2016 Hyundai Elantra India review, test drive

Should I buy one?

The Elantra enters a segment with quite a few rivals, but the Volkswagen Jetta, Toyota Corolla Altis and Chevrolet Cruze are all fairly long in the tooth now, and while the Octavia is new, well equipped and drives well, the Skoda is pricey and dealer support and other service issues are yet to be sorted out.

Hyundai has given the Elantra a very competitive pricing. The base petrol car at Rs 12.99 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi) is the cheapest model in the segment while the top-spec diesel at Rs 19.9 lakh is lower than European rivals. However, the Elantra range is no longer as well equipped as before and the real goodies like the ventilated seats and sunroof as well as safety kits like side airbags and speed-sensing door locks are reserved for the top trim automatic version only, which cost a substantial premium over the fully loaded manual versions.

As things stand, the Elantra isn’t going singularly rev up excitement in the flagging executive sedan segment. But what it does do is offer up is an interesting proposition against the other players with a modern feel, a well-sorted ride, comfortable interiors, decent equipment and a tempting asking price, all of which is backed by a proven service network. With all that taken into consideration, the Elantra does then seem to have what it takes to be the segment leader.