Hyundai Elantra Vs SUVs – MG Hector, Tata Harrier, Jeep Compass

Korean car manufacturer, Hyundai has taken a bold step with the launch of the new Elantra in India last month. The reason we say so, is backed up by the diminishing sales for the D-segment sedans in India. The SUV segment has been growing strong in the country owing to the negligible price difference, better road presence and presumably larger occupant space. We have compared the newly launched Hyundai Elantra against the popular selling five seat SUVs in India namely – the MG Hector, Tata Harrier and the Jeep Compass. Read below to find out more on the interior space of all the four cars on our list. 

Front Space 

Interestingly, the Elantra and the Hector offer almost identical legroom for the occupants in the front seat. The Elantra has a max/min legroom of 88cms/65cms, while the Hector offers max/min legroom of 88cms/66cms. Moreover, the Elantra offers a generous amount of shoulder room of 142cms and has a backrest height of 64cms. The Elantra comfortably accommodates two healthy passengers in the front seat. That said, the Elantra with a sedan body style losses out to the SUVs with a least headroom of 92cms. This is quite expected as the SUVs have a higher stance, while the sedan sits lower to the ground. The Hector comes a close second with a shoulder room of 136cms while the Harrier and the Compass offer a shoulder room of 135cms and 130cms, respectively. In terms of headroom, the Harrier offers the best headroom of 102cms, while the Compass and the Hector measure 100cms and 97cms, respectively. 

Rear Space

The Hyundai Elantra continues to offer the maximum shoulder space in the rear as well. The Elantra has a shoulder space of 135cms, while the Hector, Harrier and the Compass measure 130cms, 132cms and 128cms, respectively. With a lower seating position, the Elantra naturally offers the maximum backrest height of 69cms, while the Hector, Harrier and the Compass have a backrest height of 62cms, 62cms and 63cms, respectively. In terms of legroom, the Harrier offers the maximum space of 98cms, while the Hector takes the second place at 96cms. As for the seat base length, the Compass offers the maximum seat base length of 50cms, while the Harrier and the Hector offer 49cms and 47cms, respectively. 

Boot Space 

The Elantra being the only sedan in the comparison offers the least loading height of 71cms. In terms of length and height, the Elantra is the most spacious at 100cms/53cms, respectively. In terms of width, the Elantra measures 107cms, while the Hector, Harrier and the Compass measure 102cms, 112cms and 109cms, respectively.  

Conclusion

As compared to all the SUVs on our comparison list, the Hyundai Elantra offers the best shoulder room and is better suited for healthy occupants. Whereas, overall the SUVs have scored more brownie pointers in terms of better headroom and legroom for rear seat passengers. As for boot space, all the cars on our list offer a fairly similar amount of luggage capacity.