Ads for the new Hyundai Elantra have started cropping up all over the city and the virtual world (even on this blog), but we’ve had no official word on the launch date, specs and pricing yet. However, a quick scour on Mudah.my to look for pre-launch ads posted by Hyundai Sime Darby Motors salesmen reveal the following:
- Four specs – 1.6 litre manual, 1.6 litre automatic standard spec, 1.6 litre automatic high spec and 1.8 litre premium
- Six-speed for both manual and automatic gearbox
- Auto headlamps
- Smart key with push start button ignition
- Supervision meter cluster (self-illuminated)
- GPS navigation
- Reverse camera
- ABS, ESP and Vehicle Stability Management
- Dual airbags
- iPod and USB support
- 5 year or 300,000km warranty
The images posted on Mudah also show an Inokom badge on the car instead of a Hyundai badge. So far there are two price ranges indicated on the classifieds ads – about RM85k to RM90k and another price range of about RM120k. This probably means the 1.6 litre models will be around the RM85k to RM95k mark, while the 1.8 litre while be around RM120k+. UPDATE: It appears that all the ads advertising the high spec Elantra for over RM100k have gone missing from Mudah – what’s going on?
You might be wondering what Vehicle Stability Management is. It’s basically a system that manages the ESP stability control system as well as the electric power steering to take the car’s safety assist systems to a higher level. For example, when a driver accelerates or brakes on a split-traction surface (slippery wet puddle on one side, dry pavement on the other), your steering will normally pull to one direction.
VSM detects this condition via the ESP system, and sends a signal to the electric power steering to apply steering assist – up to 8Nm of counter steering force to keep the vehicle steady; VSM works the same way during sudden lane changes or fast cornering.
Once again, these are just specs and pricing taken from salesmen ads on Mudah.my, and are in no way the confirmed specs released by Hyundai Sime Darby Motors. And of course, it’s likely that some of the features above, like the auto headlamps, GPS and reverse camera would most likely be reserved only for the 1.8 litre variant.
Sources – Mudah ad 1, Mudah ad 2, Mudah ad 3
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Expensive! sime darby gaining to much profit on this car. same as the Sonata. will never beat H n T even cannot beat its sibling, the Forte,if the tentative price confirm.
the elantra already has its japanese rivals beat on specs, safety features, and raw appeal. and its a new model compared to the old forte – new forte going to come out soon. look at how boring the new civic looks, altis no need to say la…
hyundai n Kia need to lower the price to attract malaysian customers. otherwise it hard to break the japanese domination. just a tought
agreed!..their spare parts is more expensive than T & H!
Gosh, why put Inokom badge that spoil the whole car….
Funny thing is the 2nd photo showing hyundai name but with inokom badge, wth???
It is same like wearing a sport shoe with nike name but a BATA logo, stupid X3!
OMG…ya …i agreed…but luckily still can see Hyundai badge on the steering….pls standby 2 hyundai badges for me…
dont agree with that, u go to T or H SC every 10k KM Service sure kena more than RM400 one..
We comparing Elantra & Forte the twins sister car, we want Forte price with Elantra Specs id HSDM can’t deliver that OUT THEY GO !!!
Hard lucks Stupid !! Honda Civic had just become Canada Best Selling car not forgeting Selling like super hot cake in US, infact beat the hell out of Elantra & Forte in US in January.
Sometime i wonder driving a Korean Car make the Driver become STUPID is mot a myth.
North America Car of the Year 2012 – goodbye to overpriced and under specs japs.
Not to mention the resale value.
And Hello to overpriced and underspecced Korean!
Jap is still the best ! handling,brands,tech and performance ! if one day Korea can make faster and better than the GTR 35 then Korea car is the best in Asia !
Yup, got 1 i think, Hyundai Genesis 2012 with 350hp…
expensive! for korean car. The 2.0 forte even cheaper. Sime Darby make this car worst!
mudah ad no 2 quite funny….
comparing him with paul
if >110k better buy the Japs…
if u wanna buy this car…better buy 2.0cc
or else you only get Korea engine
2.0cc engine is a join venture engine
The Elantra 1st Mudah ad also show there is Veloster beside the Elantra.. When Veloster will officially enter our market and i wonder when the new i30 will come to Malaysia.. I saw the new i30 in one of the korean variety show.. the design were so different compare to the current i30…
i love the “QUOTE” by the dealer in link Mudah ad no 4, especially the last part..
Kenapa Hyundai?
Untuk memiliki sebuah model dari Hyundai, pasti banyak persoalan yang bermain di fikiran. Antara yang paling umum dipersoalkan ialah 2nd hand value yang rendah, sparepart yang mahal dan sukar untuk didapati, penggunaan bahan api yang banyak dan pelbagai lagi. Dan kebanyakan pendapat ini di utarakan oleh rakan/saudara anda yang mungkin tidak pernah langsung memiliki produk dari Hyundai atau juga anda sekadar mendengar cerita dari mulut ke mulut. Sekiranya anda terpengaruh mengenai cerita “pakar” tersebut,maka tiadalah kereta Hyundai diatas jalan di Malaysia ini.
Yeah so i want to ask them back lor
Kenapa Hyundai?
Bila saya boleh beli Peugeot 308 Turbo dalam lingkungan RM 120K. Semua pun lebih kurang sama dgn Hyundai tetapi spesifikasinya lebih banyak daripada dipaparkan oleh Hyundai.
I heard this statement before, …from a Hyundai trainer. Quite true
mahal siot! 1.8L 130k? better buy civic 2.0!
120K for 1.8 is way too expensive, much more than Forte 2.0 SX
who wants to buy if it is RM120K????
Some people are willing to pay more for a 1.4. :-)
That’s for TSI :)
look at the hp and torque la…
That’s twin charger & engine of the year for many many years since its inception !
Don’t compare Korean with German technology, if you know auto industry well ……
German made the best cars !
Coz VW is worth ! 140k is not expensive thought but Hyundai is different story !
CKD v Inokom badge still need such a high price tag? Then it is better to bring in CBU. Imagine Sonata 2.0 Standard CBU 138k and Avante 1.8 High Spec 120k. What is going on v the pricing strategy? They need some one good in marketing and math.
Hello impossible..!!!
HSMD Should stick to jaga ladang sawit je…
Sucking $$$$ je tau
logo inokom lak tu…
the price should be below $100K for 1.8 sbb its CKD made in Kulim not CBU…
logo inokom mcm kondom kot…
Why must Korean Car must be sell too overpriced???
