Elantra's going for bold

13th June 2006

What the ’El’s going on? This is a Hyundai Elantra all right, but not as we know it. The South Korean firm’s next-generation family hatchback has set its sights firmly on the class leaders.

Following in the tracks of the revised Santa Fe 4x4 – a model that’s already shot to the top of the SUV sector – the all-new Elantra has just gone on sale in its homeland, and shows Hyundai’s commitment to design quality.

While the covers were pulled off the newcomer at the New York Motor Show in April, we can now fully reveal what’s in store for the final production model. The Elantra is larger than the car it replaces and shares design cues with the Santa Fe, such as the swooping headlamps and distinctive grille.

But it’s inside where the hatchback will be leagues ahead of its predecessor. The Hyundai has a far more stylish cabin and features vertical air vents around the centre console – an increasingly fashionable dashboard layout. Buyers will also have the option of the latest sat-nav system, as designers have made room for a built-in screen.

Under the bonnet, the Elantra will be powered by new 1.6-litre petrol and diesel engines. However, it looks like buyers in the UK will miss out.

With a new Focus-sized hatch on sale in the UK in the spring, bosses don’t think there will be room in the line-up for the Elantra. Codenamed the FD, the new model will be sold as a three-door, five-door, estate and CC, sharing its underpinnings with Kia’s Cee’d.

PAGE 33: New Accent driven

Tell us about your car in our Driver Power survey.