2011 Hyundai Elantra

backy

Well, it's official... the next -generation Hyundai Elantra will be coming to the US sometime in 2011 (article below says "early 2011"), meaning it's almost certain to be a 2012 model. Lots of photos and a press release with details here:

http://www.autoblog.com/2010/04/29/busy-hyundai-reveals-next-elantra-at-busan-sh- - ow-in-korea/

Yum. Note some of the features: HIDs, back seat bun warmers, 1.6L GDI with 6-speed automatic, etc. Quite a package!

Do you notice Hyundai is unveiling more and more vehicles in China? First the Accent, now the Elantra. Shows how important the China market is to automakers.

Did you also notice... Hyundai is now in the lead to see which automaker can deliver the first car with headlamps and taillamps that meet at the B-pillar.

tenpin288

More info on this exciting vehicle!

http://www.hyundai-blog.com/index.php/2010/04/29/new-2011-hyundai-elantra-makes-- worldwide-premiere/

llamania

This looks like a spy shot of interior that is mostly missing from other sources:

http://www.carblog.co.za/2010/01/03/2011-hyundai-elantra-interior-spied/

llamania

http://carspyshot.tistory.com/1356

stephen987

The 1.6GDI will be pretty nice--but I'd love to have one with the 2.4GDI from the Sonata!

backy

How about the 2.0T?

stephen987

Honestly I'm not a big fan of turbo motors--even the modern ones with more linear power delivery just don't feel as nice to me as a big normally aspirated lump. I'm a sucker for displacement and torque. I know it's a perception thing, but still. Think Sentra SE-R, rather than Civic Si.

fushigi

Thanks for the interior pic. That has been lacking from the the other photo posts.

I'm not a fan of the huge knob in the center part of the IP and that upper screen looks susceptible to being washed out in the sun. I'll have to see it in person to make a final judgment, though.

tenpin288

Supposedly the new Elantra will be made in the US!

http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2010/05/11/2010051100824.html

:surprise:

backy

Very interesting. Just saw another article the other day saying the Santa Fe was being moved to the Kia plant to provide more capacity for the Sonata, which is selling like hotcakes. So Hyundai must be planning a BIG expansion of the Alabama plant, to allow the Elantra production.

I also see the Elantra's engines will be sourced from China.

tenpin288

by the end of the year...

http://www.hyundai-blog.com/index.php/2010/08/03/2011-hyundai-elantra-sales-to-c- ommence-at-the-end-of-2010/

wolverinejoe80

all i have to say is wow.

backy

So the lifespan of the Gen 4 Elantra was only four years. Amazing, given the more typical 5-6 year lives of cars these days. Shows how aggressive Hyundai is getting--to replace a design that is still competitive, and which was just tweaked for 2010.

crkyolfrt

Good looking car, especially above the headlights area, but the windshield will be very expensive to replace. And it'll greenhouse you pretty bad in the hot sun. And wipers will be long and expensive. Maybe it is just me that notices these things.

I also wonder if our gas is clean enough to actually expect to get decent longevity out of all the DI gas engines coming to these shores in the last 2 years? Cuz DI DEMANDS clean fuel. ANd we put MMT, and ethanol and all kinds of cr&p in it as filler. I wonder even if that is why NOX owners are getting so many 4 cyl knocking and carrying on as noisily as if they were a diesel.

I was sitting in a 2011 Sonata the other day and the A/C didn't blow as cold as in my 5 year old CRV. I liked the seat better though. So let's hope HYD gives it a proper cooling capable unit. I think it must get hotter in NA than it does in Europe and Asia, cuz that is one thing NA builds do well. A friend has a Buick Enclave and he says you could use the car as an extra large refrigerator if you wanted.

backy

Here's an Elantra that doesn't have those problems... circa 1992:



Looks ok, but I prefer the Gen 5's styling.

crkyolfrt

Tidy looking Elantra. Yours? How many miles? Been a good car overall?

backy

Internet photo. First Elantra I owned was a 2001--two generations ahead of the one in the photo.

The sleek look is here to stay, for Hyundai and other automakers (see for example 2006-10 Civic and 2007-10 Sentra) due to fuel economy regs. There's windshield sunshields, deep window tinting for sides and back, and (my favorite trick) cracking the moonroof to help keep the interior cool with all that glass. In my experience, Elantras (going back to 2001 at least) have strong AC units. Windshield wiper blades are pretty inexpensive, and easy to install.

tenpin288

It looks like the new Elantra will be made here in the good ol' USA

Hyundai moving production of the all-new Elantra (2011 model year) to Alabama!

Sandman6472

The a/c in my daughter's Accent is so cold I need to put the fan speed down very shortly after putting it on high...just freezing! Would imagine the rest of the line would be similar. Wow, can't wait to see both these cars in person...could very well see another Hyundai in our family next year. Way cool!