Why must all cars be so over priced? Blame our stupid policy makers
Why you blame G should blame that profit sucking dealer.
I am actually waiting for this car. Cannot afford Sonata.But if 1.8 is way too high, then i will thinking to buy japs again.From my experience, spare part usually no problem. Just a bit expensive. But otherwise it’s normal cause hard to get from kedai potong. Even japs also expensive if u buy brand new parts.
Yes, expensive. prices not attractive. However, I admire they bring in Manual transmission plus 6 gears. 1.6 L below 70k low spec. while 1.8 L the high end below 95k. If the price reasonable ( low the profit margin,) then more gain cos of large volume of sale. If very high gain , sorry la. other choice.
I waited so long for this car, If 1.8 more than 110k….. SORRY! Swear to god I will never buy! Koreans car are good now days but again, internal issue.. What to do. You know what I mean :(
Yo! I think it should be less than RM110K if it’s 1.8 Premium. I ordered the 1.6 AT HS without any price list yet. Took a bank loan for RM85K.
RM120-130k for a premium 1.8 is a little too high. Given the Inokom badge, i expect the price to be somewhere around the Forte region.
body besar..1.6..sure makan minyak punya
mana lu thu bro… dh test dh ker???
I will stick with city. :) Not worth it to invest on this car. :)
You don’t invest in cars ok? Want invest, go invest in a property.
invest ? buy a property then.
Bro, this is a C-segment car, ur City is just a B-Segment car…..
How pathetic NAP-(Never Against Protongkat) resulting in Inokom logo worth RM30K more instead fo RM30K cheaper
Of course Sime called it CKD Hyundai…the only thing CKD is assembly the Inokom Logo while the rest car all import CBU
Ha Ha Ha just assembe the AP King Logo cost RM30K…world most expensive car logo…bravo NAP bravo…
Hi Paul,
I have with me a specs list used for the salesman training. How can i share it here?
You can email it to [email protected]
Done. Hope that you can publish it…
I wont put too much beef into the pricing.
It looks absurd. No way Hyundai is going to price this over even the Japanese. Same price with more equipment, maybe, more expensive, hell no.
The Forte 2.0 out-specs this and comes in at under $95K
If the 1.8L comes in at 120-130 K I must as well get the Kia Optima.
The only thing that tickles my fancy is the availability of a 6 speed manual. Otherwise, its beaten spec to spec by its sister.
For the first time i shall give a bit of support to this Elantra.
1.) The 1.8 Elantra is expect to cost 108,999.
2.) Forte is 1 generation behind Elantra (Look at the side profile) Forte is actual Avante, not new Elantra.
3.) Forte is Elantra Auntie not sister (different generation).
i was in Brunei hyundai showroom and the highest spec 1.8 leather seat only cost BD 26.500 = MYR 67,045 & i was like #%$#&$@&^$%# so damn cheap man
really envy orang brunei . We have to pay double for the high spec.
Forte 1.6l auto is 85k for full spec vs Elantra 1.6 std manual at 85K who will win???
And hell…. we make 50% less since Brunei currency peg to Singapore dollar !!
Fart Fart NAP…
I see more and more are not happy with korean pricing anymore
Not Korean pricing, Malaysian pricing on a Korean produce.
Hi paul, i have the specs list used by the salesman. How can i share it here?
Expensive!
Proton salesman could go home smiling after reading this… As with this pricing, the Elantra sales territory will not encroach the upcoming Tuah’s! :P
120K !!! just hold your order for 6 months, sure price will tumble like Avante !!!
Typical SD sales tactics.
goodbye Elentra, let u sink together with forte after dis~
better buy p3-21a got cfe some more :)
IMO, I say that Inokom badge is really annoying to me, I would rather want the original Hyundai badge.
Why imported cars are over priced?(This is a real shame, and catastrophically annoying)
Protectionism towards proton and those crony can earn “pocket money”, so “she”” can buy new diamond rings..
i am waiting for this car over a year…now end up with disappointed
wth!!120k-130k for 1.8L?SD r u joking me?if the spec is same with US version i will be ok with that price..now CKD inokom le!!!should be cut down below 110K
It is below 110K is 108,999.
1.6 90k ????can buy hilux lo, what special in tis car ?????? wait and see
nobody looking for a c-segment sedan will change to a pickup truck. its like you are looking to buy a 2 door sports car but end up buying a bus just bcos its cheaper?
besides, the pickup truck segment enjoys a big tax advantage.
Let see whats the sales volume at this pricing.
Hmm… SG market Elantra 1.6 ‘Elite’ model comes standard with 6 airbags, auto headlamps/wipers, stability control, traction control, bluetooth access for your mobile phones. Your version looks about the same except the airbags count… all these because its a CKD and not CBU from Korea?? :(
We can’t get any 6MT though…:( But according to Hyundai, the 6AT actually offer better fuel economy than the manual! :0
And our local agent refused to bring in the 1.8L model as well. :(
In any case, I’m very glad Bolehland is getting this superb car soon. You guys need to try it before you blast it to hell. Me driving a FD1 here and I’m most impressed by the Elantra as compared to my FD1.. Yes the Elantra can’t catch my FD1 because its a 1.6 and no GDI nor turbo at that…. but in terms of build quality, refinement and equipment levels, my Civic can stand one side and suck thumb LOL :)
I suggest everyone wait for the official price listing and not get too over/under excited over Mudah Ads. Btw, none of the Mudah.my ads listed in this article have advertise the Elantra above RM 120,000. It could be a round-up figure. Sime Darby is no dunce. They need to price the Elantra right to take advantage of the Forte buyers to make an impact.
Lol.. Koreans getting greedy think they on par with japs selling on par or even more exp than japs. Pls lah, u guys should price ur cars at 65k to 85k then ppl will start talking. More than 100k for this junk is ridicolous
why you said KOREANS??? it’s Sime Darby putting and decide the pricetag not the Koreans… In other countries, the price for this car is in the range 65k – 85 k.. idk what happen with our Dasar Automotif Nasional.. too sebok with P1 and P2, but our quality tak setanding with Koreans, Americans, Japanese and Europeans cars…
Maserati is Toyota Salesman. No need to entertain him. He’s just scared that this car steals more of his sales only.
