Hyundai Elantra X20 2.0 CVVT Test Drive Review
The new Hyundai Elantra was launched some time ago and it has the distinction of being one of the few 2.0 liter C-segment sedans priced under RM100,000 which is sure to attract a few customers in this increasingly price sensitive market. We have just finished testing this Korean car. Here is what we found out.
Read Harvinder Singh Sidhu’s review after the jump.
Design
The new Elantra looks much more refined and mature now compared to the boxy old model. The first thing you will notice is the beautiful lines the car has along its sides that remind you of the Audi A5, as under the right time of the day, these lines will really stand out. It gives the car more character.
The front headlights seem to look at you more aggressively this time, and I would also say that the rear lamps compliment them very nicely. You will also notice that there is strangely no Elantra insignia anywhere on the car, instead there is only the “X20” emblem, which generally means the car has a 2.0 liter unit under the hood.
Click for larger image
Interior
The interior of this new Elantra is rather decent actually, since it did make me feel like I was sitting a luxury B segment sedan. It also has very good leg and head clearance for the driver, as well as for front left and rear passengers.
I was quite happy with the seating position as I didn’t get any back ache as result of a long drive. The car however does have huge looking centre dash, but I was pleased with it since it is fitted with lots of compartments, which is very practical. Another neat feature is a cabin luggage hook (located at front left passage area) which can carry items up to 3kg which very good news for us Malaysians since we can use it to hang our “teh tarik” (Malaysian Tea) packets, safely and in a more proper manner.
The Elantra is also fitted with a decent in-car entertainment system which can play CDs, MP3s, WMAs and is also equipped with an aux-in jack for your iPod or any other mobile music player.
The only thing I didn’t like was the way the climate controls were illuminated at night. I was taken back a little when I first noticed the “extremely blue” lights. Thank goodness it was connected to the rheostat. It was just too bright and I really thought I was going to lose my eyesight.
In fact the climate control buttons are made out of transparent white rubber, which to be honest, does not deserve to be associated with anything “Luxury”. They may just go yellow over time just like your old Nokia 5110 mobile phone from the late 1990s.
Driving
Here’s the part when I tell how I was disappointed by this new Hyundai Elantra. In my first few kilometers of the test drive, I straight away noticed how bad the car really handles, and I noticed this in a housing area at first, which is not good news at all.
Against my first impression, I took it to a more appropriate location so I can step the gas a little harder. After doing that, I had no choice but to follow my first impression. It was just going all over the place when I put the car under more pressure; and on top of that, I also learned that the brakes were shoddy as well.
The suspension is tuned heavily towards comfort and as a result the ride may get a little floaty at high speeds.
The 2.0 liter 16 Valve DOHC CVVT engine (143 PS at 6,000rpm and 186Nm of torque at 4,600rpm) seemed a little heavy on acceleration but at higher speeds it was more responsive. The gear change of the 4 speed automatic transmission with VFS and Grade Logic is rather smooth, but more gear ratios is preferred. If Volkswagen can put 6-speed units in all of their automatic cars and are now even phasing out autos for the 7-speed dry clutch DSG, I don’t see why 4-speed autos are still around.
In city driving, I’ve also noticed that this Elantra, which is fitted with an electric power steering system, has a good turning radius of up to 5.17 meters curve to curve. Safety wise, the car comes with standard dual SRS airbags, ABS (Electronic Anti-Lock Brake system) and EBD (Electronic Brake Force Distribution).
Another cool feature the car has is a reverse warning sensor with voice, and distance display (fitted above the rear windscreen, from the inside). So basically, when put it into reverse and look at your rear view mirror, you can clearly see the distance in feet, and as you get closer to the object behind you, the car “talks” to you, alerting you on the distance.
Verdict
The Elantra looks great, with a decent interior and a respectable amount of equipment. It, however drives like a cow, and could do with stronger brakes. The engine and drive train performs reasonably well. We also found that the noise was a little on the loud side at highway speeds - more padding and soundproofing needed perhaps?
Another thing we forgot to mention is the Elantra’s very good fuel economy as it gives you about 12 kilometers per litre of petrol. In fact, Kah Bintang is also claims that this new Elantra can take you from Johore to Butterworth in a full tank of petrol (53 liters). Hyundai also added that the electric power steering feature saves you up to 1 mpg.
