THE time when I used to drive my mom’s car back in Honolulu, Hawaii, is still fresh in my memory. It was a 1994 four-door-first-generation Hyundai Elantra, which my mom and her friends called “black beauty.” That Elantra was one of the most dependable vehicles I had ever driven and what I liked the most about it was its fuel efficiency and speed.
Perhaps a little history is in order. The Hyundai Elantra was born in 1991. It was given the codename “J1” and was launched in the United States to compete with the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla. It received a midterm facelift in 1993 and was originally designed to replace the Hyundai Excel, but the Excel ended up being sold for four seasons until it was replaced by the Hyundai Accent. Back then, the Elantra had a DOHC 16-valve 1.6-liter engine, which produced 113 hp at 6,000 rpm and could push to 97 kph in 9.5 seconds with a top speed of 187 kph. The first generation ended in 1995.
The second-generation Elantra (codenamed “J2”) hit the streets from 1996 to 2000. It was offered as a sedan and station wagon, and was sold in Korea as the Avante sedan and Avante Touring station wagon. The J2 was available with 1.5-liter Alpha DOHC (107 hp) and 1.8-liter Beta DOHC (128 hp) gasoline engines. Later, a 1.5-liter lean-burn (98 hp) gasoline engine based on the Alpha was added. A midlife facelift arrived in 1999 and a Philippine as well as European version with 1.6-liter 116-hp Beta engine was released. In Australia, the station wagon known as the LantraSportswagon with a two-liter engine, velour trim, softer cloth seats and Hyundai’s version of mag wheels became very popular.
The third-generation Elantra codenamed the “XD” was produced from 2001 to 2006. The wagon was dropped in favor of a five-door hatchback which came with standard front and side airbags, air conditioning, power locks, power windows and power steering. In 2004 Hyundai released a face-lifted version called the “XD2”, which had new headlights and taillights, grille, bumpers as well as a refreshed hood, trunk and dashboard.
In 2006 the fourth-generation Elantra sedan codenamed the “HD” debuted at the New York Auto Show. The engine lineup included 1.6 L Gamma and 2.0 L Beta II gasoline engines, and a 1.6 L turbo diesel engine, but only a 2.0 L engine was offered in North America. All engines featured improved fuel economy over previous versions. The HD offered the largest interior in its class, which led the US Epa (Environmental Protection Agency) to classify it as a midsize car.
In the recent Manila International Auto Show (Mias), which was held at the World Trade Center, Hyundai Asia Resources Inc. (Hari) launched the current-generation Elantra, which caused many jaws to drop. Hyundai applied a specific design concept called “Wind Craft” to the new Elantra, evoking a piece of sculpture literally crafted from the wind. The roof line has been lowered, muscular wheel arches have been created and sharply creased character lines that flow from the A-pillar along the hood and into the front bumper have been added. Hyundai Elantra’s design team gave the compact sedan a powerful and assertive stance. The hexagonal grille is distinctive and its swept-back head lamps really look elegant. The silver garnish that starts from the crash pad and leads to the console features a windblown shape that exudes an overall refined and dynamic image. High-gloss black and metallic colors used in the cabinet add a futuristic, high-tech look to the interior of the all-new Elantra.
Two months after Mias, Hari invited nine Philippine journalists including this writer to visit the Hyundai Namyang R&D Center in Seoul, Korea, for a special test-drive attended by 70 journalists from Africa, the Middle East, Eastern Europe, Latin America and the Asia-Pacific region.
The Namyang R&D Center on a 870-acre land, located in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, is a comprehensive, world-class technology research complex equipped with planning, design, engineering and powertrain centers as well as wind tunnel, pilot, crash, driving test facilities, hot and cold chamber tests. Approximately 10,000 researchers work around the clock at the center to develop the best automobiles in performance, quality and eco-friendliness. The Aeroacoustic Wind Tunnel Building alone was built at an estimated $45 million.
For our test-drive, we were provided Elantras with two advanced gasoline engines—the Nu 1.8-liter MPI and Gamma 1.6-liter MPI D-CVVT. Both were mated to six-speed auto/manual transmissions, which deliver more horsepower while consuming less fuel and producing lower emissions than the powertrains that they replaced.
Our main drive started off from the Elysian Gangchon Ski Resort, a famous tourist destination located in Chuncheon, north of South Korea, which is about 30 minutes from Seoul. The route included beautiful sceneries at Misa IC, Haevichi CC, Paldang Bridge on the Han River, endless tunnels as well as mountains in Chuncheon and the long Bukhan River, which served as apt backdrops for the car.
The Elantra produces a slicker and sportier profile with a drag coefficient (Cd) of just 0.28 reducing wind resistance and improving fuel economy because of its lower roofline and low rear deck lid. A kicked-up trunk lid and carefully sculpted rear lamps allow smoother air flow. A center floor deflector and flush surfaces in the bottom of the car minimize air turbulence, as well.
The Elantra rides on a 2,700 mm wheelbase, which is 50 mm longer than the previous iteration. Its overall length exceeds its predecessor by 25 mm at 4,530mm but the 1,775 mm width is same as before. The height has been lowered by 35 mm to 1,445 mm without affecting headroom. Interior cabin space has been enlarged by 18 liters.
The Elantra 1.8-liter Nu Multipoint Fuel Injected (MPI) four-cylinder engine is capable of up to 150 ps at 6,500rpm while producing 18.2 kg-m of peak torque at 4,700 rpm, when pushed to the limit. The Nu engine was developed to replace the 2.0-liter Beta engine used in the previous Elantra. The Nu is smaller in size, weighs 33.6 kg less and helps achieve an 18-percent improvement in highway fuel economy compared with its predecessor.
The Elantra 1.6-liter Gamma MPI four-cylinder engine, on the other hand, is equipped with D-CVVT to boost its output to130 ps at 6,300 rpm and allow lower exhaust emissions while delivering best-in-class fuel economy. Peak torque measures 16.0 kg-m at 4,850 rpm.
“The Elantra has become something phenomenal. Its new design is very unique. It means wind motion. The Elantra’s design is high contrast and distinctive form, coupé like and sporty profile. The upper half of the vehicle depicts sharp and carving image of the wind, while the lower half is robust and voluptuous surfacing of ocean waves. With Hyundai’s new slogan, ‘New thinking, New possibilities,’ I think it will be a very exciting time for the Elantra,” said William Y. W. Lee, EVP-overseas sales division of Hyundai Motor Co.
There are many ways of translating novel thoughts and ideas into words, and the Hyundai Elantra is truly a shining example of how the Koreans can do just that.
IN PHOTO -- Rolling guide The test units were conspicuously marked to point out their salient features. --TET Andolong