Back to topic, if quality = value, the price will be justified irregardless of what brand. It’s so simple that even P1 can do it, just that they are not doing it, yet, i hope in future.
no wander many ppl said toyota saleman so “lansi”
this is sime darby’s fault n not the koreans…
btw i did not see any ad for the new elantra above 100k. mostly were 85-90k max.
hope to see the 1.8 selling at 100k while the 1.6 at 80k onwards. that will surely cause a shake up in the c- segment market.
Hey Maserati bro… you’re still alive and kicking… :D:D
Really for some more flaming in this board? haha :D
you guys know nothing but complaint!… semua mau complaint! takde duit beli 2nd hand x20 sudah la…
great to look at hopeless to drive….
another overspec’ed electrical appliance…..
Take it or leave it..SD tactic..
look and see,it should be end up like i30..too pricey…how many i30 you all see OTR since its launch??
Hopefully they learned their lesson hard enough…
Inspira Killer
need a newly designed inokom badge. the name the shape need to be revised.
overprice!! as usual by HSDB…..spec wise hmmmmm ok la, not so as compared to his predecessor (kia)
this is really a good car, but our HSDB killed this brand with higher price tag for minimal spec …..i wish naza can bring hyundai also with full spec as what they did to K5…..
go try test a spin around with the car..
even the car is new design/built..
trust me; the ride/handling shall never beat present civic/altis (within range)..
just like what happen to YF sonata..
on PAPER yes they are the KING and beats of competitor like camry/accord..
BUT THEN AGAIN go take it for spin on the road..
trust me; its way behind lacking of everything here and there..
dont even start on resale value and support; that’s even nightmare..
just to my surprise; only its previous 07/08 hyundai coupe fx does it slightly better then other of its kia/hyundai siblings..
also the hyundai coupe does command better resale value..
anyway; go have fun test drive this new machine..
please dont kidding your self
SONATA GOT SO MANY PROBLEM
specially with CVT
think twise lor
Yes got to agree.. let us dont be fake…
nine was the 2004 EF sonata..
bought new in 2004; used until 2010
from experienced; was great during first 3 years..
then; the car gave so many issue after the 3rd year; even worse after the 5th year.. which of course requires lots and lots of $$ to fix…
yes it does reminds me of my Satria R3 and Proton Waja; fix fix and continuous fixing..
anyway; just to share..
used to have the 1979 Volvo 244 which we bought 2nd hand in 1987 and used until 1993 (totally no issue) and another 1985 Volvo 360 which also bought 2nd hand in 1989 and use all the way to 1992 (no issue)…
so why all those mangkuk still wanna buy Corean cars ?
so rich meh !!!
RM 120K – 130K for a 1.8L Elantra? Design is nice but too pricy.
Might as well go for Honda Civic or Toyota 2.0L or even Kia Forte 2.0L. 2nd hand Japanese car carry more value than Korean cars too. Don’t believe, check it yourself at The Star classifieds or Mudah.my :)
Hi paul,
Thanks for your free promo to my mudah ads no2. For PT follower i like to tell you hyundai no longer cheap alternative. A massage from dennis ho.
Regards
nadzri m yusof
tell your boss to provide comparison vs H & T makes in terms of fuel consumption and 1st 3 yrs maintenance….not just thrashing them spec-wise. That would shut those jap fanboys mouth once and for all!!
the only thing left to tackle is the perceived resale value….in which this elantra already perform better than the japs in north america.
You don’t just compare prices and specs with Jap cars on this Innokom…
Specs
Price
Handling
NVH
Running cost
Maintenance cost
Lastly and very importantly, second hand value. Check mudah on second Vios price you will know what I meant. No one is selling their oldest 03/04 Vios below RM40k man….
Frankly I don’t really care how good this car compares to Jap in US, how good is its second hand value there…. Come on, lets’ face it, Malaysia is thousands mile apart, the Jap cars are having much more resilient 2nd value even compare to German cars….
For RM120k, for me I will take a safe choice Civic or Altis. But now I own a German car lah :D
Hi,
Care to elaborate? Your so called “no longer cheap alternative” without anything to support may show how arrogant you are. Not all people know what the difference between Elantra/Avante with Honda & Toyota. In layman term, majority of us will compare price first. as to buy a car in Malaysia is not cheap.
As a sales rep., you need to educate us, don’t expect us to know anything about the car like we work in Hyundai. And please look into King suggestions above as well.
Please look into this forum http://forum.lowyat.net/topic/2174173 and see the comment of TS. At least he have show us that he willing to share the information as professional as possible and keep his work ethic in check to inform the news that his boss/company approve him to release. This is what I called professionalism.
should compare it with proton tuah, spec-for-spec ,
Nope, I think should compare quality. High spec with cheapplug parts doesn’t cut. TDM say P321 has good quality internals, hope he is right.
better wait for p321a, much better spec, turbocharged 1.6 engine @ 2.0. much lower price, anytime can tapau this md, lol
serious lol the at second mudah ad *Even Paul Tan also dont have this pic only me because i adik abang lol….
Twisted metal with a hideous logo
the way they put the specs info on the test drive@showroom unit quite impressive..
“UPDATE: It appears that all the ads advertising the high spec Elantra for over RM100k have gone missing from Mudah – what’s going on?”
It seems the Hyundai salesman make a huge mistake about the pricetag.. HAHA..
ai…….. after waiting for more than a year, and been defending elantra in blogs etc……….if it is priced at 120k, it really pissed me off………..
As a hyundai owner now, i still find 120k for 1.8 too pricey……..
Let’s see:
Forte vs Elantra
forte 2.0, change with HID headlamp 1.7k, LED taillight 1k, aftermarket GPS 2.5k, tint 2k, paint shield, 1.5k, it is still only 106-107k…. well, yes, with this, still loose out on style and sunroof, but with paddle shift and 6 airbag……
civic/altis vs Elantra
civic 1.8 high spec, and altis high spec, elantra win with sunroof, and push start, other than that? but loose out on service center, spare parts price and availability, not to mention resale value and perception etc…..
120k? wrong pricing man…………
haaa~…thank god they didnt change the steering emblem…heh
Why mau kecoh pasal spareparts????? 300,000 km warranty kan? if eksiden lain cerita la…
Yes you are rite; it does comes with 300k km / 5yrs warranty..
BUT THEN AGAIN…
if something is to go wrong with your car; try request them for spare parts
YES its free if its manufacturer defect; the thing is the waiting time to get the related parts to you; it would take weeks or months..
