A Week With: 2021 Hyundai Elantra Limited

Passenger cars have fallen out of favor though if you were a top executive at rental car company right now you would do almost anything to get your hands on some. 

With the price of new vehicles climbing, rebuilding older cars is on the verge is becoming a rather large business in the U.S.

Asian brands completely abandoned to passenger car market, believing there are still plenty of active buyers willing to take a look at what new models such as the 2021 Hyundai Elantra have to offer. 

Overview

The Elantra is a smartly designed, well-equipped passenger car with plenty of power packed into its small engine and some of the very same technology available to consumers, who are opting for more expensive sport utility vehicles. 

The 2021 Elantra also is pleasing to drive, maneuverable and easy to park in crowded places and urban spaces, such as Chicago and Philadelphia or almost any other crowded city you care to name.

Exterior

While I was driving the Elantra Limited, the strong exterior design of sedan body style attracted favorable comments. It’s unique and well-executed with the lines used to accent the corners housing the front headlamps being picked up and repeated through the rear-quarter panel, which also is accentuated by the downward sweep of the roofline and the lines running down the side. 

The end result is a car that looks sophisticated with a clean, clear silhouette and a great deal of curb appeal. The overall design of the Elantra also features the distinctive Hyundai grille that has been worked or reworked specifically for the Elantra with a bold, high-gloss, black finish. The net result is an exterior design that smart, contemporary and seems to sweep by the competition. The exterior package on the 2021 Elantra Limited includes 17-inch wheels and LED headlights. 

Interior

The interior 2021 Hyundai Elantra is very straightforward with a simple, clean layout that brings the controls close to the hand of the driver. The quality of the material used in furnishing the cabin is also a cut above, actually several cuts above, what used to be considered acceptable in a compact car by the automotive brass around the world. 

The touch points are soft material and the furnishings look good, appearing durable — not as if they would appear tired and worn out within the first year of the vehicle’s life. The technology in the 2021 Elantra also is easy to access. 

The interior is spacious for compact vehicle and the back seat can actually be used to carry passengers not just groceries. The visibility from the driver’s seat us excellent and the driver seat has power control, which you don’t always expect to find in vehicle priced at $26,000. The one jarring note on the cabin was the grab handle pieces that sits between the driver and passenger seat. It’s reminiscent of boards concerned parents used to slip between teenagers of the opposite sex in some parts of U.S. back in the 19th century to keep them from getting too familiar with one another. 

Powertrain

The 2021 Elantra Limited, which I drove, was equipped with a 2.0-liter, 4-cylinder engine with dual overhead cam. The engine produces 147 horsepower and 132 pound-feet of torque. The engine is matched to an intelligent continuously variable transmission that keeps the vehicle in the correct gear as it is driven. 

The combination produces solid fuel economy numbers. The front-wheel-drive Elantra has a combined rating of 35 miles per gallon from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The rating includes 31 mpg in the city and an impressive 41 mpg on the highway, making it a match for some more expensive hybrid vehicles available now. 

Safety and Technology

The safety features on the 2021 Hyundai Elantra Limited include multiple airbags for protection in frontal- or side-impact crashes as well as automatic forward collision avoidance assistance and pedestrian detection. 

It also is equipped with blind-spot collision alert, cyclist detection while turning, lane-keeping assistance, rear cross-traffic alert and parking assistance sensors as well as smart cruise control. It also is equipped with a 10.25-inch touch screen in the center stack, Bose Precision Audio, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Hyundai Blue Link Connected Car System as well as Bluetooth connectivity. It also comes with wireless charging capability, Hyundai’s digital key and a rear-facing camera with dynamic guidelines. 

Driving Impressions 

I found the 2021 Hyundai Elantra a most pleasant car to drive. For one thing Hyundai obviously has continued to invest in its passenger car platforms and the driving dynamics were in tune with the everyday demands of American roads. 

The suspension was solid, the drive was comfortable over a variety of surfaces, while the steering was also very crisp and offered a modest amount of feedback. The brakes also offered ample stopping power even when you needed them in a hurry. The power from the engine, while hardly overwhelming, was adequate for the car’s weight, giving the car some life and punch when it was required such as while moving to pass on the freeway. 

2021 Hyundai Elantra Limited specifications:

Wrap Up 

I came away with the impression the 2021 Hyundai Elantra Limited was an impressive value — and value with ample power for everyday driving as well as solid comfort and a first-rate entertainment and connectivity system for use while commuting. 

It was named 2021 North American Car of the Year and has space for a young family, even one with a dog. The Elantra may not be the automobile to use if you want to make a statement about your status or your economic prospects, but it is practical and as Henry Ford proved more than a century ago people like practical cars particularly if they are priced right and the Elantra Limited at $26,600, certainly is. 

2021 Hyundai Elantra Limited ­— Frequently Asked Questions