Hyundai brings the Elantra up to date, but would families be interested?
Hyundai's family car, the Elantra, just received a small redesign and several technical adjustments that keep it fresh for prospective buyers
The Elantra is Hyundai's best-selling model in the US, despite the fact that it competes in the shrinking compact car segment, currently sitting in the fourth position, after the Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla, and Nissan Sentra. The 2019 refreshment will most likely help it climb into third place, but it remains to be seen if clients will still choose it over Hyundai's SUVs and crossovers.
On the outside, we have a new hood, as well as new front fenders, front fascia, grille, and headlights. At the back, the trunk was redesigned, too, along with the taillights and rear fascia. The Elantra sits on new 16- and 17-inch wheel designs, while the Eco trim gets a new 15-inch alloy wheel design. On the Limited and Sport trims we also have LED headlights.
Inside, there's a new center cluster, while the air vents were redesigned, along with the AVN/Audio/Temperature controls. The car comes with a 5-inch color audio system as standard, but on higher level trims clients can have an 8-inch HERE HD Traffic Multimedia Navigation System. They can also choose an Infinity premium audio with 8 speakers including a center channel and subwoofer. A rearview camera with dynamic guidelines is standard.
2019 Hyundai Elantra – safety systems and engines
Safety-wise, the 2019 Hyundai Elantra has a powerful package, named SmartSense, that offers Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist, Lane Keep Assist, Driver Attention Alert and Safe Exit Assist, depending on the trim level.
The latter is available only on the Elantra Limited with the Ultimate Package, along with the Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist with Pedestrian Detection system. The Safe Exit Assist may sound an alert when a vehicle approaches from behind letting passengers know it may not be safe to open the door to exit the vehicle; the Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist with Pedestrian Detection uses both the front forward-facing radar and camera through sensor fusion to help detect a vehicle or pedestrian, and warn the driver of a potential collision. If the driver does not react to avoid the impact, the system may apply emergency braking in certain circumstances.
No changes related to the engine range for the 2019 MY: the SE, SEL and Limited offer the Nu 2.0L MPI Atkinson Cycle engine with 147 hp @6200 RPM and Eco offers the Kappa 1.4L Turbo-GDI with 128 hp @5500 RPM. The Eco model achieves an EPA estimated 35 mpg combined fuel economy rating thanks to a 7-speed dual clutch transmission.
2019 Hyundai Elantra Sport trim
The redesigned 2019 Elantra Sport will debut later in 2018 and have similar design changes to the other models. Hyundai will release more details in the fall. According to the brand, the car will have the same level of differentiation as the 2018 model. The Elantra Sport trim features a 1.6L Turbo-GDI engine, 6-speed manual transmission or available seven-speed dual clutch transmission, a sporty interior and revised trim headliner, advanced technology and connectivity, paddle shifters, sport front seats with leather, flat-bottom, leather-wrapped steering wheel, a sport instrument cluster and door trim garnish. The Elantra Sport features multi-link independent rear suspension which improves the dynamic performance and allows for greater flexibility in tuning.
SEE MORE: Hyundai Elantra UD/JK (2010-2016): Review, Problems, and Specs