Simple reason; they dont hold much part(s) at their warehouse in Glenmarie..
I know this; coz I’ve use to owned several models which comes with 300k km / 5yrs program..
THEN AGAIN; if you have GOOD CABLES you get your so called stuff on the dot or in a day or two; in worse case scenario they would just swap with other potential customer(s) to be car..
However Japanese cars nowadays have ridiculous spare part prices too. UMW quote a Vios rear lamp whole unit RM 650. Spare parts should not be the main reason Korean cars are avoided, it is only resale value.
Too many malaysians think of selling a care before buying that….. a better advice is DONT buy a car
If 1.8 premium is 120K, then it is not worth the money anymore. This car is overprice for a locally assembled model.
Sime Darby might have purposely exaggerate the hype of this Elantra will be priced over 110k. Later they announce the actual price for highest spec (1.8) mere 90+K during launching and 1.6M starts from 75K. Everyone will flock to Hyundai dealers if thats really happen. That should be the strategy.
What the Korean makers and dealers need to do now is gain VOLUME. No point for shouting out loud this is the best car S. America, or this car have beaten the Japs counter models, or this car equipped with rocket science gadget…. bla… bla..
To gain volume, they need competitive pricing. .
Without volume, Korean car will continue to be the cheapest, newest 2nd hand cars in Malaysia.
Agreed. Since Sime Darby has the finances to be as good as UMW and experience from selling BMW why are they not using such expertise to just copy UMWs strategy
Good point you have there Wisdom. But, i also feel that they have to be careful with their pricing as they have to price it to the extent it eats a share of not only the C-segment market, but also it’s smaller Vios-sized sibling, the Accent RB, due for arrival at the end of the year. Price it too low and the Accent won’t have any market share due to people opting to pay more for a bigger Elantra, and price the Elantra too high and people will not buy them. It’s a really big dilemma for Sime Darby, this.
Nope, I disagree. It is a dilemma but never a big one. In fact, quite a simple and good one. Just take a leaf from Forte’s pricing. That is what the majority of people here talk about bro. Will this be when somebody come and say HSDM is not allowed to steal sales from Naza? It’s not like Forte is selling like hot cakes already.
And why worry if it cannibalises the Accent RB’s sales? For god’s sake, that should be great because they will still make better profit per unit of car sold. AND THEY GET THE SALES. What? Is it better if it’s the other makes that cannibalises Elantra AND Accent then? Sheesh…..
You got a point there Garfield. Maybe what Sime Darby should do is to offer an Accent at a slightly lower price then the basic Elantra, but give more specs. From what i know, the Kia Rio, which is due for an arrival in a month or two, is said to offer a massive spec list that would put the Forte EX to shame, yet with similar pricing.
imho, the new elantra should be priced starting from 85k to 100k, so that the new accent can fit into the 70k to 85k price bracket
You’re right Wisdom. You should get paid to give HSDM free consultation.
Winsdom will become Stupidity after Elantra 1.8 launch with 109K price tag, Stew Pit !! the price is already rock solid steel confirm at 109K Lah ! no need bullshit !!
Sure onot got manual version. Dun be like the i30, only 1 unit in brought in and it was not for sale! If prices really start from 85k then it’s a real threat to other makers…FYI 1.6A is sold >RM230k in SG.
why inokom badge? how come sonata dont have inokom badge? but this has?
Totally Agree with keyboard warrior. Korean car are all eye candy but when u actually take it out for a spin, they cant perform . The other day i drove my frens kia forte from subang to kl. so damn underpowered for a 1.6 and the steering was all over the place and vibrated whenever i go above 120kmh.
Dont say its alignment out lah or wat, he sends it for regular checking. Its the technology that they use. The steering is hopeless.And the same is gonna happen to this elantra
Same old story for dunno how many post d Maserati Toyota Salesman… Create a better story la.. Entertain me…
Maserati is right on Korean car’s steering wheel handling. It is better than Protong but not as stable as I expected it to be. Also, Hyundai M’sia’s service really sucks and the warranty department is super good in coming with excuses not to honor warranty claims. Seats rattle, steering wheel vibrates at high speed, engine suddenly dies, ESP malfunction, don’t care type of car service/maintenance of some SCs are some of the problems Hyundai should address. Having said that, Toyota and Honda also not much better. Just telling the truth, not a Maserati supporter.
japs car handling sucks, korean too
proton / contis are the best
Look at what happen to optima k5. Till now never seeen one on the road yet..
I strongly disagree that forte got such problem, Maserati, that is purely bias view.
but for Optima K5, that is another case of wrong pricing…………
I fully agree. Maserati Bro, stop sprouting nonsense if you can’t back up your claims with proof. :( You wanna recieve another round of flaming again? LOL
I’ve driven several Fortes in SG too.. both 1.6SX and 2L SX and none of them displayed any problems that’s even remotely similar to what you’ve described. Yes steering feel is quite remote, but that’s becos Hyundai/Kia employed EPS instead of the good old hydraulic PS.
Its a design characteristic of EPS and even Honda can’t get rid of such lingering nonsense. Notice how different the steering feel is between FD1 and FD2? The Civic 1.8 R18A uses hydraulic PS, the 2L K20Z uses EPS… the 2L Civic steering actually felt more numb than the 1.8…
that’s one thing I hope Hyundai engineers can address in their future product revisions. Its not a catasphohic problem, but it is good if the engineers can solve or at least min the wooden steering feel.
i saw 2 white Optima k5 at ipoh tesco nightlife area while CNY,betul betul cum la..car very low n long…love it!!
U hide ur head inside T-showroom, what can u see otr??….
All these talks about poor resale value and brand preceptions… sigh…
I just have one question for my Bolehland friends. Are you buying a car you like (and within your budget) or are you buying something to please the used car dealers?! :(
Why are you guys being dictated by some $$ faced used car dealers and subsequently shut yourself out of many great cars that you know you love?
And what assurance do you have that you’d be gauranteed the ‘best’ price so long you have supposedly what the used car dealers want?? If that dealer already have tons of say, Altis and FDs, in his inventory, what would motivate him to offer you the ‘best’ price for yet ANOTHER Altis or FD from you?
