Hyundai Elantra Hybrid

THERE’S plenty wrong with the hybrid Elantra. It’s dull to look at, the CVT system feels old-fashioned and makes for an uncomfortably noisy ride, and there’s nothing about the car that screams hi-tech. But Hyundai has still beaten mainstream rivals such as Ford, General Motors and VW to having a hybrid on sale. In addition, not many people can argue with a motor that would cost half as much to fuel as a VW Polo BlueMotion.

Believe it or not, Hyundai is now the fifth biggest car firm in the world – but its ambition doesn’t stop there...

With its eyes firmly on the top spot, it’s also promising that it will never adopt a ‘me-too’ approach in its ambitious march towards becoming a global automotive power.

So it should be no surprise that Hyundai’s latest hybrid is also the world’s first LPG-electric car. It uses a 1.6-litre version of the firm’s petrol engine fuelled by liquefied petroleum gas with power supplemented by a 15kW electric engine propelled by lithium-ion polymer batteries.

While the Elantra Hybrid Electric Vehicle might be a pioneer for the firm’s Blue Drive eco cars, you’d never guess from its anonymous looks. Most will forgive it that when they see its official CO2 emissions are 102g/km, with combined fuel economy a claimed 70mpg.

This is what’s known as a mild hybrid. So unlike Toyota’s Prius, which can run on electricity alone, the Elantra’s electric engine is used only as a power booster. You don’t get any fancy graphics on the dash, either.

There’s simply a dial next to the rev counter to show when the batteries are assisting the engine and when they’re recharging by capturing energy as the car slows down.

Indeed, the car’s technology works so well, you’d hardly know it was there. And although the Elantra is aimed at the Korean market – hence its boxy design – the no-nonsense interior is impressively built.

Not so good is the Elantra’s Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT). Unable to swap cogs as a conventional gearbox would, the motor roars loudly as you accelerate and is difficult to drive smoothly as it always seems about half a step behind what the driver wants.

Nonetheless, Hyundai UK believes there’s a strong case for bringing the hybrid Elantra here. And with its low emissions and strong fuel economy, combined with the low cost of LPG, it could be on to a winner.

Rival: Honda Civic IMA
The hybrid Civic may appear more technologically advanced, but it can’t match the Elantra’s economy or emissions figures, and it’s more expensive.