So, here’s the big question; would I buy it? Well for me personally, I won’t as it is not a driver’s car, but as a daily A to B driver it deserves serious consideration given the large interior space it offers and its low price point of RM93,888. It’s plenty of metal for your money.
Story by Harvinder Singh Sidhu, photos by Leong Tik Tsin and Paul Tan
PHOTO GALLERY: Hyundai Elantra X20
Click thumbnails to view high resolution photo
September 7, 2008 @ 2:25 am
Hyundai Elantra is a good & fuel economy car, for the sport edition, is great. My point of view is, Hyundai may catch up Honda in the future, especially for C-Segment car.
September 7, 2008 @ 2:31 am
I wouldn’t really say the interior is ‘decent’. Thou it could be a 2.0 ltr engine sitting beneath, the overall experience i had with the car while testing feel’s slightly lower market compared to Nissan’s Latio. To mention ‘C’ segment, putting it against the likes of Honda Civic (Yes, we know the 2.0 ltr Civic is RM30k more - But what’s the point of buying a Korean car if you can’t save some hard earn dough?) really does it no good the very moment I first step into this car.
The extravagantly styled exterior was heavily let down by the sub-par design of the interior, materials were fine thou.
4 speed gearbox are fine, given the new Altis were also raking up sales with these ‘primitive’ gearboxes.
The last thing, the reverse distance display mounted on the rear seemed like a good touch, but wouldn’t it display inverted in the driver’s reverse mirror?
RM94k? Get yourself another RM10,000 and go for the 1.8 Civic. Considering the much higher resale value, and the feel good factor which is dead crucial for Malaysian car buyers considering 55% of the total price you pay are taxes for the government.
Paul Tan says: Agree with some of your points (not the 4-speed auto part - we all know the Altis sells not because of its gearbox so its hardly a justification for why a 4-speed auto is “fine”) but the Civic 1.8 is actually RM113.8k, which is nearly RM20k more which could end up being a premium of RM400 a month in monthly installments over a 5 year loan. I think anyone looking at the Elantra would be price-sensitive or at least looking for a good VALUE proposition.
September 7, 2008 @ 2:38 am
The car looks really good… of course for it’s class. Pity the review on it’s handling isn’t good. Hope the facelift will have improvements in those aspects. Once again, very good looking car, IMHO
September 7, 2008 @ 3:03 am
so i guess korean cars havent imroved that much ha?
with that kind of money…i wont buy a new civic 1.8…but a one year old civic…which is selling around 9xk….u get a much beter car and badge…
btw….does this car relate somehow to the new kia optima?? any shared chasis or components?
Paul Tan says: New Optima uses the 2.0 liter GEMA project engine (Hyundai’s own internal family name is “Theta”, the engine is related in some ways to the 2.0 liter 4B11 in the Lancer GT and Chrysler cars as GEMA was a JV project between DaimlerChrysler, Mitsubishi and Hyundai-Kia) while the engine in this Elantra is an older model from the Sirius family thats also found in cars like the Kia Sportage. The GEMA engine feels more powerful and is smoother as well. I have no idea why Hyundai-Kia still uses this older engine in some of their cars. Cost?
September 7, 2008 @ 3:12 am
Hi Paul,
Thanks for the clarification on the pricing. To add, my take on the Altis was actually a slap on the face for Toyota, considering Hyundai sales person could always say :”Altis also 4-speed mar.”
Nonetheless, I was just thinking that we should inform car buyers, who’re forking out almost RM100k for car purchases - which should be the better buy considering all factors including resale value. The RM400 a month pinch would make itself worthwhile when the owner’s are changing their cars.
Considering that an 03′ 2.0 Accord could still fetch around RM80k+, an 03′ Sonata could only do so with RM30k+
Of course, European marques suffer the same problems; but the very notion of making the final decision on a prestige European marque, and Jap/Korean makes are very different fundamentally.
Paul Tan says: ah, resale value. Kah Bintang actually has a 2-year buy back guarantee program now in efforts to stabilize/control the 2nd hand value of its cars. I’m not entirely sure how this works… will ask Kah Bintang.
September 7, 2008 @ 5:51 am
one of the ingredient of korean car towards fuel efficiency is having a tall gearing, therefore the car feel a bit heavy unaggresive, but it works in the interest of fuel saving. only if drive conservetively and most on the highway.
