New Hyundai Elantra might be showcased at the Auto Expo

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Hyundai is going on a product offensive for the Auto Expo 2016 riding on the successes of the Elite i20 and the Hyundai Creta. They have already confirmed the unveiling of the latest Hyundai Tucson SUV and now there are reports of the new Elantra being unveiled too.

The new Elantra moves away from the original fluidic design to its latest iteration. It now gets the gaping hexagonal front grille with thick horizontal slats like the Tucson. The swept back headlamps have integrated LED daytime running lights along with projector headlamps. The side profile is fairly the same but with new creases defining the bodylines. The long wraparound tail lamps with reflectors on the rear bumper and an integrated boot-lid spoiler finish up the rear.

On the inside, the new Elantra carries forward the Hyundai legacy of a long features list. The grey interiors are embellished with brush aluminium accents to give it an upmarket feel like the Sonata. It will get a touch-screen infotainment system, push-button start and parking sensors with rear camera for guidance along with a host of other features. The top-spec car will have ventilated power seats like the current car.

Under the hood, the Elantra is expected to carry the same powertrains as of now. The current car gets a 1.8-litre four cylinder petrol engine that produces 147bhp of power and 178Nm of torque with six-speed manual and six-speed automatic transmission options. The 1.6-litre turbocharged diesel mill develops 126bhp of power and 260Nm of torque and also comes with a six-speed manual and automatic options. The engines may be tweaked for better economy and performance.

The new Elantra is expected to hit the market later this year. It will compete with the Toyota Corolla, Skoda Octavia, Volkswagen Jetta and the updated Chevrolet Cruze. The pricing is expected to be a tad above Rs 15 lakh for the base petrol manual transmission variant while it may go up to Rs 19 lakh for the top-spec diesel car.