It came as no surprise to see countless Hyundai Elantra sedans during a recent trip to Asia, and I’m not talking about my brief

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two-stint sojourn to Seoul, Korea’s Incheon International Airport, where the Avante (the Elantra’s home-market name) has been the best-selling car for four years running, but rather Quezon City (Manila), Philippines, where it gets the Elantra name if not as powerful an engine or as many standard or optional features as we enjoy here in Canada.

Comparatively to the one offered in Las islas Felipenas, even our base Elantra is outfitted like a luxury car. For just $15,999 plus $1,595 for freight and pre-delivery prep (although Hyundai was showing a “current” starting price of $15,399 along with a further discount of $500 at time of writing), Canadians get a largish compact with a 16-valve, DOHC, dual continuously variable valve timing-enhanced 1.8-litre four-cylinder engine, a six-speed manual gearbox, tilt steering, Hyundai’s

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unique Driver Selectable Steering (DSS) system, power windows and door locks, dual heated and powered side mirrors, a trip computer, a six-speaker AM/FM/CD/MP3 audio system with iPod, USB and auxiliary input jacks, a height-adjustable driver’s seat, an armrest-covered centre console with storage up front and a rear seat centre armrest with cupholders, four-wheel disc brakes with ABS and electronic brake-force distribution, Vehicle Stability Management (VSM) with electronic stability control and traction control, plus the usual six airbags.

Comparatively, Filipinos have to pay a minimum of 818,000 (pesos that is ¬– equal

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to $21,950 CAD at the time of writing) for much the same car except for a smaller less powerful base 1.6-litre engine, no rear discs or ABS with EBD, only one of the Canadian car’s six airbags (for the driver alone), no VSM, stability control, or traction control, just four stereo speakers, no iPod, USB or auxiliary input ports, and no folding rear seatbacks, although to its credit it comes with standard air conditioning (necessary in a country that rarely gets below 20 degrees C – Baguio City aside), steering wheel audio controls, and 15-inch alloys (Canada’s base Elantra L gets 15-inch steel wheels with covers), not much of a condolence prize for the extra $7,000 and change the automaker’s Philippine division charges (no doubt much due to hidden taxes). No wonder our friends from

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Manila think they’re buying a premium model.

I’m not telling you all this because I believe you have any inclination to purchase a new car in the Philippines, but rather to show what a great deal we get on cars compared to some other parts of the world. Even south of the border in the US where many Canadians go weekly to save on food, clothes and other consumer goods, the Elantra starts at $17,250, which is $1,850 more than what Hyundai Canada asks for our Elantra.

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Yes, when it comes to small cars we have it pretty good.

You especially have it good if you’re driving a new Elantra. As you can see from the list above, even the least expensive model doesn’t shortchange on features. Most Elantra buyers don’t actually opt for the base model, largely because it’s only available with a manual transmission. The GL, standard with the six-speed manual too, can also be had with a six-speed automatic, and its much more comprehensive feature set, yet price increase of only $2,700 over the base model (less an additional $1,000 discount at the time of writing) makes it hard to pass up. Additions over base include remote keyless entry with a panic alarm, automatic headlights, telescopic steering, cruise control, air conditioning,

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heated front seats, steering wheel audio controls, satellite radio along with a roof-mounted antenna, Bluetooth hands-free connectivity, and larger 16-inch steel wheels with covers.

My Elantra tester was one level up from GL, kitted out in a Sport Appearance Package that, for a current starting price of $19,748 plus freight, includes a standard automatic transmission, a cool looking set of chrome-enhanced fog lights, attractive ten-spoke 16-inch alloy wheels, a powered tilt and slide glass sunroof,

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and illuminated vanity mirrors with driver and passenger extensions (I don’t know what’s sporty about lit vanity mirrors but they were certainly appreciated by my partner).

By no means are any of these trims the most Hyundai has to offer in the Elantra sedan range. You may have heard about the Korean brand making waves when this particular model hit the market replete with luxuries like leather upholstery, heated rear seats, dual-zone automatic climate control and more, so if you want some of these features and many others you can consider the Elantra GLS, which adds a larger 2.0-litre direct-injection engine capable of 173 horsepower and 154 lb-ft

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of torque, plus a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, cloth door inserts, a touchscreen display audio system with an integrated rearview camera, 17-inch alloys and those heated rear seats I just mentioned, or step up to an Elantra Limited that includes the leather seats and automatic climate control I also noted, as well as proximity-sensing remote entry with pushbutton ignition, an auto-dimming rearview mirror with a remote garage door opener, an eight-way powered driver’s seat with lumbar, a larger seven-inch high resolution touchscreen infotainment display with navigation, simulated leather door inserts, chrome door handles, solar control glass, projection headlights with integrated LED accents, mirror-mounted turn signals, and LED taillights. Really, why pay more for a compact luxury brand name?

