Rebel spirit

2017 Hyundai Elantra Limited

If you study the auto industry as I do, you can sometimes see a plan for a car company, and their product line evolve right before your eyes. Such is the case with Hyundai. They have followed Honda’s plan for success, initially offering affordable, bare-boned vehicles with amazing warranties. They slowly and surely built up a customer base. And they expanded and improved their product line.

Now the South Korean automaker is legit – a contender in almost every segment. They earned it through excellent product development and a slow, methodical and conservative approach to making cars aimed at the American consumer.

One of the most stunning occurrences in Hyundai’s history was the 2011 redesign of the Elantra. It was a head turner and broke away from the brand’s conservative nature. It won over consumers. So, I was leery when Hyundai announced a total redesign for the Elantra for the 2017 model year. Six years is a long time in the car business, so it needed to be done.

The 2017 Elantra gets a whole new look. It still reflects its more conservative bent, but this design will likely be a little more ageless and allow Hyundai to get six more years out of it. The Elantra’s grille is similar to that of the Sonata and falls in line with all the other Hyundai vehicles.

The base SE and the top-of-the-line Limited trim (which is what I drove), get a new four-cylinder engine. A 2.0-liter engine makes an adequate 147 horsepower. The drive performance of this new Elantra is on the bland side. It serves its purpose of getting you from here to there, but there’s little to no exhilaration with the Elantra’s powertrain.

The front-wheel drive Elantra Limited comes with a six-speed automatic transmission and a driver select mode (normal, sport and eco). In this case, the normal mode was the optimal one, as the sport one seemed to make the transmission rev longer and harder. Overall, for an updated powertrain, I was hoping to see a better transmission and perhaps a turbo-charged engine for a little more pep.

Inside, the Elantra inspires. The wow factor is in full effect with the Limited’s high-end features and luxurious vibe. For a vehicle with its price tag, you don’t expect this many soft touchpoints or lavish features. The redesigned Elantra is longer and wider than before and it’s noticeable in the cabin where the back seat offers more legroom, shoulder room and head room.

However, the expanding of the back seat comes at a small cost as the trunk is actually smaller this year with only 14.4 cubic feet of space (it was previously 14.8), but this is a minor price to pay for rear comfort.

The infotainment system is modern and sleek, but not over-designed. The clean, logical design of the center stack makes the overall infotainment system intuitive. Although the touchscreen is on the small size at 4.2 inches, it integrates well with all smart phones and employs Apple Car Play and Android Auto.

Add the ultimate package to the Limited trim and you get automatic emergency braking, pedestrian detection, lane departure and adaptive cruise control. These sensor-based features are the wave of the future and put the Elantra closer to autonomy.

There are three trims for the Elantra including SE, Eco and Limited. The Eco trim has a smaller engine, but does come with a seven-speed transmission. Hopefully, I can review this trim and report back about how well it drove. The Limited trim comes with a second USB port, a sunroof, leather upholstery, heated front and rear seats and is definitely the trim to consider for a little more luxury than you’re accustomed with a compact car.

The Elantra has an EPA rating of 28 mpg/city and 37 mpg/highway. In a week’s worth of suburban driving I averaged 31.8 mpg.

Other than the shortcomings in the powertrain, the Elantra is the type of car you want as a commuter car – spacious enough, with enough luxury and redesigned looks.

The 2017 Hyundai Elantra falls in line with the rest of the offerings from Hyundai. It still holds onto a little bit of its rebel side, but it’s certainly grown up some, too!

Jimmy Dinsmore is a freelance automotive journalist.