2017 Hyundai Elantra Debuts at LA Show

Hyundai unveiled the new 2017 Elantra at the Los Angeles Auto Show this week. The Elantra is one of the company’s best-selling models and they’ve made significant changes to its look. The compact car will enter showrooms next year.

The new Elantra is almost an inch longer than the current model and about an inch wider as well. Height and wheelbase remain the same. The interior sees significant changes with the dashboard lifting up and away for a more modern, spacious feel. Higher quality materials are seen at all trim levels, Hyundai says, with an emphasis on premium appeal that is more in line with where the segment is going. Total interior volume and cargo space will be more in line with a midsize car than the norm in the compact segment. This will make the 2017 Elantra comparable to the Corolla and Civic with which it competes, Hyundai says.

Finally, improved sound dampening and chassis stiffening were also a concern to be addressed in the 2017 model. Along with that came new powertrains, with two new options being offered. A 2.0-liter four-cylinder Atkinson engine offering 147 horsepower and 132 pound-feet of torque will be the base engine.

This Atkinson cycle-type engine reduces pumping loss by delaying the close timing of the intake valve in the compression stroke, therefore maximizing the expansion ratio – it is the only Atkinson cycle engine to be combined with multi-port injection in the compact class. This greater expansion ratio is made more efficient by allowing additional energy to be produced. Furthermore, this engine features a high compression ratio of 12.5.

Fuel efficiency is estimated at 29 city, 38 highway, 33 mpg combined with the six-speed automatic transmission option. A six-speed manual will also be offered.

The other engine is a 1.4-liter turbocharged gasoline direct injection (GDI) available in the Eco trim for the Elantra. This engine produces 128 hp and 156 lb-ft of torque and will pair with a seven-speed dual-clutch automated transmission. Hyundai believes that this combination will achieve an MPG rating of 35 combined.