In SG, I used to lament that Singaporeans tends to have the same mentality as you guys. Fortunately, the younger generations tends to be more market savvy and they’re able to recongize a good product when they see one. Korean cars used to have pretty poor resale value too, but from the prev gen Avante, Sonata, Santa Fe onwards, Singaporeans have warmed up to Korean products and are buying them en masse… this in turn, created new demands for used Korean cars here as well.
In any case, I wonder when we SE Asians will have mentality similar to the majority of North Americans and Europeans. They’re not so brand consicous and will take a product that offers best value for money. And they are able to recongize a great product when they see one.
Hyundai/Kia may have great products in their lineup, but if the 2 largest automotive consumer markets doesn’t warm up to their products, they won’t have the money nor the spur to improve themselves with each new generation of cars they sell.
The Elantra didn’t recieve the North American 2012 Car of the Year award by making lots of empty or inflated promises (hint, Potong :D ) And certainly Hyundai’s Theta II GDI series engines didn’t make it to Ward’s world 10 best engines for 2011 just by marketing them hard. :) You need to walk the talk to be taken seriously.
I don’t know la, me not Malaysian, but can you guys honestly tell me the reasons why so many of you can actually see POS products such as the engineering and styling disaster Avanza and Innova as far superior cars than the Elantra, Sonata, Forte, Optima?? :( Just because they have a Toyota badge up front?
Yes. Because they have Toyota badge.
Perception of quality is a difficult thing to change. Old Hyundai and Kia owners were the biggest losers, it made owning Proton so much better, at least financial-wise. Kia-Hyundai lost some chunk of market share there.
Even if quality is improved, there’s after-sales support to prove they have improved. I’ve never owned any car Sime Darby distributes (Ford, Hyundai, BMW etc), but it doesn’t sound positive in this regard from my observation.
Good resale value is just a bonus, the real reason Toyota and Honda do well is both above reasons. Cuz seriously, people who buy cars primarily for resale value are the stupidest investors ever and never car enthusiasts, so let them be. Nobody with good financial sense buys car for resale value, the money’s better off invested in properties, gold, silver etc. But these people are the best people to troll: overhype goodness of Toyota/Honda, then when shit happens like the famous Accord “My Honda tak guna”, you get best feeling ever. AWWWW YEAAAAA
Typical Red Herring tactics, annouce a ridiculous high price prior to launch, then lowered price during launch, so consumer though the got cheaper infact the higher price are merely a distraction, too bad some one already broke the news 1.8 premium going just below 110K, anyway let wait for 22nd Feb launching.
It’s 2012 and why are we still using Inokom for Elantra and Proton for Inspira?
Is it really to put money into the pocket of those already very rich?
not sure who u r referring to. If u r talking about rich buyers, do u think the rich will buy potong/inokom cars? Buy for their loyal indon workers I believe…
The very rich are Tun M cronies, or those earning free money from the badge.
Inokom badge spoiled the looks.
what would be the 1st thing u may want to get rid of if u buy this car?
Yo! I plan to upgrade the stock rims from 16″ to 17″ for sure … Not sure the rest yet but if I could also add the refuser, than that will look sporty :)
I wouldn’t mind getting this car just to play with their custom parts. Just look at these cool customizations! me like!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=goWH2IGaN7U&feature=channel_video_title&fb_source=message
Overall design is the best and will soon see this model all around the world. Will not get outdated as the design speaks for itself. Korean’s are working overtime to mass produced this model since it was launched in their country few years back. The only complaints we will see is that it is very much overpriced as compare to overseas sale pricing wise. Someone here as we all know will be breaking records in sales and making tonnes of monies laughing back home with this car. The only not happy people are the 1Malaysian buyer’s. This salesman will always put the blame to the Govt for the super high tax rates and inferior local car for any reasons to sell this car. This is a sad true story every 1Malaysia should know already by now!
Ss427, u r right. It’s just bcoz of a T&H badge. I am 1 of the victim m bought a Cbu altis. Quality sucks. I won’t make the same mistake again and buy cars others wanna drive as 2nd hand drive years down the road. To hell with bolehland wrong perception where even US acknowledge T&H no longer competive in terms of pricing n specs
Hi 666devil bro, I can certainly relate to that.
I used to own a then brand new 2004 Altis 1.8E in SG too…. having upgraded from the big eyed G9 Hipporolla that wasn’t sold in Malaysia.
Perhaps it was built in Thailand, but reliabilty certainly left much to be desired… Broken power window motor at just 10000km of usage, broken drive shafts at just >30000km usage only.. Big issue but was repaired under warranrt else my wallet would be at least SG$1500 poorer. :(
Leaking front shocks which our local agent refused to honor the warranty !@!@#$ :(
Warped front discs gotta bang tables before agent replaced them under warranty.
Few if any seemed to mind all these as Toyotas were deemed to be the best seller and offer excellent resale value blah blah blah… :(
But when Korean cars suffered from just a blown light bulb, hores of people will jump on the wagon and said that the reliabilty is lousy…
THe exterior looks great, but those internal trims is rather “Cheap”. For the price , we expect them offer something better for our market. Since Malaysia iis a small market for Hyundai…don’t expect European spec to come to our shore.
To further illustrate how different average consumer buying sentiment is towards Korean cars between the British and we SE Asians, do look at the following Kia Sportage test drive by Auto Express…
http://youtu.be/cwtkD7Y5cyM
The Brits actually claim that the Sportage is better value and better designed than the BMW X1 and the Freelander! :0 And Kia offer better resale value too! :D
Now this is exactly what’s happening to Korean products in western markets. They’re now being pitted against premium western brands instead of forever getting stuck at bargain basement status. In other words, Hyundai and Kia owners these days can field their cars against Euro’s equivalent and not against Potong and Perodua, like most Korean haters would like you guys to do… LOL :D
Ok, some of you may claim that the test drive above has no meaning to SE Asian market Sportages as UK markets Sportages are mostly 1.7L CRDi diesels.
Well take a look at the test drive review for the Theta II powered 2.4L Sportage SX from the USA
http://youtu.be/hMJx6B7an68
enuff said
Hv driven enough fortes and the steering reAlly sucks big time. I dont understand why all korean cars hv that same pathetic feel to their cars.And the so called new engine hardly has power . It really struggled to move the moment i stepped on the gas.
