Hyundai is working on a brand new generation of its Elantra sedan that’s due to go on sale later this year as a 2011 model, but we can already get a look at the new car thanks to the unveiling of its South Korean cousin, the Avante, at the 2010 Busan Auto Show this week.
With sportier and even more elegant lines than its predecessor, the new Elantra features a design shared with the 2011 Hyundai Sonata and dominated by a coupe-like profile with tapered back headlights.
Premium features fitted on the Avante model include HID headlights, heated seats and a color LCD nestled in the instrument cluster. Here in the U.S. the current generation Elantra is priced from less than $15,000 and competes with the likes of the Toyota Corolla and Ford Focus, so expect many of these luxury amenities to be absent when the car arrives in local showrooms.
Hyundai is yet to confirm which powertrain options will be available on the 2011 Elantra but in South Korea the Avante is debuting with a new 1.6-liter GDI (gasoline direct injection) engine rated at 140 horsepower and matched to a six-speed automatic gearbox. This combination is said to be 10 percent more fuel efficient than the powertrain setup in the current 2010 model.
The Elantra is Hyundai’s most popular model, with sales of more than six million units worldwide since the car’s launch back in 1990. The new 2011 Hyundai Elantra will go on sale in the second half of the year and is only set to build on that past success.
[Hyundai]
