetic similarities, the new Elantra also comes with a 1.6-liter direct injected inline-four engine that produces 138 horsepower and about 123 Nm of torque with a six-speed automatic transmission.
The new Elantra/Avante is set to go on sale here in the US sometime in the next year while people from the automaker’s homeland will get to see it a little earlier. The Elantra/Avante will be heading off to showrooms in Korea later this year.
Hyundai even provided an animated video to go along with the vehicle’s unveiling. Check that out, along with the press release, after the jump.
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In short, Hyundai Elantra can be described like this: a cheap, economy car. And if you’re looking for more than this, then you should keep looking. Its true the car is no Genesis, but hopefully Hyundai will do something about it. While not impressive, the 2010 model adds a few changes: improved EPA fuel economy, chrome grille and rear chrome trim and black interior choice. The 2010 Elantra comes in three trim levels: Blue, GLS and SE, with prices ranging from $14,145 to $17,845.
The 2010 Hyundai Elantra is offered only with a 2,0 liter four-cylinder engine that develops a total of 138 hp and 136 lbs-ft of torque. A manual transmission is offered as standard, but a four-speed automatic one comes as an option. Fuel economy is 26 mpg city, and 35 mpg highway.
At the safety chapter, Elatra offers six standard airbags, ESC, Traction Control and Brake Assist, but also a fully independent suspension, front and rear stabilizer bars and motor-driven rack-and-pinion steering.
UPDATE 07/01/2010: Hyundai released a rendering of the revamped interior of the 2010 Hyundai Elantra. Check it out after the jump!
Full details in the press release after the jump.
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We recently received a 2009 Hyundai Elantra Touring into the Top Speed test fleet. Starting at only $17,800 this Vivid Blue beauty is easily one of the most stylish Korean cars we have seen in a while. The Korean design team has hit a home run with the new car’s flowing curves and strong character lines that highlight the Elantra Touring’s broad stance and stretched wheelbase. We love the dual finish 17 inch rims and appreciate that Hyundai equipped our car with a B&M sport shifter to send the 138 HP and 136 lb-ft of torque from the 2.0 Liter DOHC CVVT ultra low emissions four cylinder engine to the front wheels. The Elantra Touring gets as much as 23 MPG in the city and 31 MPG on the highway.
Our car came equipped with the $1,500 Premium Sports Package that not only included those rims we liked so much, but also a large power sunroof and heated seats. The audio system consisted of an AM/FM/XM radio complete with in dash CD player and auxiliary input for MP3 connectivity. Despite the car’s compact footprint, there is tons of storage space inside of the roomy interior; in fact it has the most interior volume of any five door model in its class, 125.5 cubic feet to be exact. The Elantra Touring represents a return to the compact five door segment for Hyundai and offers class leading standard safety technologies like Electronic Stability Control with Traction Control, ABS with Electronic Brake-force Distribution and Brake Assist as well as the peace of mind that comes from having six standard airbags.
We thoroughly enjoyed our time with the Elantra Touring, not only was it attractive but it was fun to drive as well. If the automaker from the free half of Korea can continue to build cars of this caliber and offer them at the same competitive price points, the rest of the manufacturers around the world will have to take an even closer look at Hyundai as their newest competitors.
Continued after the jump.
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Hyundai has just announced pricing for the 2010 Elantra Touring. Set to go on sale in the third quarter of 2009, the 2010 Elentra Touring will be priced from $15,995 for a very well-equipped entry-level GLS model and will go up to $18,995 for the top-of-the line SE model.
Standard equipment on the 2010 model includes: air conditioning, power windows, heated mirrors, power door locks, remote keyless entry with alarm, four-way adjustable driver’s seat and plenty of storage compartments.
The optional Popular Equipment Package on the GLS adds roof rails, a telescopic steering wheel, steering-wheel-mounted audio controls, trip computer, eight-way driver’s seat with lumbar support, dual illuminated vanity mirrors, sliding sunvisors, seatback pockets, retractable cargo cover, fog lights, illuminated ignition and a premium cloth interior with cloth door panel inserts.
Press release after the jump.
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We recently received a 2009 Hyundai Elantra Touring into the Top Speed test fleet. Starting at only $17,800 this Vivid Blue beauty is easily one of the most stylish Korean cars we have seen in a while. The front end is made up of aggressive curves that create sharp lines that keep your eyes glued to the little five door hatchback. Not only is the body attractive but also tasteful thanks to the vehicle’s design team using just the right amount of chrome trim to dress up the car without making it look gaudy. We especially love the $1,500 Premium Sports Package that includes a set of 17 inch, dual finish rims. In theory it sounds like a very tacky item, but the Elantra is able to pull it off well, quite possibly because of that blue body.
Inside the Elantra, the Premium Package benefits spill over in the form of a power sunroof and heated seats, which is interesting considering that they are still wrapped in cloth. One thing that is impressive about the interior of the Elantra Touring is that despite the vehicle’s rather small footprint it is extremely spacious on the inside. The audio serves up tunes in the form of AM/FM/XM radio with an in dash CD player and a very convenient AUX input for any MP3 storage device that you may own. The trunk offers a hidden shelf underneath the floor and plenty of storage with the back seats up and a whole lot more when they are down.
Continued after the jump.
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