Pls come and drive ur forte or whatever korean car at high speed around 160kmh and then come and drive my civic 2.0 at the same speed. Then u will know what a good car
About resale value, let me ask u. Please answer from ur heart. If a seller comes to u with a second hand korean car around 65-70k . Do u think u will buy a 2nd hand korean car? I really doubt so. But if someone comes to u with a 5 year old jap car, many ppl will b queing up to buy. Thats why u need to beg ppl to buy ur korean junk whn its time comes.
What i m trying to do here is to advice ppl to avoid being cheated by korean cars. They are like hot women, looks good on outside but u never know what lousy attitude they have inside until u spend time with them .
Cheated by the Koreans? LOL :D You mean our forum friends here are so dumb and mabok that they can’t even detect such obvious defect in the steering? You mean the Koreans managed to win so many awards in so many countries by offer steering feel that scattered ‘all over the place’??
So you’re a FD owner too. Why you so like that? Me driving FD1 too but I don’t turn a blind eye to other great offerings from other manufacturers just to be pro Jap.
Hmm… or perhaps due to your poor and inattentive driving skills, you got smoked by a Forte 2L SX at the lights and you’re sore till today… haha :D:D
Laa…. honda salesman rupanya. Mati-mati semua asyik ingat dia ni Toyota salesman
Cheated by Koreans? Damn, Maserati, you really got a problem with the Koreans. The fact you dont even own a Korean car, instead just driving a friend’s car, and making immediate conclusions, really shows who’s the bigger idiot here. Maybe you’re just pissed off that the Koreans are improving day by day, and hitting the Japanese rice bowl of automobiles hard.
You need a lolly my friend? Sounds like you do. Quit being so damn anti-Korean, when you only keep braying like a donkey over how rubbish the Forte’s steering is.
Avante!!! Wrong pricing for k5? I think its rather lousy car thats why. A golf gti at 210k can sell like hot cakes .
Trust me, ppl recognise good good stufff and ppl hate lousy stuff no matter how cheap u price them. I can tell u , if the optima k5 was priced at 120k for the baseline model, its sales wouldnt be that great either
VW Golf GTI are the some few continental imports that command great 2nd value..
Go seek mudah/star/etc you can see the 2nd value of 2010 MK6 GTI still commands around RM175-185K depending on car conditions
And yes it provides 5 years program with unlimited KM
And also yes it is a great car “pocket rocket”
Wow no idea was so many comments already.
Are we all just being NATO “no action type only” ??
Lets give a test drive to this new Elantra and once and for all we shall find out how good or is it true its only looks good on paper (specifications) rather than on the real road (real world)..
Its time to judge!
Locally assembled.. yet still expensive.. guess who made all the dosh?
ish-ish-ish..
betul kata beberapa kawan-kawan lain sini..
memang ada kelemahan depa korean ni..
hanya baik and lawa di luar..
dalaman hanya tuan empunya yang tahu..
apa kata kita pi cuba; pusing-pusing ngan kereta ni..
tengok betul ka hanya luaran?
tapi nak cerita sikit; kami dah pergi cuba sonata baru, ix35 baru..
tapi memang betul la; hanya luaran; bila di jalan raya rasa nya ada sedikit kecewa..
bayangkan YF/ix35 2L 165PS and 2.4 175PS tapi rasa nya Camry dan Accord 2L yang sekitar 150PS/155PS lebih jauh baik..
kalau di banding kan dengan Conti; terus habis..
407 2L 140PS ataupun Ford/Volvo 2L sekitar 145PS atau 3series 150PS tetap lebih jauh bermaya..
jadi kesimpulannya “pergi cuba dan hargailah kekecewaan..”
Aku cuba tu sonata 2.4liter last month.
Power agak baik. Your test car might not have run in. What was the millage? I tested mazda 6 2.5 earlier last year and that car only had 80km on the clock. It was underpowered as expected.
But i agree with u regarding sonata 2.0liter. Really really underpowered. However 2.4 is quite powerful. My test car had 25000km on the clock.
However the interior leather left a lot to be desired. And the sonata premium with nappa leather and GPS screen is too close to Mazda 6 2.5litre with bose sound system to be able to sell in vast quantities.
But i had fun driving/testing the normal Sonata 2.4litre. The koreans have come a long way. So for those ppl who tested the sonata 2.4 and was disappointed with the performance, perhaps its all down to the fact that the test car wasnt run in.
Koreans/jap bashers can bash all they want. But for those commentators who wants to have a mature discussion about cars ( pros and cons ), i suggest you just ignore those bashers. Life is a bliss that way.
jangan nak di”betul”kan apa yang salah tuan..
pergi la cuba; kereta dah run-in ke belum run-in ke tetap tak boleh nak lawan buatan Jepun seperti Nissan teanna, Toyota camry.. Honda accord..
jangan compare ngan mat saleh; tu terus pasti rasa ketinggalan sakan..
INOKOM BADGE ON A GOOD LOOKING HYUNDAI!!DAFUQ???
HSDM had offer too many variance of Elantra, infact they can forget about Manual, as not many would opt for manual car nowdays, yeah those who shoud manual please ! manual please ! is not going to buy one, with the new Auto car license to be implement from may 2012 i believe there would be hardly any one would opt for manual license, so soon manual car would have really bad resale value.
Intead i hope HSDM offer 1 variants of 1.6 Auto & 2 variants of 1.8 Auto, please note that Naza is having hard time selling low specs Forte EX compare to high specs Forte SX, a low spec 1.8 to price below 100K (i mean pointless to have electrical adj chair, sun roof, auto cruise, reverse cam, leather seat & bla bla) just keep the safety features such as ABS, EDB, BA & TC, offcoz a premium model for those who want those accs.
The first target should be Forte, as this is the perfect rival car to kill is Elantra are to be success, stress out to customer that Elantra is a new car & not Forte sister car, don’t waste time to compete to the Japanese just yet, as those who buy Vios & City will continue to do so as all they want a Toyota or Honda car & nothing else, second come Peugeot, Ford & VW this group of buyer are those who don’t care about resale value, which similar is to Hyundai, 3rd kill off Proton (new model) which i anticipate not going to be a strong contender, since Inokom badge will made Elantra price not toodistance from Proton, having to achieve that then talk about rival Japanese car.
Some real world review of the new Elantra 1.8 Limited in the USA.
http://youtu.be/Jbm_RtutVaY
http://youtu.be/vEAH_sUvlj8
Still think Hyundai is for poor people who can’t afford anything better?? That Hyundai can only compete with Potong??
