Sight for sore eyes

One thousand five hundred units a month is what Hyundai would like the new Elantra to do. The best selling model in the segment, the Toyota Corolla Altis, currently manages an average of 800 units only. So clearly, the Korean manufacturer has set an uphill task for itself. Or at least, that's what we thought before seeing the car in flesh. But once we did, the target appears plausible. And we won't be surprised if it attracts customers from segments above and below it, courtesy its styling alone.

Add to it the various options that Hyundai will bring along and there seems to be something for everyone. It will come with a 1.6-litre diesel and a 1.8-litre petrol with both engines getting 6-speed manual and auto 'boxes and at least three trims per engine. Expect the entry-level models to carry a price tag of Rs 12 lakh and Rs 13 lakh for the petrol and diesel, respectively. Both these entry-level models will come with a 6-speed manual gearbox and will carry a fair amount of kit too, making them tempting options. The most expensive version — the diesel with a 6-speed auto — will cost around Rs 18 lakh.

But even at this price, the latter will be a lot of car for the money. The equipment list for instance, is huge. You get keyless entry and start, a dual zone climate control system, a cooled glovebox, electrically adjustable, heated and foldable ORVMs, Bluetooth, and audio controls on the steering as well as on the rear armrest for rear passengers. Then there’s ABS, six airbags and ESP.

It also comes with an exceedingly practical cabin. There is a cubbyhole, a bottle holder and storage space almost everywhere you look. You might run out of stuff to keep, but not space to put it in. Besides cup holders upfront and a bottle holder on each door, there are intelligently designed cubbyholes in and around the central console. The front door handle too doubles up as a place to put your cellphone and there's good storage under the front sliding armrest. The only shortcoming is the lack of cup holders for the rear passengers.

Practicality aside, the Elantra's insides are welcoming as well. The interiors look and feel plush. The fit and finish is good and there is a lot of play of colours from ash black to beige to silver accents, but there's hardly any discernable inconsistency to the finish. The cabin looks very upmarket and feels very airy.

Comfort again is Elantra’s strong point. The seats — both front and back — are large, accommodating and supportive; these feel instantly comfortable and even after spending over two hours in them, we had no complaints. Moreover, in our top-of-the-line test car both front seats came with cooling function. No such luck for rear seat passengers, but at least with a decently large and well bolstered seat squab and a finely set back-rest angle, they aren’t any less comfortable.

Powering our Elantra was the 1.8-litre petrol engine, which is new to Hyundai’s range in India. Now, it might have 150bhp, making it more powerful than any other car in the segment except the 160bhp, turbocharged Laura, but on the move, especially with the 6-speed auto, the performance feels blunt.

There wasn’t much go in the low and mid range and with tall 5th and 6th gears, the car lacked the grunt towards the top that its power figures suggests. Now don't get us wrong, the Elantra isn't slow, but the manner in which the engine gathers revs is more relaxed than spirited, unlike the competition — both Japanese and European. Moreover, the car plateaued at about 170kmph and struggled to pile on speed thereafter. Another area where the new Elantra failed to impress is the dynamics. In keeping with the family tradition, the steering on the Elantra too is light with absolutely no feel. It’s not slow or lazy in its communication with the tyres, but it chooses to the keep the driver in complete darkness of all the happenings. But yes, being light to operate and with only 2.5 turns lock-to-lock, it's super convenient in the city, particularly while parking or making three point turns.

The car’s low speed ride quality being soft, manages to absorb most potholes and bumps at speeds of under 60kmph with ease and bodes well for city use. However, the ride isn’t magic carpet like, so one can still feel the suspension working, especially a hint of jiggle at the rear. At higher speeds though, the ride is quite unsettled. The rear bounces uncomfortably over undulating roads and the front seems to run out of travel even over slightly pronounced bumps. It won't have you or the occupants throwing up, but with damping that fails to hold the rear down and causes the car to behave unpredictably, you really don’t feel like driving this car fast.

Straight line stability, thanks to the unsettled ride, feels unnerving on less than perfect roads as well. Having a disconnected steering doesn't help matters either. It clearly lacks the reassuring and planted feel of the Jetta or the Laura.

With its stunning looks, impressive equipment list, engine and gearbox options and focus towards comfort and luxury, we were certain that the Elantra was going to kill the competition in the D-segment. However, after driving the car we are not so sure. The car’s performance and dynamics lack that special feel which the Elantra otherwise radiates. However, the Elantra will still be a fantastic buy if Hyundai sticks with its plan of pricing the Elantra aggressively. But would it be that much better than its Japanese or European rivals to achieve the sales target of 1500 units per month? Our upcoming road test will provide a more definitive answer.