September 7, 2008 @ 7:47 am
my comments are as follows:
resale value
it is up to individual’s affordability. if you have money and don’t mind to pay additional installment of RM400 p.m to secure resale value of your car. then you may not consider buying this car. basically it’s the same. it’s either you fork out extra money in advance for the resale value or fork out later for changing to new car.
handling
as mentioned by Harvinder Singh, the car is tuned towards comfort. i think this is fine as being a family sedan car, i think it is acceptable that handling is compromised to a certain extend for passangers comfort.
comparison vs Civic & Altis
i think this is not a fair comparison as both cars priced abt RM20 to 30k more expensive (2.0 version). you will get what you paid for. however, one point to note is that Elantra has the most cabin space compared to Civic and Altis.
September 7, 2008 @ 9:28 am
If you must have a new car at that price then this might be it, but if i have RM94k to throw on a car, it would have to be the previous 4-5 year old 2.0 or 2.4 Honda Accord, Dohc vtec engine, handles well, stable at high speeds, 5 speed autobox, looks better, reliable, there’s so many to choose from and you’ll certainly get more respect driving it than a trying to look like a Altis Hyundai
September 7, 2008 @ 10:13 am
Hyundai VS Toyota VS Honda
All vehicles have their own pros and cons !!!
Justification on whether which is better !!! Seriously no winner !!
It is the customer own preference on which vehicle they want .For some Hyundai are their favor, for some Honda are their favor and as well as toyota. So to compare which is better ……through deep analyze ,test and review…then there of cause might be a winner !!! Hyundai cars are built like European cars !!! their reliability are lower then expectation ..maybe now it has improved a little !! TOYOTA and HONDA !!! TOYOTAs ARE BUILT FOR RELIABILITY WHILE HONDAs ARE BUILT FOR REFINEMENT So to say which is a winner ….. ?? realy unknown in our mind !!! However for me Honda is my preference ..Drove be4 Toyota and Hyundai cars…still much prefer the fun driving of Honda !!
September 7, 2008 @ 10:16 am
Most Malaysians still have prejudice with Korean car. They always remind themselves about their new car’s resale value before buying their car. So that’s why Malaysia is still considered as an unmature market compared to many other countries. Elantra is a good car yet giving you 2-litre engine and quite decent amount of spec but it is quite pity that the car is not a big selling piece. Maybe Kah Bintang should try to lower their car price further down to 88k as the previous generation can be said to be quite a big seller compared to the current one, the same applied to Sonata and Accent. I just feel that this is still not the proper time for Korean to have a price that is so close to Japanese yet. By the way, hope that Sime-Darby will bring us the highly-desired i30.
September 7, 2008 @ 10:35 am
Kah motors forever putting low spec parts in their cars la. Like last time civic EF with carburettors, EK with SOHC and drum brakes etc. and then force you to buy the car with stupid head laces… what rubbish!
September 7, 2008 @ 12:18 pm
Hmm as for me, I rather add up RM8K and buy the Optima instead with better GEMA engine, larger interior & superb audio system.
This is not a bad car. The Koreans are always moving at a fast pace to compete with the Japs. But the low quality, reliability & brand image perception is hard to be changed and therefore the resale value is still questionable. Just wait over few years and give them a chance.
For those who want a new 2.0L car sub-RM100K with long term ownership & good FC, I think this car gives good value for the money. Forget the “add RM20K to buy Civic” stuff, every penny is valuable nowadays in view of rising prices. For the budget conscious, RM20K may buy them food groceries for the family for a whole year.
September 7, 2008 @ 12:38 pm
this is a good car, but its old, europe people drive i30, we only have this
September 7, 2008 @ 1:09 pm
I truely appreciate Paul Tan critical comments on the car without being bias over the manufacturers or supplier. this is the main reasons i often get the truthful information from Paul Tan site.
September 7, 2008 @ 1:57 pm
It has got a higher rating than a Corolla, done by Yahoo America.
Now it’s either a Sylphy if you don’t mind paying more, or an Elantra if you’re on smaller budget; Civic is too boring to see too many of them OTR, facelift coming soon too and Altis is plain rubbish, if you must have a Toyota park inside your house, buy a 2nd hand older version, basically is the same car with different exterior only.
September 7, 2008 @ 4:00 pm
The lines are very flowy and is also kinda unique in its way.