Note, the reviewer laments the lack of full dual zone climate control in US market Elantra, don’t worry our Elantra came standard with them. :) They’ve got standard heated seats all ard… we have none for obvious reasons.. LOL :)
apa la u ni tuan,
US ke EU ke.. tu semua betul satu dunia memang test elantra baru.
tapi tempat depa dapat FULL SPEC CBU set..
maka tak boleh banding; report tu salah..
nak tahu pergi lah cuba..
lepas tu pi cuba Honda Civic, Toyota Altis ke 308… yang mana harga / kelas lebih kurang ngan kereta ni; nescaya tuan akan perasan beza yang ketara..
jangan di bincang pasal spare part ke harga jual semula; tu story lain..
balik ke tempat kita: dapat barang (spec) buangan.
lepas tu kan kereta ni nak kan dijadikan murah maka guna term “SEMI knock down”..
maksud nya depa pasang skit di sini; sebab tu murah skit sepatutnya; tapi harga agak tinggi jua + guna logo “i”…
Well said masked Ryder. I am 1 of those keep buying Toyota. 2 vios and 2 altis at home. Due to perception quality and resale. The comment about y buying cars tat others wanna drive 5 yrs down the road. Some me up. I am moving away fr T&H just bcoz of resell value. End up cursing about rattles and suspension 2 yrs driving it. Quote fr tis months ‘live life drive, page 13’ : “Hyundai found solid directions and pushed on without looking back. Unlike some that seems to be lost in a parallel universe of self admiration while hallucinating themselves in mental masturbation”
Just do a google on elantra review and u will say wat the whole world is saying about it. Don’t listen to local salesman and grandpas who still perceive T & H still rule.
Korea IS the new Japan. Just compare Samsung & Sony. The latter offer excessively overprice tvs with lousy specs. Now come the similarity on cars
Fully agreed. Who makes the best TVs out there these days? Is it the Japs? Sharp TVs were consistantly being boo-ed at when they’re being tested against the Koreans TVs in various UK hifi mags. Sony do have good products, but Sony is ALREADY using Samsung LCD panels as they’ve given up their R&D on new LCD panels… haha :D And Sony prices, even in the ultra competitive markets like SG, is always higher than the Koreans, specs for specs.
Who makes the best smartphones on the market these days people?? Is it the Japs? Ohh… we don’t have Japs brand phones in this part of the world…Sony Erisson is not counted. Which companies single handedly fought with Apple for tech geewhiz and sales and then win the war comfortably? It’s Samsung and LG folks.
If the world works with the mentality of some of you guys, Samsung and LG won’t be where they’re today. And Nokia and Blackberry won’t be so dead in the water. :D
All these so called korean fanboys here. Doubt u even drive a korean car. And i drove my frens forte enough times to give a verdict. The car is lousy. Not even close to honda city or vios.
Mazda 2.5 underpowered? I think u never drive the car properly. Let me tell u what underpowered is, forte 1.6, forte 2.0,sonata 2.0 and 2.4. All these cars display huge engine output on paper. But when hardly translates to real life driving. Even my first car which was a waja 1.6 was nicer to drive than a forte.
All these cars are like the current wave of android phones. All have super duper high specs on paper. But in real life still lag like crap whereas my iphone 3gs which is “low” spec perform so much better than alot of the android based phones nowadays.
So people,dont be fooled by the korean paper specs or the outlook. Pls go test drive a korean car and then hop into a jap car then u will know how far behind the koreans are.
And trust me, koreans will never ever make good drivers car. They just make good looking cars.
http://youtu.be/FOrKKUdOP9Y
Maserati bro, I dare you to watch the above video in its entirety and then tell everyone here that Hyundai/Kia only know how to make crap cars…. LOL :D
That their R&D are all either sleeping or have been watching too much Korean porn…:D
bro , dont compare mobile phones OS with car… Everyone knows that Android OS cant be as smooth as iOS…
More real world test reviews.
http://youtu.be/Qd-0hdOyigc
Note, According to US EPA ratings, the new Elantra is classified as a Mid Size in the land of Big.. Meaning, it”s has as much USABLE interior space as the current Camry! The ext is a compact but due to clever packaging, Hyundai designers managed to pull lots of interior space that propels the new Elantra to mid size car category. :)
The only other Japs car that can do such things is the FD Civic… :) But all good things have to end for the Japs.. the recently launched Gen 9 FN CIvic has turned into an ugly, cheap looking POS and it has fell back to compact cat due to shrunken dimensions… :(
The Altis, Mazda 3 or even the Cruze are still stuck in the compact cat…
Oh, where’s Potong?? :D The Gen2 is so small its considered a subcompact The interior design still smacks the old days of ‘Big on the Outside but small on the inside’ kind of packaging… LOL.
Let’s see how the P3-21A fares.
Ss427 , u have to understand. Japs make fantastic TVs , its just that their marketing is not as great as samsung. And obtw, samsung products are damn overrated. The only reason why samsung is doing well is because they have a great marketing team.
And btw, samsung android phones are all overrated pieces of crap. I bought a samsung galaxy tab 10.1 because of their great marketing . I fell for their trap, the tab was such a terrible piece of rubbish which i finally sold off for a ipad2 which is a million times better than the lousy samsung.
And then there is so many websites saying the tab 10.1 is good? I really laugh when i see ppl buying a samsung tab. Its laggy and slow . So now u see how good marketing can change the perception of the brand . But after a while ppl will realise that samsung products are all overrated pieces of junk. Even my brothers galaxy note was played up with so much hype and all. In the end, it was laggy and slow. He sold it off for a iphone 4s.
So i dont blame u for falling into the trap set by the koreans. No doubt their marketing is good but the real quality stuff still belongs to the japs even though the japs marketing might not be as good as the koreans.
My word of advice, dont fall for online reviews of the car cause most of them cant be trusted. Most of them are paid for my hyundai.
Ahhh?? Masrati bro, your comments had me almost choked on my Earl Grey Tea… LOL :D
Esp the last sentence ‘Most of them are paid for my hyundai’ :D:D
Gosh, you can go to any length just to put down Korean products ya?? Do you think Hyundai is Potong? In Bolehland, Potong can flex its muscles on your local car mags and they will know what to do. But in western countries, indpendent car mags, online auto reviews are really just that, indpendent.
Anyway this is getting tiring. Our friends here can see the results for themselves when the Elantra hit the showrooms shortly.