After

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all, the Elantra is a great looking four-door sedan with a deep assertive grille and fabulously swoopy styling that just oozes class from front to back. Its large curvaceous headlamps boast wonderfully jeweled detailing even on lower trims, while the taillights are also beautifully sculpted.

The same goes for the Elantra’s interior. Under a soft-touch dash, sporty twinned circular primary gauges house a large, easy to read tachometer and speedometer plus a colour multi-information display at centre. Nice flowing details include a particularly attractive set of door pulls as well as a sporty four-spoke steering wheel

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and an elegantly shaped centre stack, all highlighted by nice grey metallic surfacing that enhance the overall look. All of the switchgear fits together perfectly, feels well made and is nicely damped, while the bevy of buttons on the steering wheel allow for easy actuation of the audio system, voice activation for various functions including your phone, plus cruise control and trip computer access, not to mention the Driver Selectable Steering (DSS) system that I mentioned before, which can change the steering feel from Normal to Sport or Comfort modes by pushing a steering wheel-mounted button (Sport mode adds steering weight, while Comfort adds a bit more assist).

The impressive sounding display audio system includes nice big buttons that work well

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with winter gloves, as does the efficiently packaged and easy-to-use HVAC interface. Both are housed within glossed piano black panels, nice looking and not too difficult to keep clean when used in smaller doses like Hyundai has done here, a theme that carries down to the shifter surround too, as well as the very top of the shift knob.

The Elantra is roomy, feeling more like a mid-size car when seated inside. There’s ample front space for most body types with attractive cloth covered seats that were plenty supportive and quite comfortable, while the rear seats are also comfortable with good head, leg and shoulder room for three adults abreast, although if you’re planning to put larger folks back there you may want to keep it to two.

The

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trunk is large and accommodating at 420 litres capacity, while handy pull-tabs allow you to drop the 60/40 split-folding rear seatbacks forward for longer items.

Out on the road my Elantra offered strong performance from its 1.8-litre four-cylinder, the engine capable of 138 horsepower and 131 lb-ft of torque, which is greater output than some in this class. More so, it’s the way this car goes about its business that’s impressive. Everything about the Elantra is smooth and refined, even when getting hard on the throttle. The six-speed automatic is a lesson in civility, but then again Hyundai incorporates manual mode for those moments when you want to let your hair down, allow the revs to rise and enjoy the winding roadway ahead.
 
My

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Elantra Sport had no trouble managing curves, dips, crests and apexes, not to mention bumps and potholes. Its rigid high-tensile steel intensive body structure minimizes torsional flex and vibration, its powered rack-and-pinion steering is responsive, especially when DSS is set to Sport mode, while its wide stance and long wheelbase allow smooth, comfortable, confidence-inspiring control no matter the road surface or weather conditions. Still, the Elantra’s suspension, which utilizes a front strut and stabilizer bar along with a rear torsion axle setup, is biased more towards comfort than performance, but that’s the way most in the compact sedan class like it. My tester’s 205/55R16 Hankook Optimo tires allow more grip than the stock 15s, yet certainly didn’t impinge on comfort. I believe you’ll find the Elantra an enjoyable car to drive around town and tirelessly comfortable on the highway, the latter making it an excellent companion on a long haul getaway.

On

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that note the base Elantra gets excellent fuel economy, Natural Resources Canada estimating 8.5 L/100km in the city, 6.3 on the highway and 7.5 combined with the automatic I was testing, or 8.8 city, 6.4 highway, and 7.7 combined with the manual. I should probably mention here that these numbers only appear higher than those claimed last year, but it isn’t anything to do with the car. Rather, our fuel economy rating process has been improved from a rather useless two-cycle testing protocol to a new more accurate five-cycle system, resulting in more reasonable ratings that Canadian consumer can actually rely on, not to mention a misleading government-mandated system that I can now stop complaining about.

Grumblings

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in mind, as with all Elantras I’ve tested in recent years, I couldn’t find anything to complain about with this Sport model. No matter the trim level they do exactly what they need to with more style, grace and comfort than most rivals, while their advanced mechanicals and level of available features is bar none industry-leading. The only possible negative I can give this particular Elantra, which boasts a chromed “SPORT” badge on its hind end, is the unavailability of a manual transmission, normally requisite with models that appeal to performance minded buyers.

Yes, that’s digging deep to find a problem where no problem lies, resulting in a big thumbs up from yours truly overall. Factor in one of the best comprehensive warranties in the business as well as very competitive pricing, and purchasing a Hyundai Elantra is a no-brainer. The tough part will be deciding which options you want.
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