First, It Is Effective. The First Test Of The Seventh Generation Hyundai Elantra

2023 Author: Natalie MacDonald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-05-21 02:36

The sedan in Russia has long lost the status of a general consumer dream. And four-doors of the golf class have become a depressive segment at all. The buying algorithm among the masses now looks something like this: if you have money - you go for a crossover, there is no money - you take something cheaper, like the conventional Solaris. And then you save up for a crossover. Why not a sedan? Because the space is about the same as that of a car of a lower class (and cheaper), and there are no added bonuses like high ground clearance or all-wheel drive. However, the new Hyundai Elantr reminds us that the sedan is also spectacular

Elantr is different. After all, it started well: in the sixth knee with the AD index, presented in 2015, the car looked good, almost European. But she was killed by a facelift that looked as bold as it was out of place. It's hard to find someone who likes the sedan's redesigned design. Therefore, the change in the form of a new generation CN7 arrived promptly - about a year earlier than originally planned. Well, if the failure has accelerated the update of the model, it means that the principle of "no silver lining" really works.

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Take a look at the new Elantr from different angles. Isn't that good ?! Well, the sedan looks interesting, admit it! The radiator grille with an intricate pattern annexed the front optics to its limits. The taillights are fused with an LED line. The sides are intricately broken with origami-style corners. The modified proportions gave the sedan a different silhouette - with a 20 mm shortened front overhang and a 30 mm longer rear overhang, and a sloping roof that goes into the trunk lid, the Elantr is like a liftback.

But what prevented you from combining the latter with the rear window and getting a full-fledged competitor to the Czech Octavia? Indeed, the car has just gained in practicality: the grown rear overhang added 67 liters to the trunk volume. But no - the sedan remained a sedan. And the luggage compartment with the opening clamped in height and the lid hinges traumatic for the load causes serious damage to practicality.

However, the Hyundai dealership does not want to see Skod in a competitive environment: they say, in terms of price and dimensions, Octavi is closer to D-segment cars, like the larger Sonata. Their closest rival is Cerato, which is simpler, cheaper, and even older. Unlike Elantra, already built on the new platform K3, the poor relative of Ki was raised on the old "cart". Which, however, is schematically similar: MacPherson strut in front, a twisting beam in the back.

At the presentation there were only cars with a new two-liter engine with a capacity of 150 forces from the fresh Smartstream family - versions with the old 1.6 G4FG engine of the Gamm family have not yet arrived in the press park. The transmission will have no alternative to automatic, although the "mechanics" are also declared in the OTTS. Certified just in case, although Elantra buyers did not show much interest in the "hand-to-hand" box before.

Inner world? Here it matches the bright appearance: a lot of design!

In the sedan of the last generation, the salon was a little more than faceless, but now everything is not so. Even the simplest version, which I managed to see only in the photo, does not look pale. And even though it has the usual analog devices and multimedia with a small eight-inch display, this Elant also has a “look”. What is there - the new generation in the database looks more expensive than the old one in the top!

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Visually, the interior has risen in price, but many materials are still budget-friendly - first of all, it concerns door trims made of hard plastic. The front seats are separated not only by a high central tunnel, but also by a triangular structure, which can serve as a handrail for the front passenger. A kind of "sight" to the left of the dashboard is not functional - at least until the release of the charged N-modification

Well, the test machines in the most sophisticated version of the Anniversary, named in honor of the 30th anniversary of the model, exude gloss at all - primarily due to digital devices assembled under a single glass with a multimedia touchscreen enlarged to 10.25 inches. Good and wrapped in leather with patterned expiration of the chair. And some of the pieces were also partially decorated with melange fabric, which covers the elements of door cards and armchairs from the back. Smartly!

The style overhaul did not spoil the ergonomics. The new parallel-spoke steering wheel is geometrically almost perfect - well, except that the tides in the grip points are a little hypertrophied. But the smooth skin is pleasant to the touch, and the seam is neat - Nissan and Toyot nervously smoke on the sidelines. The shift paddles with graceful faceted heads look cool. Outright chic!

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The front seats are not only beautiful but also comfortable. In the top version of the Anniversary they are electrified, but only the driver can adjust the angle of the pillow and the lumbar support.