The side profile looks like Seat Ibiza lines but are more understated.
And coupled with the OEM bodykits, it looks a lot better.
September 7, 2008 @ 4:03 pm
Hi, Thank you for the nice review with advantages and disadvantages.
But I would like to know, if a person is determine to get this 2.0 (attractive price that is below RM100,000.00) where and how can he sort out this disadvantages that was highlighted in the review?
Please give suggestion how to improve this X20 baby…….if so can do another review after the improvement is made……. great for us readers too.
TQ
munloong
September 7, 2008 @ 4:10 pm
Hyundai Elantra voted ‘Best Family Sedan’ by Asian Auto - VCA
VCA is the designated UK Vehicle Type Approval authority and has more than 30 years experience supports industry by providing internationally recognised testing and certification for vehicles, their systems and components. For more information, please refer to http://www.vca.gov.uk
Elantra is also Hyundai’s No. 1 Best Selling car in USA with sales exceeding 1.2 million and is also Hyundai’s best selling car in China. The Hyundai Elantra X20 comes with a 2.0L DOHC Continuous Variable Valve Timing (CVVT) powerplant that delivers maximum power output of 143 PS. By utilizing Motor Driven Power Steering and an advanced transmission with Variable Force Solenoid found only in top of the range cars, the Elantra’s fuel efficiency is improved by almost 2.8% making it a leader in fuel economy in its segment.
September 7, 2008 @ 4:45 pm
Thank you to Harvinder for a very honest review. This would be my first time reading his article and I felt I had missed a lot of not reading more of his pieces. Fully electric steering is only good for reduction in power consumption. Does not sound very communicative to a driver, and this would only enforce Harvinder’s insights. Other high end models/marques would have this come hand in hand with some kind of stability control as you would need to enhance the feel of driving. And to think we have all got over the ‘wow’ effect of CVVT.
September 7, 2008 @ 4:47 pm
price is bad because it still is a teenager and students car. i30 is good but suffers the same image problem. and really is not good looking after seeing it for a while. you can either trust your own eyes or you can trust what the magazines tell you (that its designed in europe and therefore is good looking). same as the focus which are so and so design only which gets outdated very quickly.
the diesel i30 will be interesting if they can get it into the msian market. or maybe the diesel i20.
September 7, 2008 @ 4:50 pm
bobdbilder said,
September 7, 2008 @ 4:45 pm
EPS sucks, can’t agree more.
The better way of doing this is coupling conventional Hydraulic & Electronic Motor.
September 7, 2008 @ 6:15 pm
either that or eps with stability control, so while driver cant sense a thing, the car’s electric stability control makes sure u dont make mistake cause driver can’t sense a shit…if its hydraulic, stability control is just like insurance
September 7, 2008 @ 6:33 pm
It’s a very good car to get for its price. Granted its no merc, or audi but for a korean car its even better then those Japanese CKD cars. Suggest the reviewer should take a closer look at interior quality of the current available japanese CKD cars in this country. Some of them are even worst then our proton cars.
Engine performance gives more to be desired for, but then again this aint a performance car. With 140+ ps tucked under its hood, it will certainly give you a pull and smooth ride without much problem.
Dont jump the gun just yet cause its carries a korean badge. Outside Malaysia, these cars are doing even better then japanese make in some countries. In Malaysia - well mindset - is tough one to beat - with herd mentality.
September 7, 2008 @ 6:49 pm
ooh, i quite liked how it looks, and also with the incus bodykit.
but if it drives that bad, then its better to get something else.
save up a few more, get either a civic or a sylphy.
altis is pretty much same as last generation.
civic for those sporty youngsters.
sylphy for those who want a tech savvy, coventional and economical vehicle.
September 7, 2008 @ 7:53 pm
The flash used was too bright it makes the picture look doctored especially the 2nd image.
An honest review, I like it.
September 7, 2008 @ 10:15 pm
user feed back, the silver panel easily get scratched, and it’s a dust collector~
September 7, 2008 @ 11:09 pm
thestick said,
September 7, 2008 @ 6:33 pm
……Suggest the reviewer should take a closer look at interior quality of the current available japanese CKD cars in this country. Some of them are even worst then our proton cars. ……
What cars? Vios against Perdana?
