Hyundai India recently showcased the new Elantra at the 2012 Auto Expo. The 2012 Hyundai Elantra has become the North American Car of the Year 2012, beating the Volkswagen Passat and Ford Focus (which came in second and third). The last time Hyundai won the same award was in 2009, with the Genesis. The D-segment sedan which slots right between the Verna and Sonata, receives the Fluidic Sculpture and is scheduled for an Indian launch by September 2012. It will compete with the Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla and Chevrolet Cruze and is expected to be priced between Rs. 12-14 lakhs. Both petrol and diesel engines will be available in the Elantra, which is set to be manufactured at Hyundai India’s facility in Chennai. The car has been spotted on test already and will soon enter homologation.
The Hyundai Elantra looks a stunner, the design is very appealing and athletic. Power comes in from a 1.8-liter Dual VTVT petrol engine and a 1.6-liter diesel, both of which should produce around 140 BHP of power. The diesel engine is the same as the Fluidic Verna and we expect Hyundai to price the Elantra very aggressively, thanks to the economies of scales. Both 6-speed manual and 6-speed automatic transmissions will be available on the Elantra. With a drag coefficient of just 0.28, the Elantra is very aerodynamic and should help Hyundai penetrate the competitive D-segment in India. With the Sonata, Elantra and a compact MPV, Hyundai is all set to go premium.