The fit is comfortable. You can find the optimal settings quickly by noting the adjusted chair profile. The visibility is more than bearable: the front pillars are not inflated, the mirrors, although not large, but the reality is displayed informatively. A glance thrown into the interior mirror catches the reflection of the speaker grilles of the audio system in the rear window.

The back row was not impressed. Under the front seats, the feet get up without reserve, but the knees are at ease - colleagues who are one meter eighty confirm. But the ceiling is rather low: everyone who has reached the average values will rest his head against it. Of the amenities, only ventilation deflectors and an armrest with cup holders. And in expensive versions there is also a two-stage heating, quite vigorous. However, only the pillow is getting warmer - the back is de-energized.

It turns out that the platform change turned out, rather, nominal - the car did not become more spacious. And the driving character, it seems, has not changed!

Controllability, if improved, is only in nuances. The light steering wheel is not over-sharpened - 2.5 turns from lock to lock. Feedback is generated distinctly, logically increasing when deviating from the zero position. By the way, zero could be a little clearer, but this is already from a series of nagging. The sedan obediently reacts to steering wheel turns, easily changing the trajectory. Confidently stands on an arc, and when the gas is released, it depicts a readiness to take revenge with its tail, until the stabilization system grabs the legs. Not boring car, in general.

And very comfortable, moreover. On the broken-down interregional road between Kalyazin and Rybinsk, Elantr is doing a fine job, pretty much softening unevenness of various sizes for the inhabitants of the cabin and demonstrating decent energy consumption. At gentle waves, the amplitude of oscillations at some point begins to seem significant, but in the end, things never reach the point of swinging. True, several times on dramatically large potholes, the front suspension emitted an alarming knock, but there was still no feeling that it had closed on the bumpers.

Acoustic comfort is controversial. When the car is stationary, you can hear neither a running engine nor street noises. But in movement, Elantr is filled with sounds. Pebbles and sand can be heard ringing in the rear arches, and Nokian HakkapeliittR3 friction winter tires thump loudly over bumps and hum as the speed increases. And in addition, the engine running at high speeds goes over the ears.

Petrol Smartstream 2.0 with 150 horsepower gets along well with a six-band "automatic" in any mode. Gear changes in the box are smooth and always on time. Acceleration dynamics is expectedly normal, but nothing more. Saving 45 thousand, giving up two liters in favor of 1.6, is definitely not worth it. However, if a fatter version looms in the consumer's sight, then there will be no choice: expensive configurations imply a more powerful engine.

And for the input version Base 1.6 engine is uncontested. This Elantr will cost 1,389,000 rubles, but it will not consist of only stubs. A set of six pillows, air conditioning, heated mirrors, seats, nozzles and a multifunctional leather steering wheel are promised; multimedia with an eight-inch screen and rear-view cameras. Normal set for the base.

In the next configuration Way per 1,469,000 rubles instead of kondeya there will be a dual-zone climate, LED headlights, a rain sensor and rear parking sensors, as well as an advanced multimedia system with a 10.25-inch touchscreen and navigation. The Active version costs exactly the same, but it has basic multimedia instead of top-end, but it has cruise control, heated rear sofa and 16-inch alloy wheels versus 15-inch wheels on steel stampings, like the aforementioned trim levels. The surcharge for a two-liter engine is 45,000 rubles, and for a color other than white, another 15 thousand.

Elantr included Eleganceasked for 1,595,000 rubles, among other things, it grows with an electronic "handbrake", wireless charging for a smartphone, keyless access with the ability to remotely start, front parking sensors, electric folding mirrors and a photochromic rear-view mirror. Such a car can be supplemented with optional packages of options, and if you select all three for the amount 200,000 rubles, then it will cost exactly the same as the version Anniversary (1,795,000 rubles), where all of the above is already there - plus nameplates on the body and floor mats with the anniversary logo.

Expensive? No, it's already normal - in the market. KiCerato will cost less, but against the background of Elantra it now seems like a simpleton. ToyotCoroll is significantly more expensive than Hyundai's two-liter sedan and is inferior in power. The Volkswagen Jett also seems overpriced. And Citroen C4 and Peugeot 408 … Does anyone buy them at all?

But Elantra seems to have everything to hook the client. The change of generations has transformed the car. And even if it does not change the market - even within its own segment - it is simply obliged to draw attention to itself. A beautiful sedan, modern in presentation and conservative in technology - is this not ideal for those who do not want to accept newfangled sensors, turbines and "robots"?