Hyundai has readied the Elantra for battle with Toyota Corolla, Skoda Octavia and Honda City. Elantra has the looks of an Aishwarya Rai in her early sixties, good looking but missing the zing of youth. Hey, don't get me wrong, this car's architecture is not from the Gupta period but looks modern enough for the discerning few. It follows the typical Hyundai design theme. This theme also extends to the interior, which is conventional but swank and cozy. The controls and the quality of plastics are of high order, with several useful notches and cubbyholes to keep your knick-knacks. Now let us come to the heart of this motorcar, the CRDI diesel motor (a petrol engine is also offered). Hyundai has made great strides both in design and technology since the time it had been assembling discarded Mitsubishi designs (Remember the Pony) and this progress is reflected significantly in its engine development activities. The effervescent CRDI unit mated to the Elantra is a classic example. This is an exceptional engine just like the one found in the Accent. It is smooth and refined with minimum of clutter that is normally associated with oil burning motors (I suggest you run through our beloved Ambassador for comparison). The ride quality is also of a high order. I am certain this machine is designed to munch distances on the highway. In short, Hyundai has built a winner and it should reach the tape ahead of its competition.