2021 Hyundai Elantra Hybrid review: Where style meets efficiency

As the aged indicating goes, there is extra than a single way to pores and skin a cat. Whatever vitriol the individual that coined this adage had versus felines is unknown, but their logic is audio, specially if you are hunting to conserve money at the pump. There are plenty of super-thrifty autos to select from and you you should not even have to get a plug-in product or a little something which is fully electric. You could seize a Toyota Corolla Hybrid or even Honda’s economical Perception. And then there is the Prius, a home title and a proven performer. But have you thought of the Hyundai Elantra Hybrid? If not, you unquestionably should really.

In Blue trim, its most successful sort, this tiny sedan returns some whopping fuel-overall economy figures. Expect all over fifty three mpg town, 56 mpg highway and fifty four mpg mixed. The major-shelf Confined product I’m assessing right here, having said that, is four mpg much less successful in every single driving cycle. That appears like a huge hit, but on a proportion basis it seriously isn’t really, additionally in actual-world driving I’m averaging about forty eight mpg, which is however phenomenal. Individuals impressive figures are sturdy adequate to make the Elantra Hybrid extra miserly than some of its opponents, but penny-pinching parsimony isn’t really the only explanation to take into consideration a single of these Hyundais.

What seriously sets this car or truck apart from the pack is its avant-garde structure. With its intricate front conclude that recalls a multifaceted gemstone to its crisply creased flanks to that angular rump, this sedan has some significant design. No, its appears to be won’t be for everybody, but the Elantra stands out from almost all the things else on the highway these days. The only probable challenge is longevity. This car or truck appears to be excellent in the second, but I query whether it will remain as appealing a several decades down the highway or if it will age like unrefrigerated milk.

Individuals suave fantastic appears to be carry through to the Elantra’s inside, which is as upscale as it is effectively outfitted. The techy-hunting dashboard is angled a little bit towards the driver so extra of the controls are in just straightforward attain. Painted silver accents brighten up the cockpit, which otherwise may be a little bit as well severe in black, however a grey coloration plan is obtainable, as well.

The car’s dash is built of appealing difficult and soft plastics and the complete shebang appears to be extra upscale than you would ordinarily be expecting from a motor vehicle in this class. Of training course, some expense-reducing is obvious, however none of it is egregious. The headliner is of iffy good quality and there are no air vents or electricity outlets for rear-seat passengers. Also, there is a strange applique to the remaining of the steering wheel, a gear-like circle with a line in the middle. If you envisioned this ingredient to operate, you may be sorely dissatisfied mainly because it is purely ornamental, however on N Line versions of the Elantra this is the place the travel manner button is situated. 

The Elantra Hybrid’s front seats are at ease adequate, additionally they are heated and ventilated in the Confined product, but the rear lodging are breathtaking for a car or truck of this dimension. There is certainly stretch-out amounts of legroom and there is almost as considerably head area. On major of that, the cushions are properly positioned with a easily angled backrest and even a fold-down centre armrest. This Hyundai’s cabin is airy and open up, with 99.four cubic toes of passenger volume, which helps make it extra capacious than its sedan rivals. Even the trunk is large, clocking in at fourteen.2 cubes, a small little bit much less than the Perception gives.

Two 10.3-inch screens are standard on Confined-trim Elantras. This contains a reconfigurable digital instrument cluster and a crisp touchscreen which is residence to an excellent infotainment program. Not only is it vibrant and straightforward to use, this multimedia array is super responsive, almost never ever lagging or stuttering. Embedded navigation is included right here as effectively. Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are standard throughout the Elantra range, however they need the use of a cable on Confined products. Curiously, decrease-conclude examples aid wi-fi smartphone mirroring on their smaller sized 8-inch infotainment monitor, a little something I have knowledgeable in other Hyundai and Kia cars.

As for driver aids, the Elantra Hybrid comes standard with the normal suspects. Computerized emergency braking with pedestrian detection, blind-location support, rear cross-targeted traffic inform, lane-holding support and automatic significant beams, among some others, are all accounted for. The Confined trim also contains adaptive cruise handle with end-and-go ability as effectively as Freeway Generate Support, which throws lane centering into the blend. All of these facilities operate as advertised and are intuitive.

The Elantra Hybrid is powered by a 1.6-liter 4-cylinder motor which is matched to a 6-velocity dual-clutch automatic gearbox. This motor is augmented by an electric motor that delivers forty three horsepower and a hundred twenty five pound-toes of torque to the bash, although a lithium-ion polymer battery pack serves as an electron reservoir. Overall program output is a modest 139 hp, but the twist is extra spectacular at 195 lb-ft. Peaceful and refined, this sedan accelerates far better than you may be expecting just after examining all those figures. No, it won’t established the world on fire, but it has extra-than-respectable scoot for each day use, specially when you take into consideration just how economical it is. The powertrain’s paucity of ponies is only seriously obvious at highway speeds the place it feels to some degree asthmatic. Switching to the Sport driving manner from either Regular or Wise does liven issues up a little bit and marginally stiffens the steering.

Slowing your roll, this car’s brakes are a little rubbery underfoot and the initial chunk of regenerative deceleration is a small little bit abrupt, but otherwise the pedal feels great and the changeover to friction braking is rather considerably imperceptible. Journey good quality is on the stiff aspect, which is astonishing thinking of the hybrid product is about 200 pounds heavier than a regular Elantra Confined. Perhaps engineers were being striving to make the car or truck experience as sporty as it appears to be.

Underway, the inside is impressively hushed, other than for the significant-effectiveness Hankook Kinergy GT tires mounted to 17-inch wheels. Relying on the area, they are inclined to sing, additionally they also experience a little greasy although cornering, squealing with little provocation. The Elantra’s steering is sleek and correct, if otherwise unremarkable. When Freeway Generate Support is activated, the lane-holding aid does a phenomenal task holding the Elantra Hybrid concerning the strains. In point, this set up performs far better than some techniques offered in significantly extra highly-priced luxurious cars. The only actual dynamic draw back to this car or truck is the transmission, which on incredibly rare instances can experience befuddled. Normally, it is super sleek and moderately fast to change, however not as speedy as other dual-clutch gearboxes.

An entry-amount 2021 Hyundai Elantra Hybrid starts off at $24,555 together with $1,005 in desired destination expenses. That helps make it about $3,700 pricier than a standard 2022 Elantra sedan, an considerable variation. The major-of-the-line Confined product reviewed right here rolled off the assembly line in Ulsan, South Korea sporting a $29,260 cost tag, which is suitable in line with an Perception Touring and, frankly, not unreasonable thinking of the normal new-motor vehicle transaction cost these days is all over 41 grand.

If maximizing fuel effectiveness is as significant to you as stylish structure, your chariot awaits. The Elantra Hybrid can stretch a gallon of gasoline like the greatest of ’em and it appears to be significantly far better although accomplishing so.