Lots of car for relatively little money is the Hyundai deal. The mid-sized Elantra GL hatchback certainly delivers in this respect.
Value for money
Pricing
The base model Elantra costs $19,990 for the 1.8 litre GL sedan and five-door hatch. The GLS version has extra equipment and 2.0 litre engine; it costs $21,990, again in both body styles. A four-speed automatic adds $1,990. Hyundai regularly offers 'drive away no more to pay' deals on the Elantra GL. It is worth waiting, or negotiating, for this, as you save over $2000 in on-road costs.
Warranty
Five years/130,000km, the best on the market.
Standard features
Hyundai always offers a competitive standard feature list. The Elantra GL has airconditioning, front power windows and mirrors and six speaker am/fm/cassette/CD audio. GLS extras include wider tyres and alloy wheels, power-rear windows, remote central-locking and rear heating ducts.
Retained value
Based on the previous Lantra GL model, which retains 53 per cent after three years, the Elantra is slightly below rivals such as Nissan's LX Pulsar and Toyota's Corolla Ascent.
Design and Function
Ergonomics
Hyundai has gone for a straightforward Japanese style dash layout which requires no learning. Variable-intermittent-wipers, different size cupholders and rubber mats in the storage bins are useful, practical touches. The wheel is height-adjustable, and the wide side-mirrors are great. The head restraints and rear pillar in the hatch restrict over the shoulder vision.
Innovation
The car itself breaks no ground, but Hyundai was the first to market with the drive away no more to pay deal, on the Excel.
Safety
A driver's airbag is standard, along with pretensioners and load limiters for the front seat belts. All five seats have head restraints and a lap/sash belt. A safety option pack, priced at $1,590, includes ABS brakes and a front passenger airbag, which does not deploy if the passenger's seat is unoccupied. The Elantra scores only a two stars (out of five) rating in overseas NCAP crash tests
Security
Central locking and an engine immobiliser are standard. Remote central locking and an alarm are fitted to the GLS.
Comfort
The driver's seat in the GL is too low and flat, so despite reasonable travel tall occupants sit knees up with insufficient thigh support, while short drivers may feel that forward vision is compromised. A height-adjuster on the GLS should fix the problem.
Space and Practicality
In terms of interior space, the Elantra is more comparable with the next size up class - Holden's Vectra, Mazda's 626 - than its direct Corolla/Laser/Pulsar rivals, especially in boot capacity, which in the hatch is huge. The comfortable back seat has easy access and generous legroom by class standards. Three child restraint anchor clips are provided - most makers include only one, plus two anchor points where you have to supply the fittings - but they are located under the tailgate, where the tether straps will interfere with a bulky load. The hatchback's boot is big enough to give the Elantra viable family car credentials. The floor is nearly a metre long; it can be extended to a van-like 1.65 metes with the 60/40 split-fold rear seat back. A load-cover and full size spare are standard.
Build and finish quality
The test car was free of squeaks and rattles. Fit and finish inside though was below Japanese standards, with loose, poorly fitting covers on the backs of the front seats, roughly finished trim on the rear seat backs, and loose trim in the boot.
On the Road
Fuel Efficiency
The manual GL returned a frugal 6.8 litres/100 km on the highway, and a class average 10.6 litres/100 km in the city.
Performance
The 1.8 produces plenty of power and torque - 97 kW and 165 Nm - and the GL manual is quick by class standards. Bottom end and midrange pulling power is adequate. The 1.8's strongest performance is reserved for the 4000 rpm-plus zone, but it has the legs to hold the higher gears easily on the open road. The test GL hatch had an occasional case of the stutters when cold, but once warmed-up ran without problems. The five-speed manual now has double cone synchro on first and second, plus a low friction bearing type shift mechanism, but it is still less fluid and accurate than class leading gearboxes like the Laser/323. Clutch takeup is also quite imprecise. The test car's gearbox sometimes required several attempts to persuade it into third from fourth.
Ride
Ride comfort is excellent. The suspension blunts both small and large road shock very effectively.
Handling and Steering
The Elantra is a tidy device in everyday driving, with no nasty habits beyond the usual front-drive tendency to run wide in tight corners. Gas charged dampers and firmer spring rates make it a much more competent handler than the previous Lantra model. You get some tugging at the wheel under acceleration, a bit of front-end nervousness and steering kickback in bumpy bends and relatively early squealing and sliding from the tyres. The steering is acceptable, but slightly vague and heavy, especially just off-centre. It could use more power assistance at highway speeds.
Braking
The GL hatch's four-wheel-disc brakes (rear drums on the sedan) are reasonable, with good feel and power; grippier tyres would increase considerably their locking threshold.
Smoothness and quietness
The major improvement over the raucous and rough Lantra is in smoothness and quietness, where the Hyundai engine is now comparable with its Japanese rivals. All share a tendency towards harshness and vibration at high revs. The Astra's 1.8 remains the most refined powerplant in this class. Road noise is minimal in the Elantra.
Summary
Hyundai's Elantra GL hatch is worth a drive if you're on a tight budget, especially when the 'drive away no more to pay' deal rolls around. It's spacious, practical, well equipped and has the longest warranty in the business.
The writer of this report does not necessarily represent the views of the NRMA and this report is provided for you as an alternative to our own NRMA car reviews.
