There is a car revolution happening and the South Koreans are making a substantial contribution to it. Yes, they have snapped up a few Europeans like design guru Peter Schreyer to help things but still, credit must go to the South Koreans for the patience, time and effort they have put into taking their car brands to where they are at the moment. With this in mind, it was only a matter of time before the Hyundai Elantra would shun boring and move towards something exciting and good looking. The current generation is just that. Recently we got to test the sporty Hyundai Elantra 1.6 TGDI Elite Sport which seats at the top of the Elantra range.

The Hyundai Elantra Sport sets itself apart from the rest of the Elantra range with its model-exclusive front and rear styling. Upfront the Elantra Sport’s black hexagonal grille has a “Turbo” badge; side sill extensions; horizontal LED Daytime Running Lights and an inner housing for the headlamps. At the back the Elantra Sport is treated to range exclusive specific light signature for the LED taillights; and chrome dual exhaust outlets in a rear-bumper diffuser insert. Still on the outside, a different bottom half of the rear bumper with an accentuated black skid plate and visible chrome-plated dual exhaust pipes further underlines the Elantra Sport’s superior nature. The standard 17-inch alloy wheels of the Elantra Sport seal the car’s elevated stature in the Elantra range.

The differences between the Elantra Sport and the rest of the range are also evidently visible on the interior as well. Stand outs are the flat-bottomed steering wheel, red sport seats and red contrast stitching. Although not unique to the Elantra in Hyundai family, the standard 8-inch infotainment system which includes satellite navigation, a USB Mirror Link for Android cell phones, HDMI connectivity for iPhones to view the iPhone screen on the head unit, hands-free Bluetooth telephone link with remote controls on the steering wheel, Bluetooth music streaming and AUX and USB input ports is a major plus for the Hyundai Elatra Sport.

Adding to the long list of standard features are electrically operated side mirrors and windows, cruise control and rear park assist. These features are also standard across the range. The Elantra Sport also benefits from the Elite versions standard specifications such as an automatic air conditioner, rain sensors for the windscreen wipers, and a smart key push-button to start the engine.

The Elantra Sport has a 7-speed dual clutch transmission with paddle shifters. The driver can choose between a Normal, Eco or Sport driving mode. Eco is the most fuel efficient mode of driving whilst the Sport mode gives the car a sporty feel. The Elantra Sport 7-speed engine commands power figures of 150 kW and 250 Nm of torque. The engine doesn’t give you the Hyundai N30 sound but has a nice grunt. The car is quick as you would expect with the previously mentioned power figures but the power does not come immediately. There is a bit of a turbo lag and you start feeling the power as the car is picking up speed.

Hyundai claims a fuel economy of 7,9 litres/100 km for the Elantra Sport. We were not too far off that figure and averaged around the 8.5 litres/100 km. This is not bad considering that we were testing the car and putting it through its paces.
With the price tag of just R399,900 , and a long list of standard specifications, the Hyundai Elantra should find favour with many.

This is the pricing for the rest of the Elantra range:

Elantra 1.6 Executive (manual):        R299,900
Elantra 1.6 Executive (auto):              R314,900
Elantra 2.0 Elite (auto):                      R349,900
Elantra 1.6 TGDI Elite DCT:              R399,900

Hyundai’s 5-year/150 000 km standard warranty and an additional 2-year/50,000 km powertrain warranty is part of the pricing. This also includes 5-year/150 000 km roadside assistance and a 5-year/90 000 km service plan.