Hyundai Elantra 1.8 GLS Review

After winning the 2011 South African Car of the Year title, the Hyundai Elantra is expected to be a rather impressive and complete package. How good is it really?

Hyundai Elantra 1.8 GLS review by David Taylor

Hyundai Elantra is an attractive sedan

As far as passenger sedans go, they’re not the most attractive cars and if you know someone who has just purchased one, they’ll probably be at great pains to tell you that it’s an all-new vehicle. Let’s face it, these aren’t exciting but they’re the bread-and-butter models designed for the everyday drive to work and back. For a Korean five-door box, the Hyundai Elantra is one of the better designs and it’s a vehicle that I’d consider purchasing based just on looks alone. It’s rather easy on the eye and has gentle flowing curves to the design.

The Elantra’s smart engine tech means power meets efficiency

Underneath that attractive body is a strong 1.8-litre engine which has 110kW and 178Nm on tap. If you think about it, most 2.0-litre engines push out these figures. Even though it has the power of a 2.0, it still retains the economy prowess of a smaller 1.8-litre. The result is a vehicle that has plenty of power to overtake on the national highways at 120km/h, yet it is still able to return figures of 7L/100km or less. The engine was noticeably refined while cruising, but once driving hard, became a little on the noisy side.

Effortless and comfortable to drive

The Hyundai Elantra GLS is one of the simplest and enjoyable to drive. It’s effortless in operation thanks to a light clutch that won’t strain your calf muscles and an impressively smooth six-speed gearbox. One of its strengths is the ride quality. It is comfortable when driven on all types of road – a trait that many other manufacturers would do well to learn from. Another great strength is that the cabin is very well put together and it feels like you’re in a vehicle costing substantially more.

Hyundai goes all-out with kit

Speaking of cabin, I was so caught up in the upmarket feel of the Hyundai Elantra that I felt disappointed when I checked the specification levels. Then again, when the vehicle costs under R250,000 I quickly realised that this is one of the biggest bargains and I shouldn’t be too fussy! Here’s why. Dual zone climate control is present, as are comfortable seats, rain sensing wipers, park distance control, radio controls on the steering wheel as well as a radio with CD/MP3/Aux. This radio isn’t quite as modern as its counterparts as it doesn’t have RDS. So instead of saying ‘Five FM’, it’ll have the frequency instead. It’s annoying but not the end of the world.

Hyundai Elantra 1.8 GLS – Conclusion

Does it wear the South African Car of the Year award crown deservedly? Yes it does. It’s a seriously impressive package for the money, and coupled with the comprehensive warranty that Hyundai offers, you’d be mad not to consider the Elantra GLS as a family vehicle. The current mindset of the South African buying public confuses me as there are still car buyers out there who claim Korean cars are of inferior quality. If the latest Hyundai products are anything to go by, the Koreans are able to match their European counterparts in terms of specification, build quality and value for money. There’s a reason why Korean products are winning awards and being nominated for countless more. The Hyundai Elantra may not be the most exciting car to own or drive, but then again not many people are petrolheads so as a sensible car purchase, this a good choice.

• Why you should: Looks fantastic, good warranty, great to drive, great specification and huge boot.
• Why you shouldn’t: Can’t think of anything.
• It would be better if: Put RDS radio in – Hyundai/Kia STILL hasn’t sorted this out.
• View the Hyundai Elantra 1.8 GLS: New / Used
• Competitors worth checking out: Chevrolet Cruze, Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic, Kia Cerato