2016 Hyundai Elantra petrol long-term review, first report

The gearbox, though nice and alert with part throttle inputs and at city speeds, feels a bit recalcitrant when driven with a heavy right foot. Even in Sport mode, the gearbox doesn’t downshift instantly and neither does it hang onto a gear when you want it to. Leaving the gearbox to its own devices had it upshifting in the middle of corners; that’s not something you want it to do when you’re powering through a tight hairpin. I found it best to take control and move the not-too-stubby lever across the gate to Manual mode. That’s when I seriously missed having paddle shifters because tipping the lever back and forth felt so old school.

The steering too, though the best I’ve experienced on a Hyundai, lacks that ultimate precision to allow you to deftly place the car exactly where you want it.

Another weakness that came to the fore was the engine’s rather flat mid-range. So, you really need to rev it hard to get the most out of it.

The Elantra’s taut chassis no doubt gives it impressive body control, but at speeds – even on the mildly uneven sections of NH4 (the return route from Mahabaleshwar) – there’s a fair bit of pitching, especially at the rear.

The drive to Mahabaleshwar illustrated the fact that the Elantra is not a car that is comfortable being driven at VMax and dialing the tempo down a notch or two is the best way to enjoy this executive sedan, which actually feels happiest in urban surroundings.

Hyundai Elantra SX (O) AT 
Odometer 7036km
Price Rs 21.85 lakh (on-road, Mumbai)
Economy 7.87kpl (overall)
Maintenance costs None
Faults None