The Sandman :sick: :shades:

califasramsfan

Does anyone know when Hyundai will begin selling the 2011 Elantra? Edmunds states that it will be released this winter.

backy

Know for sure? No. But consider the car will be unveiled in a few weeks at the LA Auto Show, and also Hyundai has not released pricing let alone started shipping a 2011 Elantra sedan (current design), while there's 2011 Elantra Tourings, 2011 Accents, 2011 Sonatas etc. etc. If they were planning to release the new Elantra after Jan. 1, why not have a 2011 carryover model to fill the gap for a few months and call the new Elantra a 2012? But there is no 2011 carryover model. Makes me think we'll see the new Elantra before year's end, as a 2011, at least in a trickle-feed.

tenpin288

Some new engine info on the upcoming Elantra...

New engine for the new Elantra

backy

Cool. More powerful than the Beta II, with better FE. I expect it's a GDI like the 2.4L in the Sonata/Optima. Looks like a nice powerplant for the new Elantra.

Now, if they could just drop the 2.0T into the Elantra SE...

m6user

Now, if they could just drop the 2.0T into the Elantra SE...

Yeah, that would be something. Probably could get somewhere around 26/36 mpg too. That would be a pretty amazing little car. I'm anxious to see the new Elantra at the auto show. I'm looking to buy a new car next year and right now the four vehicles that interest me the most are the new Optima, 2011 Ford Edge, 2012 Focus hatch and the 2012 Elantra. Quite a conglomeration I know but haven't decided if I can live without the hauling ability of a CUV or at least a hatch. I would miss the ease of throwing stuff in the back but the Optima turbo is really drawing me to it.

I read somplace that Hyundai is thinking about a Sonata wagon. An Optima in that guise would be sweet too. I think as long as the manufacturers put "sport" in front of wagon they could sell wagons again. I believe the public has had their love affair with SUVs, then CUVs and I think they could be ready again for wagons as long as they can stay away from the term "stationwagon" or even just plain "wagon". If you look up the history of stationwagon it comes from the wagons with large rear storage areas for luggage that were used around train stations. Ergo....stationwagons. No wonder people people didn't want to be seen driving them. Perception of a livery driver. LOL.

backy

Since the Santa Fe is based on the Sonata platform (now the "old" Sonata platform), I would be surprised if Hyundai brought a Sonata wagon to the US, given the lack of popularity for those. But you never know... anyway, if I want a Hyundai wagon, the Elantra Touring would be just the right size for me.

m6user

I'm pretty sure the article was about them offering it in Europe but hinted that a US version may be possible. I would tend to agree with you on the Santa Fe being all they would offer but they have done some pretty neat things of late.

Actually, I forgot a car that I'm also very interested in and that's the new Forte 5door. Haven't seen anything on the Elantra redesign coming in a hatch touring model but I suppose it will come sooner or later. That would also be on the radar. I'm just not sure any of these compact hatchs will have the hauling ability I like but I'll definitely take a good hard look at them.

carfreak09

I just knew Hyundai wasn't going to put the same 1.6 in both the Accent and Elantra! That wouldn't have made any sense. The article doesn't mention if the 1.8 has GDI. Even if it doesn't, it packs more power then other base engines in the class while offering improved mileage over the old Beta motor.

tenpin288

A little more teaser info. Looks like it has a chance to debut before the end of the year!

teaser image

m6user

I think the new Focus will have a 2.0 DI engine and more HP (155) than the Elantra and is supposed to get around 40mpg hwy as well. It will also have a 6 speed dual clutch auto available.

I think these two cars will be the hot compacts in the segment next year.

crkyolfrt

If more and more mfgrs go away from offering a truly manual, standard transmission, then when my time comes, (to knock off) I'm truly going to be sooo ready.

Lately, it's getting that i feel a forehead vein start to rise a bit when I read about dual clutch this, and microprocessor-controlled, that.

m6user

Don't let your blood pressure get the best of you. The standard tranny for the Focus will still be a 5 speed stick and I'm sure the Elantra will offer one as well.

crkyolfrt

good!

but are you sure about the 5? I suspect they may go 6? But DI offers up impressive torque at low revs so the 6 isn't needed really to deliver good fuel economy.
Often they use 6 speeds to cater to public ignorant pressure.
"But honey, this one has a six-speed"... type of mentality.

Although it isn't quite as simple as I am making the joke about it being, since (especially with autos) the extra speeds can optimize engine revs/speed you're doing especially in town.

Highway differences less so...except that the mfgrs use lower final drive ratios in std trannies, (to help with wty claims, lugging induced) so the autos tend to do better on the highway due to nothing more than fewer rpms at the same speed.

carfreak09

Wow, with the tape on the car, the sleek roofline makes it look like a coupe! Very nice!

crkyolfrt

I got this link from post #1 in this thread.

http://www.autoblog.com/2010/04/29/busy-hyundai-reveals-next-elantra-at-busan-sh- ow-in-korea/

It has no disguises.

