Hyundai's latest in a line of new cars with the fluidic design concept is the Elantra. It's a nameplate that we Indians are familiar with, what with the third-gen model being the only one to be sold on our shores nearly a decade ago. It was a competent automobile that somehow never set the sales charts afire, disappearing a few years later, along with the globally venerable badge as well.
It's making a comeback though, this August after a gap of nearly six years. The Elantra is re-entering the very space it had originally planned to make a strong presence in - a space that is actually shrinking. Despite the entry of models like the new VW Jetta and the Renault Fluence late last year and one of the two segment leaders, the Chevrolet Cruze getting an engine update just weeks ago, it's been on a downturn. Contemporaries in the SUV and MPV space, however continue to grow at breakneck speed, probably signalling a change of heart among customers. So the Elantra has a big burden on its young shoulders.
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