TheHyundai Elantra has been refreshed and facelifted for 2014. The redesigned car receives a few visual elements as well as some interior tweaks which will ensure it carries on the success story from the previous car, which went on to win the 2012 South African Car of the Year title.

2012 SA Car of the year winner

“The Hyundai Elantra was the first Korean car to win the South African Guild of Motoring Journalists Car of the Year Award, and deservedly so. It is a car with qualities and standard features that makes it a very competent competitor in its segment. The excellent ergonomics of its interior design, outstanding exterior looks and the roomy cabin and luggage area makes it a perfect compact family sedan. It is also a very rewarding and pleasing car to drive,” says Stanley Anderson, marketing director of Hyundai Automotive South Africa.

Exterior changes

The 2014 Hyundai Elantra some styling upgrades in the form of a redesigned front bumper, radiator grille, fog lamps as well as new headlights and tail lamps. These lights now feature LED technology. Some attractive 17-inch alloy wheels replace the 16-inch units and some chrome lines add to the premium look of the vehicle.

Interior changes

The 2014 Hyundai Elantra has also grown very slightly. The overall length is rated at 4 550 mm which is 20 mm longer than the outgoing model. Interior-wise, changes come in the form of repositioned air vents, arm rest being raised,a new audio setup with Bluetooth, new climate control interface, redesigned automatic gearbox layout and perhaps most importantly, reducednoise, vibration and harshness (NVH).

Essentially, the interior of the 2014 Hyundai Elantra has been changed based on customer feedback and the cabin has been designed for better ergonomics.

Engine and safety

The engine line up for the 2014 sees the 1.8-litre motor fall away. The 1.6-litre four cylinder is available in both six-speed manual and six-speed automatic versions and Hyundai SA says this motor was the popular choice in the outgoing model. Power wise, it puts out 96 kW and 157 Nm, and fuel consumption is rated at 6.4l/100 km for the manual. The automatic version has a claimed economy figure of 6.0l/100 km.

Safety features of the 2014 Hyundai Elantra includeairbags for the driver and front passenger, Advanced Brake System (ABS) with Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD) and Brake Assist.

2014 Hyundai Elantra Pricing in South Africa

Each 2014 Hyundai Elantra comes with a5 year/150 000 km warranty, with 5 year/150 000Km roadside assistance. A 5 year/90 000 km service plan is also part of the standard package, with service intervals are 15 000 km.

2014 Hyundai Elantra 1.6 Premium (manual) R247 900

2014 Hyundai Elantra 1.6 Premium (automatic) R262 900

2014 Hyundai Elantra Drive

I attended the Hyundai Elantra launch, which was held north of Cape Town in the quaint seaside town of Melkbosstrand. The mandatory brand briefing detailing how well Hyundai is doing both in terms of sales and motorsport then followed. Our launch route took us out toRiebeek-Kasteel and included some open road driving.

This is where the Hyundai Elantra owner will really appreciate the ride comfort and refinement of the vehicle. The outgoing model was exceptional in this regard, and this new version is even better.Bothdriver and passenger were comfortable for a considerable amount of timewithout some sort of numbness setting in the buttock region.

While its competitors make do with smaller capacity turbocharged engines, I feel the 1.6-litre Hyundai engine is not inadequate in any way. It’s smooth and delivers great power. Let’s see if this quality translates into sales.