Hyundai Elantra GLS
Dimples, dimples everywhere on this Hyundai Elantra, a car that
eschews the faux sporty, or, at the other end of the spectrum,
faux-serious, styling trends that populate the compact class. My
purple test Elantra was gorgeous and carried no excess adornment or
trim; it's unique, refreshing and friendly, without resorting to
cuteness.
It's all because of those dimples, which are all over the place,
from the indentations around the nose's air intakes to the subtle
crease along the car's side. Inside, they surround the air vents, the
climate controls and the handbrake; the instrument needles are swept
around by dimpled discs. Heck, even the key has dimples in it, for a
better grip. Together, help tighten up the car's looks, keep it from
looking like a jellybean.
Despite all of its curves&emdash;there isn't a flat surface on the
car except for the floor&emdash;the Elantra is very nicely made,
especially taking into consideration previous Korean cars' reputation
for shoddy build quality. From the door seams to the plastic pieces
inside, the Elantra looks very much a quality piece.
Granted, the materials that are being worked with here sometimes
aren't up to the same level as the car's competitors. The Elantra's
trunk shuts with a tinny ka-ching, and the interior plastics are
hard, shiny, and sound hollow. The seats, though firm and
comfortable, are thin enough that you can get kneed through them from
behind.
But Hyundai's designers have done an good job with what they've
been given to work with; the interior looks great and feels genuinely
airy. My only complaints concern the radio and climate controls, both
of which are mounted way too low to operate while driving, and the
light-plastic dashboard, whose surface throws big reflections onto
the windshield at night.
The Elantra is powered by a 1.8-litre, 130-horsepower engine
that's more powerful than most of its major competitors, save for
Chrysler's Neon twins. Coupled to my GLS tester's standard four-speed
automatic, it hauled the car around town easily, though the
transmission's tall fourth gear left it gasping for breath during
highway speed passing maneuvers. Switching off the overdrive helped,
but the car groaned rather than zinged its way past tractor-trailers.
(A five-speed manual is standard on GL and SE models, and is likely a
better choice, if you're willing to live without power windows and
central locking.)
The Elantra's brakes are front discs and rear drums; optional
four-channel ABS upgrades the rears to ventilated discs. In either
case, they're attached to a pleasantly firm pedal. The steering feels
a bit heavy, and the ride is firm, filtering out all but the biggest
bumps&emdash;which, unfortunately, crash right through the car.
Together, they give the car a driving sensation that's more European
than silky-smooth Japanese.
Starting at $14,295 for a base GL sedan, the Elantra undercuts
most of its major competitors, and is better-equipped to boot. The SE
begins at $15,295, and the GLS at $17,545. Rare in this class, it's
also available as a wagon for a $1000 premium. While how the car will
hold up over the years is still up in the air&emdash;judging by the
car's build quality, it's likely to acquit Hyundai's previously
shoddy reputation&emdash;in its price range, it's certainly the
best-looking, most interestingly detailed, car you can buy.
I have to admit, those dimples got to me, especially the map
lights and their buttons, which together form a face that looks not
unlike a smiling E.T.