September 7, 2008 @ 11:51 pm
My Opinion,
This car is sux, better Nissan Sylphy, better FC for 1 litre is 16KM for 2.0 Litre engine, better responce, more powerful engine, and bla bla bla…
September 8, 2008 @ 5:42 am
well it seems to me the perception of malaysians on korean cars can be likened to that of singaporeans’ perception on malaysian cars.
September 8, 2008 @ 9:17 am
“If Volkswagen can put 6-speed units in all of their automatic cars and are now even phasing out autos for the 7-speed dry clutch DSG, I don’t see why 4-speed autos are still around.”
The reason is simple: cost. fitting a 6 or 7 speed DSG definitely wont be cheap and will definitely add to the cost of the car.
September 8, 2008 @ 11:32 am
I think Malaysian prices of those Japanese brands like Toyota, Honda are much higher compared to other markets eg US or UK, where the Elantra is selling at or slightly lower prices than the Civic 1.8 or Altis 1.8 (Corolla). Perception of higher quality, or what? Maybe resale value? But I am quite surprised over the test report from Harvinder Singh when compared to those conducted in US/Canada by Sam Moses, especially over the handling of the car. I also wonder whether Harvinder has tested the Altis 1.8, and what his comments will be with regards to the auto transmission? Selling at almost 30% higher price (1.8G) but still with only 4 forward gears? Will he put his money where his mouth is and say it as it is? No, don’t get me wrong. I’m not an Elantra owner or anything like that. Just that I like to read and update myself on the auto scene.
September 8, 2008 @ 12:14 pm
Edmund’s Inside Line
Driving Impressions
Considering its so-so 138 horses, the 2008 Hyundai Elantra is decently quick out of the gates (zero to 60 mph in 8.4 seconds), especially when equipped with a manual gearbox. The engine suffers from a somewhat coarse demeanor above 3,500 rpm, however. More refined is the ride quality, which is smooth yet stable, even at high speeds, and is one of the Elantra’s best attributes. Wind and road noise are also negligible. Although its personality isn’t overtly sporting, the Elantra is actually a capable handler. Body roll is moderate, but this Hyundai manages to hold tight through turns, offering plenty of grip and decent steering response.
September 8, 2008 @ 12:57 pm
distance display on reverse is quite cool… but only if u know how to read reverse numbers, or twisting ur neck to the limit. It’s suppose to be mirror friendly for crying out load..
September 8, 2008 @ 1:41 pm
crying out loud lah..
September 9, 2008 @ 1:00 pm
“well it seems to me the perception of malaysians on korean cars can be likened to that of singaporeans’ perception on malaysian cars.”
I believe the singaporeans have about the same perception of korean cars as we do.
as for the elantra, I dont know much about it, but i’m pretty sure the engine is powerful. I was driving back from ipoh recently, and I came up behind one of these cars, and the acceleration was really decent for a 2 litre as he decided to speed up rather than pull over for me to pass.
September 10, 2008 @ 12:48 am
The write up looked as if it was done hurriedly. I just want to pinpoint to the comment about brakes where the writer claimed that the brakes are SHODDY. What does he mean by that? I thot the braking was good the last time I tested the car, slowing down quite fast from 170kmh to below 80kmh.
I didn’t test drive civic but the new altis was more sedate compared to X20. My opinion, those who wanna play safe, follow the mass; those who seek adventures, forget brand image….
September 11, 2008 @ 7:59 pm
the rear reminds me of the nissan bluebird “lanjiao” sylphy
September 20, 2008 @ 11:24 am
Quote: 0204 said,
September 8, 2008 @ 12:57 pm
distance display on reverse is quite cool… but only if u know how to read reverse numbers, or twisting ur neck to the limit. It’s suppose to be mirror friendly for crying out load..
_______________________________________________________________
Quote from article:
So basically, when put it into reverse and look at your rear view mirror, you can clearly see the distance in feet, and as you get closer to the object behind you, the car “talks” to you, alerting you on the distance.
______________________________________________________________
But the CORRECT way to do reversing is NOT by looking at your rear view mirror, you have to turn your head to look behind to ensure certain things such as no one is approaching from both sides.
I am sure the Korean carmaker thought of that and further equips the reverse sensor to ‘talk’ to you.
September 26, 2008 @ 10:06 am
Honestly this Hyundai Elentras back design is such a copy of the Toyota Altis..