At the critical $20,000 pricepoint, where value conscious buyers have installed Toyota's Corolla Ascent as the runaway favourite, Hyundai is fighting for a bigger share of the market with its revitalised 2.0 litre Elantra range. As is usually the case from Hyundai, the attractions are a low price, the longest warranty on the market and plenty of standard equipment.
Value for money
Pricing
The Elantra HVT, available in sedan or five-door hatchback variants, has the second lowest price in this class - $18,990, beaten only by the Kia Spectra. A four-speed automatic costs an extra $1990.
Warranty
Five years/130,000 kilometres, which is the longest warranty on the market, in any class.
Standard features
Airconditioning, power windows and mirrors, remote central locking with an alarm and a CD/MP3 player with six-speakers are all included.
The Elite, at $23,990, adds leather upholstery (seat facings), ABS brakes, a trip computer, sunglasses holder, 15 inch alloy wheels with wider tyres and fancy instruments.
Retained value
At 51 per cent after three years, the Elantra's resale values are slightly below average.
Design and function
Ergonomics
The driver's seat has just enough travel for tall occupants. The cushion now has separately adjustable height and tilt, plus lumbar adjustment, so it's easy to get comfortable, and there's reasonable upper body support. The wheel is height adjustable, but reach is fixed.
Vision is clear around the car, though the hatch has thick rear pillars. The no frills dash shows Saab influences in look and layout. The unremitting grey palette extends to the instruments, which need brighter, more contrasting tones to improve legibility.
The audio head unit has minimal buttons, which are easy to hit, and the airconditioning uses simple three dial controls. Big vents push through plenty of air.
Innovation
The Elantra has no technical innovations in a general sense, but improvements to many areas of the car bring it up to current standards.
Safety
Safety features include two front airbags, with occupant sensing on the passenger's side which prevents deployment if the seat is unoccupied, plus pretensioners and load limiters on the front seat belts.
Previous Elantras have scored poorly in overseas NCAP tests. A 2001 model (on which this car is based), tested locally, scored three stars out of five.
Security
Remote central locking/immobiliser security is supplemented by an alarm.
Comfort
The driver's seat is comfortable and supportive, and a bit more generously proportioned than the seats in some Japanese rivals. Its adjustability range is also greater than usual for the class.
Space and practicality
Hyundai has made several improvements which add to the Elantra's already spacious, versatile interior.
There's more oddment storage and a shopping bag hook on the front passenger seat backrest.
The three child restraint anchors - with three clips, rather than the one offered by most other manufacturers - have been moved from under the tailgate to a more practical spot immediately behind the back seat.
Two tall adults can travel comfortably in the firmly padded back seat, which has easy access and plenty of space. The backrest is quite flat; three lap sash belts and head restraints are provided.
The hatch has an expansive cargo bay, though carrying bulky objects is restricted by the tapered tailgate. It is also quite heavy to raise and lower. The 60/40 split-rear seat backs fold forward (but not flat), extending the floor to 1.72 metres without compromising front seat travel or requiring removal of the head restraints.
Under the floor is a full sized spare and an extra storage tray.
Build and finish quality
Fit and finish in the test car was below acceptable quality standards. Hyundai still has problems achieving consistency here; some other models tested have been better in this respect.
In the test car, engine vibration induced some buzzing noises in the dash, there was something loose and rattling behind the rear pillar trim, the plastic mouldings on the back of the front seats were not securely fixed and several trim pieces had large and/or variable gaps.
On the road
Fuel efficiency
The 2.0 litre engine's tractable, unstressed character produces good fuel economy, especially in town where it will return 9.5 litres/100 km. On the highway, the average is 7.1 litres/100 km.
Performance
The Elantra's new 2.0 litre four cylinder engine, with variable intake valve timing (hence the HVT tag), produces the class's highest power and torque figures - 105 kW at 6000 rpm and 186 Nm at 4000 rpm.
It has the ability to pull the higher gears with remarkable ease from as low as 1500 rpm.
It's a relaxed, refined device in the lower half of the rev range, and can cruise around town or on the highway without any strain whatsoever.
The test car was a manual, but the 2.0 litre's tractability would also see it work nicely with the optional four-speed automatic.
At higher revs it is less impressive. Although it continues to breathe fairly efficiently, some vibration intrudes. It also has an annoying habit of holding revs when you're changing gears.
The five-speed gearbox has a similar character. When short shifting under 3000 rpm it is light and smooth, with a positive action. Work the engine harder and shifts become rather loose and notchy, accompanied by some gear whine.
The test car's gearbox also had an intermittent clicking noise which was a bit of a worry.
Ride
The Elantra's suspension is relatively compliant, so it delivers a comfortable ride by class standards, especially in town.
Handling and steering
In the everyday suburban and highway context the Elantra presents no major problems, but an enthusiast's car it is not.
In tighter corners, the car leans heavily on the outside front wheel and wants to run wide, testing the modest grip of the standard issue 185/65 Hankook tyres.
You often need to take a second, more emphatic mid corner bite at the light, indirect steering to counter this tendency. Road feel at the wheel is minimal.
On rough country roads the Elantra maintains composure and stability pretty well. A severe impact from a pothole can produce some body movement in the hatch, evident in the occasional clunk from the tailgate.
Braking
Braking performance is only adequate. The four discs can be supplemented with ABS, packaged with alloy wheels as a $2000 option.
Smoothness and quietness
In the lower half of the rev range, the engine is smooth and quiet, however, as mentioned earlier, it is less impressive when working hard and some vibration is apparent.
At highway speeds, some tyre rumble is also generated on coarse bitumen.
Summary
The Hyundai Elantra HVT gives you a lot of car for relatively little money, and if you're on a budget the five year warranty is a big attraction. On the road, the Elantra is less impressive than its Japanese rivals; this also applies to its quality standards. Poor results in overseas crash tests are also a concern.
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.