Hmm… Hitachi has exit the TV making business, Panasonic plasma TVs is good, but costs twice as much as LG if you want their top of the line 3D, internet enabled TVs, and are running on big losses these days…
And Sony chose Samsung LCS panels because their top brass was taken in by intense Korean ‘marketing’ too?? LOL
Malas nak layan him. Still staying in the stone age where Japan #1, quality #1. I used to have Sony Walkman tat can last me 10 yrs. now can last 3 yrs secretly laughing dy.
I say let the GLOBAL sale do the talking. Bolehland filled with ah pek who only believe T & H can have high 2nd hand value. So be it.
I salute those have the guts to buy WHAT THEY WANNA DRIVE – VW, KIA, FORD, not wat ah pek like to drive. like wat the above comments mentioned, want investment? Go buy house
Quote fr tis month’s autocar mag:
“And what about those buyers who still think that a Korean car is inferior? Based on the current range, they can hold on to their stereotypes and live in ignorance because the rest of the world is discovering how good a Hyundai really is.”
Maserati.. u drove ur friend’s forte.. n u didn’t like it. Fair enough. I drove a forte and was shocked to see and feel how far the Koreans have come. Similarly, I drove a 1.8 civic and was hugely disapntd! SOHC engine and all low spec but I believe the 2.0 would be very much better. For this reason, I can’t go on saying civic is a lousy car can I?! U seem to really have something against every damn thing the Koreans do.. LOL
Yea, whatever you say Maserati. Let’s put it this way. People aren’t buying your words, in fact turning towards you. Wonder why? Look at yourself. Being so damn anti-Korean, talking based on sentiments, and short-term ownership of your Samsung items. Your attitude of “Japs is good in everything, Koreans total rubbish” shows your arrogant kid-like attitude.
And as you see the current market situations, the car scene might shut your arrogant mouth. Thanks to the tsunami, the Hyundai Elantra was just 10,000 units short of outselling the Toyota Corolla as the top selling vehicle worldwide for the year 2011. Bear in mind, both cars also include previous generations of the cars.
You said we’re falling into the trap, don’t you? Get a life, and stop trying to tell us what we want, and what we do. You’re not the government, and your attitude of trying to lord over us here really sickens me.
You need a lolly mate? Yeah, i figured that out. Grow up, you shameful adult!!
David,
How have you been keeping?Still fighting the good over the bad?You are the man my friend.Anyway,just don’t waste your time replying these people.I guess they just can’t accept the fact that the Koreans have come a long way.
Just like you,i too believe that each of us reserve the right to purchase and enjoy the rides of our choice based on what we really want in a car,not because of what people say..naysayers if you like.Keep in touch.
Cheers.
Yes and u earn your leaving fr Toyota.
Btw Mazda is good car to drive. Tat I agree. It’s the T&H I mad about. Their offerings now sucks. Lousy price n specs. Tat pls don’t deny. Only the gov tax incentive is helping on the hybrids
Trust me lah guys. My company deals with korean machinery. I can tell u they are one of the most problematic machines ever made. At least one will break down each month. And after repairing the problem will reoccur.
U guys think korean stuff are catching up, i tell u they still got a long long way to go. U guys only see the good side of korean stuff like samsung , hyundai,kia… Go check how many korean manufacturers which are struggling.
And also korean products are never built to last long
erm… i thought this car running on a mitsubishi engine? correct me if i wrong :)
Mazda lagi best… tak terlalu mainstream…indie rules!!
Sedikit info yang dapat saya kutip untuk update knowledge.
*(ingat nak post dalam FD tapi line busy)
Proton P3-21A heights = 1524m
Elantra Md heights =1445m
Corolla/altis heights =1466m
Honda civic heights = 1435m
Ford focus heights = 1488m
Proton P3-21A wheel base =????
Elantra Md wheel base = 2700
Corolla/altis wheel base = 2600
Honda civic wheel base = 2700
Ford focus wheel base = 2615
Proton P3-21A trunk space = 508L
Elantra Md trunk space = 420L
Corolla/altis trunk space =348L
Honda civic trunk space =340L
Ford focus trunk space =391L
Proton P3-21A = cd 0.30 *coefficient of drag
Elantra Md = cd 0.28
Corolla/altis cd = 0.29
Honda civic cd = 0.30
Ford focus cd = ????
Proton P3-21A = 7speed auto / 6speed manual
Elantra Md = 6speed auto / 6speed manual
Corolla/altis = 4speed auto/ 5speed manual
Honda civic = 5speed auto/ 5speed manual
Ford focus = 4speed auto/ 5speed manual (as at dec 2010)
*US spec comparison.
hey, if u wan praise Japanese car, dun pee around here, stick YOU KNOW?
It took 10 years or longer to prove reliability of cars, Toyota and Honda have great records and statistics, begged awards and more importantly trust from long term car owners, I’m one of them, who don’t have money to keep changing cars every now and then…
Jz saw the car @ Mid-valley for public preview instead of launching… 1.6 manual, std spec, high spec & 1.8 premium… The salesman indicated the price in the range 90-110k… While launching will be held in march..
Said February~ Now Hyundai delay the launching date~~ Feddup~~ As compensation, Hyundai reduce retail price to reward customers patiently wait for this car~~ Faster Launch please~~~ Cant wait to grab this car~~~!!!!!
I’ve already place a booking with Hyundai and still no news yet as well. Mentioned price list will be out next week. Gosh!
Dear Paul,
Hi there!
Just booked the Hyundai Elantra MD 1.6 AT HS. Read the review everywhere and seems excellence! Booked the silver color and planning to have some upgrades on the stock rims from 16″ to 17″. What do you think?
Too all the Hyundai SALESMEN around here trying too hard to increase the hype for the new Elantra, I pity you.
That’s one helluva LOUSY job you all have there.
New Elantra is good looking to most of us, no doubt. Just as good looking as Daewoo/Chevrolet Optra 5 5 years back.
Now the good looking Optra 5 sells for only around 30k.
While a 20-year old Honda Civic sells for the same price.
True story.
You buy Hyundai, you go any spare parts shop, ask any spare parts boss, can get me Hyundai parts? Boss will answer back either “no stock” or “need to order”.
True story.
Of course all the Hyundai K-Pop SALESMEN here can try their level best to rubbish the above facts.
Really when someone doesn’t be aware of after that its up to other users that they will help, so here it takes place.