Even in April, Chennai can be pretty hot. And at the tree-less test track at the Hyundai plant on the outskirts of the city, it’s positively baking. It’s 38ºC, according to the digital display on the dash of the new Elantra, and now that I know precisely what the temperature is, the heat seems even more fierce. All the more reason to check out the efficiency of this sedan’s airconditioning – and keep driving around, rather than get out of it.
Which is actually not a bad thing, considering the Elantra is fairly well-upholstered and is a nice place to be in. It has shut off that oppressive heat and to an extent, the drone of the common rail direct injection diesel engine. Did I say CRDi? Yup, after the three-cylinder 1500cc unit of the Accent and the massive, turbocharged 2900cc power-plant of the Terracan, comes another CRDi engine in the Elantra. This time, it’s a four-cylinder 1991cc unit developing 110 bhp at 4000 revs and a neat 25 kgm of torque from just 1800 rpm onwards. Sounds good, right? Wait, that’s not all. Hyundai has also brought in a petrol version, a 1795cc inline four that produces 125 bhp at 6000 rpm and 16.6 kgm of turning force at 4500 clicks. Which puts the Elantra firmly in competition with the Skoda Octavia on one hand and the Toyota Corolla on the other. Besides this, with an inviting price-tag on the entry level GT version, the Elantra lands firmly in the Chevrolet Optra 1.8’s ballpark as well. Yes, there’s a great comparison test just waiting to happen! We’re preparing ourselves for the onslaught of Which Car? questions already.
If one of those Which Car? queries is about looks, then the Elantra might be difficult to recommend. Though this car received a facelift internationally, it retains that pinched, old, Hyundai corporate face, something which is already being cleaned up in their new and forthcoming line-up of cars. That curiously shaped grille and those headlamps buried in black plastic went out of style along with VHS tapes and VCRs. The taillamp treatment however is not that bad, it looks contemporary enough, but the rest of the architecture is conventional. That does not mean the Elantra does not have presence. Wearing a fluorescent white cloak and gleaming in the Chennai sun, the Elantra looked rather substantial. Something that’s necessary in this category of automobiles.
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