It wasn’t too long ago that Hyundai rolled out a comprehensive update for the current-gen Elantra. Now, first pictures of the all-new Hyundai Elantra are out, ahead of its world premiere in the USA on March 18.
While most Hyundai cars are now based on the company’s 'Sensuous Sportiness’ design theme, the new Elantra ditches that in favour of what Hyundai calls its new 'Parametric Dynamics’ design language. Having three surface lines meet at one point is the main element of this new design theme, and polyhedral shapes and prominent creases give the new Elantra a decidedly aggressive look on the outside. The teaser provides a glimpse of the Elantra's new LED headlights; a large, chrome-embellished ‘Cascading Grille'; dual-tone alloy wheels; and T-shaped LED elements in the tail-lights that are linked by an LED light bar.
Without sharing specifics, Hyundai has said the 2021 Elantra is based on a new platform, and is longer, lower and wider than the outgoing car. The new-gen model is designed to look more like a four-door coupe, as is evident from its silhouette, and it’s clear the new Elantra's design will be a marked shift from that of the current-gen model.
Hyundai has also shared a glimpse of the new Elantra’s interior. The design sketch hides details, but what's clearly visible are a four-spoke steering wheel – like on the new Hyundai i20 – as well as a large touchscreen infotainment system, which merges into the digital instrument cluster. Four AC vents are part of an element designed to look like a single vent spanning the width of the dash, accentuated by an LED light bar. It appears Hyundai wants to minimise the number of buttons on the dashboard, which has a clean, minimalistic look to it; also visible is an aircraft-style gear lever.
No technical specifications have been shared, but it’s a given that the new Elantra will get a choice of petrol and diesel engine options. It's likely that Hyundai will choose to carry over the BS6-compliant 2.0-litre petrol from the current car, and could look at introducing a 1.5-litre diesel engine, if there’s sufficient demand in the segment. Along with a manual gearbox, Hyundai is also likely to provide an automatic gearbox for each engine option. It’ll be interesting to see if Hyundai also chooses to introduce the 1.4-litre turbo-petrol and 7-speed dual-clutch automatic combination that will soon be offered with the second-gen Creta.
It’s unlikely that Hyundai will introduce the new Elantra in India anytime soon, with the midlife update for the present-gen car having arrived only late last year. That said, Hyundai did launch the current-gen car in India just 16 months after bringing in the facelift for the outgoing model. Expect the new Hyundai Elantra to come to India sometime in 2021, with prices expected to range from Rs 16-22 lakh (ex-showroom).
Think the new Hyundai Elantra's design looks promising? Let us know in the comments.
Uday Singh
Dipan Sur
Glenn Noronha
Viraaj Bhatnagar
