Hyundai Excel Sprint Car Review

In recent times Hyundai's Excel has taken the Australian market by storm. A low drive away purchase price and the enticement of free air conditioning has helped the Excel to earn its position as the top selling four cylinder car in the country.

The release of a revamped Excel in June 1997 offered revised external styling and remodelled interiors with no price increase. The latest change to the 1998 Excel line up is the introduction of an all new 1.5 litre twin cam engine to replace the single camshaft unit fitted to the base model three door Excel Sprint. The improved performance associated with the new twin cam engine does however come at a cost, as Hyundai has increased the price of the Excel Sprint by $1000.

The styling of the Excel is pleasant enough and remains easily identified as a member of the Hyundai family of vehicles. A more aggressive looking front bumper is a characteristic of the 1998 Excel range.

The Excel Sprint features a 1.5 litre double overhead camshaft, four valves per cylinder version of Hyundai's Alpha engine. The new engine produces 74 kW of power at 6000 rpm, a 12 per cent increase over the superseded single camshaft engine. Hyundai also claims a 5 per cent rise in maximum torque to 134 Nm, which is available at 4000 rpm.

The Excel Sprint is a basic vehicle, positioned to compete in the entry level new car market which is traditionally very price sensitive. Accordingly, it is equipped with a miserly array of standard equipment items in order to keep its purchase price to an absolute minimum. Standard items include a four speaker radio cassette, remote rear hatch and fuel filler release, rear window wiper, front door pockets and a 60/40 split fold rear seat.

The Hyundai Excel Sprint evaluated for this report was fitted with a five speed manual transmission and retails for $14,990 'drive away no more to pay'. This figure incorporates dealer charges and all on road costs. In addition, at the time of our evaluation Hyundai was offering free air conditioning on all Excels. This offer was for a limited time only and helps to make the Excel a more appealing package.

Interior space is quite good for a car of the Excel's size and the front seating positions allow a generous amount of head and leg room. The front bucket seats are of basic shape offering minimal support and no lumbar adjustment. Seated in the rear, leg room is a little restrictive for tall adults and overall comfort is fair.

A large thin rimmed steering wheel allows a full view of the dashboard instruments and all controls are well laid out and fall within easy reach of the driver. The manual gearlever has a particularly long throw and at times feels not directly connected to the gearbox, a characteristic that seems to be common throughout the Hyundai model range.

The Excel is quite an easy car to drive with the exception of its non power assisted steering. Once underway the steering becomes vague, and at parking speeds and when cornering the steering is heavy making driving quite a chore.

The build quality of Korean cars has steadily improved over the years, but it is still no match for most Japanese built vehicles. Short term peace of mind for Hyundai owners comes in the form of a generous three year or 100,000 km warranty.

The new twin cam engine provides noticeably more power than the superseded model but remains a little harsh and noisy. The engine pulls strongly for a 1.5 litre and gives impressive performance for its class.

Interior noise levels are acceptable; however, additional sound proofing would prevent some of the engine and road noise from permeating the cabin and further improve driver and passenger comfort.