The executive sedan (D) segment of the Indian car market is fairly small, and has never really been a happy hunting ground for any manufacturer but for the initial euphoria it generates among prospective customers. For some time now, the segment has been going steady at about 1,000 units of sale each month. hyundai Motor India though, is aiming to change that with the launch of their latest product, the sixth-generation Elantra. the company invited us over to Mahabalipuram recently to get a first-hand experience of the car. here’s what we found out.
Launched in 2012, the fifth-generation Hyundai Elantra was one of the most striking visual advocates of the Korean auto major’s fluidic design language and philosophy. That wasn’t lost on the customers in India, and Hyundai was able to take good advantage of that excitement by becoming a segment leader with the Elantra. Over four years later, the company expects to create the same kind of fervour among customers with the new Elantra.
DESIGN & STYLING
The new Elantra is based on a completely new vehicle platform, and in a departure from their earlier stance, designers have taken a much conservative approach to the exterior design and styling of the car, all to good effect. The company calls this the new Fluidic 2.0 design language, with focus on dynamic precision. This is also in accordance with the brand direction that the company seeks, which is ‘modern’ and ‘premium’.
The Elantra hasn’t changed much dimensionally, but for the increased width of 20 mm. The outer appearance of the car looks nice and contemporary. The large hexagonal grille is a major shift on the front, and so are the headlights with daytime running lights (DRL). The side profile is more coupe like now, and aids aerodynamics. The company claims a best-in-segment coefficient drag of 0.29 on the Elantra. The lines on the side merge well into the boot and to the LED rear combination lamps, which look like an advanced iteration of the tail lamps from Hyundai’s premium compact hatch, i20.
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