While many expected the 2017 Hyundai Elantra to have its world premiere at the Frankfurt Motor Show which kick starts on September 15, the Korean brand confirmed it in an announcement a week earlier, in its native country.
A new compact sedan, under the name Avante, will make a debut and Hyundai showcased what fans can expect from their new vehicle and we must say we are excited.
The sixth generation of the compact sedan offers a better design overall, with the company installing a new, hexagonal grille up front, accompanied by narrower headlights. Other notable design changes include the wide taillights, as well as rear windshield and raked C-pillars. The low hood profile is just the cherry on the icing. The result is a sportier, more aggressive look of the Elantra that looks very similar to the Genesis. The 2017 Elantra is 1 inch wider than the previous version and 0.8 inches longer, providing more space inside the vehicle.
Inside, the company has installed the new horizontally oriented dash which we previously saw in the new Hyundai Sonata. The center features a large display and several rows of control buttons below the display. New tech goodies making their way to the Elantra include autonomous emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert.
Hyundai will offer the 2017 Elantra with three different engines. The entry model is a 1.6-liter four cylinder engine with direct injection system producing 130hp. There will also be a 1.6-liter diesel engine. The top of the class will be a 2.0-liter engine with Atkinson-cycle system producing 147hp. The Elantra will be offered with three different transmission options, depending on what engine you choose. The basic is a six speed manual gearbox, but there is also a six-speed automatic gearbox and a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission available.
We mentioned that the 2017 Hyundai Elantra will come with a bevy of new tech goodies and most of them will focus on safety and security. Among the many electronic driver aids we see forward collision warning and automatic high-beams. With so many safety features, the 2017 Elantra will be among the more secure sedans, even at a bargain compact price.
The US version of the Elantra will debut during the Los Angeles motor show scheduled for late November, and we expect the car to hit dealerships in early 2016.