Kirstie_H

A reporter is interested in talking with someone who thinks perhaps the competition has caught up to Toyota and Honda; someone who may be considering new brands for the first time in awhile.

If you are interested in commenting on your experience, please reply to pr@edmunds.com no later than 5pm, Thursday, November 11, 2010, and include your city and state of residence, your email address and your telephone number.

m6user

The standard tranny is a 5 spd stick. The auto version is a 6spd dual clutch tranny. At least that's what I have read. Go ahead and Google 2012 Ford Focus specs and see what you get. I believe the Elantra gets the new 6 spd auto tranny but I'm not sure if the stick will be 5 or 6 speeds.

m6user

Here is a link to an article about the new Elantra which states all versions will achieve at least 40mpg plus a little more info on the drivetrain.

http://www.autoblog.com/2010/11/12/entire-2012-hyundai-elantra-line-to-hit-40-mp- - g-on-highway/

backy

Besides the FE numbers, the other significant thing in that article is the model year: 2012. That indicates the new Elantra won't hit the U.S. until after Jan. 1. Yes other recent articles say "2011" and claim the car will debut before year's end. I guess we'll know for sure in a few days.

carfreak09

29/40 mpg AND 148 hp?? This engine has to have direct injection because that blows away my 2010 Accent 1.6. Could it be that Hyundai has managed to completely eclipse the original fuel economy champ, Honda? It seems Honda has completely lost their way and Hyundai was only too happy to pick up where they left off. Based on this info, I would expect the 2012 Accent to reach 42-44 mpg. If it can achieve that, there really is no reason to buy hybrids like the Insight. All I gotta say is DOH!!! I missed all this new technology by mere months. Why couldn't the crook wait 5 months to steal my Integra??

backy

Used cars are selling at premium prices now, maybe you could sell your Accent and get a new Elantra or Accent in an few months. If it's like new and with 4 years of warranty left, you might not lose a lot on that deal if you do a private-party sell. However, I expect the deals on the new Accent and Elantra won't be quite as good as what can be had today on the Accent and Elantra. For example, a local dealer is advertising 2010 Elantra GLSes for $179/month lease, sign-and-drive (0 out of pocket).

m6user

That's the question I guess. In todays autoblog.com and cars.com articles they both mention the 2011 Elantra and that it will be available this year. It would make sense to me to come out in Jan/Feb timeframe and call it a 2012, kind of like they did with the Sonata and get at least a year and a half out of it. Everything I read though recently says it will be in dealerships by the end of the year. Wouldn't that make it a short model run if they come out with the 2012s by late fall?

backy

Yes, that's another reason to make the new Elantras 2011 models. Also, notice there is no 2011 Elantra sedan right now--but there's 2011 Hyundai Everything-Else's. Another hint the new Elantra sedan will be a 2011 model.

tenpin288

More info and pics here

They seem to think it will debut as a 2011 before the end of the year.

crkyolfrt

If that's the case (it being 2011) then the best deals will be on a used 2011 next Aug.
Hyd might do this if they feel that the new car has so much to offer that people won't wait, but anyone who buys the end of Dec will only get 7 mo out of their new car year. That's costly depreciation no matter how you slice it, unless Hyd plans a cost increase for 2012.
But if they call it a 2012 this yr then the best deal is now.

tenpin288

And just a little more info from Auto Week

backy

Proof readers at AW must be on vacation. "Standard" leather, moonroof, and heated front/rear seats? Only on the top-trim model I'm sure. Still, a lot of features for a top-end Elantra. That article also said the top-end model would get the 1.8L engine. I had the impression it would be on all the US Elantras.

I wonder how the rear head room will be on the new Elantra--looks like it's lower than the current design. The Sonata suffered there with the new styling.

tenpin288

And another new tidbit... The next-gen Touring arriving maybe next year will be based on the new Elantra!

New Elantra Touring

m6user

The Limited comes standard with the leather, moonroof, etc. and the only engine is the 1.8L. Other articles I've read said the base GLS doesn't come with A/C but that is part of the GLS Popular Equip. Pkg which I'm assuming that 99% would get. Just doing that to bring it in at a very low starting point.

AW piece just goes to show you how much real thought goes into some of these articles.

m6user

Did anybody think it would be based on the old style?

stickguy

no, but the current touring isn't based on the current elantra, so I guess the news is that they platforms are being merged.

m6user

The body is different but I think the frame and powertrain are the same and the interior is pretty much identical to the current Elantra. Just seems like a no brainer that they would continue the fluid sculpture thing into the hatch version.