NEW HYUNDAI ELANTRA.

By -

Remove the Hyundai badge on the grille and you’ll be convinced you’re looking at a European car. It’s this image which the Korean carmaker reckons will translate into strong sales for its stylish Civic challenger. The design is modern Hyundai with the Elantra’s smooth lines flowing into each other yet managing to lend the car an aggressive look. Again, interior styling is far from ordinary with a striking fascia that is dominated by a multimedia screen. Smart packaging means space should be as good or perhaps better than the competition. Engines should include a 147bhp, 1.8-litre petrol and a new 1.8-litre diesel. In typical Hyundai fashion, the saloon should come very well specced so the Elantra will impress on the VFM scale too. 


The all-new Hyundai Elantra will be launched in the Indian market early next year. A source within Hyundai has comfirmed to autojunction.in that the all-new Elantra will be assembled at the company's Chennai facility. Another exponent of Hyundai's new 'Fluidic' design language, the new Elantra will be the second car to boast the sharp cuts and prominent lines characterisitc of this design language. The bold hexagonal grille and sharply styled headlamps and taillamps give this car a truly distinctive look.

The new Hyundai Elantra sports a 1.8-litre four-cylinder engine with Hyundai's D-CVVT system (Dual-Continuously Variable Valve Timing) which varies valve timing on both the inlet and exhaust valves, driven by separate camshafts. This allows Hyundai engineers to tune the engine for relatively high power output, without compromising efficiency and emissions. This engine comes mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox, or a 6-speed automatic transmission with manual over-ride, dubbed Shiftronic.

There's also the option of Hyundai's new 1.6-litre CRDi diesel, which does duty in the new Verna, launched recently. This engine would work well with the new Elantra as well, helping Hyundai achieve better economies of scale. A diesel engine with an automatic transmission would also help the new Elantra compete with the Chevy Cruze, which has enjoyed a strong monopoly as the only diesel automatic in this class.

Expect a very high level of standard equipment with this car, inlcuding climate control, Bluetooth connectivity, reverse parking sensors, ABS, airbags and what-have-you. The car will be priced on par with the competition. There are some rumours that the new Elantra could be named the i40 in India, but we have no confirmation as of now. The earlier Elantra didn't exactly set sales charts on fire in India, and the company is evaluating whether the name has any negative associations to it.

Whatever the company finally decides to call it, what the new Hyundai Elantra brings to the table is sharp styling, an impressive cabin, deep level of specification and excellent value for money. The new Elantra also comes with an impressive list of safety specifications, including ABS with EBD, traction control and six airbags. How many of these safety features Hyundai will offer on the Indian-built Elantra remains to be seen. The competition has been warned

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

All new Ambassador makeover by Hindustan Motors in 2012 .

By -
Image
Sixty years back, the word ‘car’ in India literally meant the Ambassador for most Indians. A lot has changed since then, with horde of automobile manufacturers active in the Indian market, sales figures for Hindustan Motors have hit an all time low 5,510 units in the first 10 months of the current fiscal year. Over the years, it has been the Indian political class that has been keeping Hindustan Motors rolling. The latest blow to Hindustan motors came from the Govt. of India itself, which replaced the Ambassador with cars like the  Maruti SX4  and the  Tata Indigo CS considering safety and performance issues. The next-gen Ambassador will feature structural, aerodynamic and aesthetical chages. Changes on board the 2012 Ambassador include new engine calibrations, an anti-lock brake system and aluminium alloy wheels. For comfort, there will be new leather seats coupled with wood grain interiors. For the first time, there will also be an integrated music system and redesigned instrument c
Read more

Force One to get 4x4 in mid-2012

By -
Image
Force Motors, which launched its first SUV, Force One, last August will launch a new 4x4 version and a variant equipped with ABS by mid-2012. The new 4X4 was displayed at the Auto Expo last month. At the launch, the company had indicated its intentions to offer more features in the SUV at a later stage. These features have made it to the SUV, but the company has been tight-lipped about launch date  and price tag. The 4x4 variant will continue to be powered by the FM-Tech 2.2-litre common-rail turbo-diesel motor that develops 139bhp and 32.6kgm of torque. It will be offered with a five-speed manual gearbox as is the case with the 4x2 version. There will be no visual changes to  differentiate the 4x4 from its 4x2 sibling, except for  the badge. We expect the ABS-equipped 4x4 version to  cost at least Rs 1 lakh more than the 4x2 variant, which costs Rs 10.65 lakh (ex-showroom,  Delhi). 
Read more

Maruti 800 replacement coming soon.

By -
Image
Authentic Cars  broke the news on the upcoming Maruti 800 way back in July last year   and now we bring you more info on the car that will finally replace the venerable Maruti 800.  This new car, to be called the Alto 800 (codename: YE3), is based on the Alto, but with significant modifications done to make it cheaper. Not to be confused with the Alto sold in Japan, the new Alto 800 is based on the current generation Alto (YG4) but with a new body and interior. As seen in the pictures, the design is rather basic but there is more than a passing resemblance to the Japanese Alto, especially from the front. The nose gets high-mounted headlights, a slim, slot-like grille and there is a huge secondary air-inlet opening above and below the bumper. The styling is in line with the current-generation Suzukis, and details like the slanting window-line point to an aggressive tip-forward stance. Also, there is a prominent character-line that runs on the sides, right from the headlamps all the
Read more