13th October, 2011
The all-new Elantra – Hyundai’s medium luxury sedan that has arrived in Nigeria with exciting new styling and driving dynamics to match – aims to ruffle a few feathers in its market segment.
Hyundai says that this is the sedan that is more than well-equipped to elevate the brand to a level where it can compete as a modern premium vehicle offering luxury, quality and an exciting motoring package at an accessible price.
The ‘fluidic sculpture’ design language that has first been adopted by Hyundai for the very popular ix35 SUV and the attractive Sonata sedan, has now been applied to the Elantra – one of the Korean car manufacturer’s bread-and-butter models.
The new Elantra has already played an important role in the United States to increase Hyundai’s ranking in the JD Power APEAL (Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout) study from the 28th position in 2010 to the 15th spot in the 2011 results.
The fifth generation Elantra is making its entry into the medium luxury segment after worldwide sales of six million of its predecessors since the first launch of this model in 1990.
The styling, power output, fuel-efficiency, comfort and safety features of the fifth generation Elantra have all been upgraded. Projecting a sportier and even more progressive image than its predecessor, this all-new compact sedan will continue its successful tradition of offering class-leading performance and fuel efficiency, thanks to its advanced technology and powertrain.
Having its roots in Hyundai’s Fluidic Sculpture design philosophy that aims to reflect sophistication and dynamic lines into the shape of vehicles, Hyundai applied a specific design concept called “Wind Craft†to the new Elantra, evoking a piece of sculpture literally crafted from by wind.
By lowering the roofline, creating muscular wheel arches and adding sharply creased character lines that flow from the A-pillar along the hood and into the front bumper, Hyundai Motor’s Elantra design team gave the compact sedan a powerful and assertive stance. The distinctive hexagonal grille clearly establishes the new Elantra’s identity as a Hyundai family member. Swept-back headlamps complete the elegant exterior.
Hyundai’s commitment to making the Elantra highly fuel-efficient continues with a six-speed automatic transmission with SHIFTRONIC manual control or a standard six-speed manual transmission.