Hyundai Elantra CRDi 1.6 SX - Design Review

Now we have all heard, understood and seen enough of the Hyundai Fluidic Sculpture design philosophy to talk about it all over again. The design language has been so successful that the cars that have adopted it have either already become the respective segment leaders or are on their way to become one. So it comes in as no surprise that Hyundai has had a confidence boost after the success of the new design philosophy - so much that they are bringing back a model name that went out of the Indian market, rather disappointingly. Remember the Elantra?

It was a good car, but the styling was too bland to cope up against the competition. The suspension was too soft for the Indian roads and bottomed out every now and then. And while it offered a comfortable ride quality, it did not have the brand value of a Toyota Corolla. 

The response from our market had been so bad that the 4th generation model that debuted in the global market, wasn't even considered for India. But now Hyundai aims at fixing all of that and hopes that the new design philosophy will help the Elantra's revival in India - just the way it worked for the Verna. To get some early impressions of the new Elantra, we drove the car in Udaipur. Read on to know what we feel.

At first glance the Elantra just looks like a bigger Verna or a smaller Sonata, depending on the angle you are viewing from. The front end has the hexagonal grille that instantly establishes the familial connection. The headlights are shaped like the Verna but are larger and get a double-barrel layout. There are two prominent creases on the bonnet that flow into the grille and add further substance to the design.

The lines and creases flow onto the side profile too. There is one crease that extends from the headlight, all the way into the boot, forming the belt-line. The shoulder-line is marked by another crease that comes out from the taillights and flows into the front wheel arches. There is yet another crease towards the lower end of the car to add further 'flow' to the design. What I particularly like though is the coupe-ish roofline, which makes the Elantra stand out from the others in the segment.

The high-rise boot contributes further to this effect. When seen from the tail end, the boot looks humongous. The rear bumper is large too. However, you again have some creases on the tailgate. Add to it the Sonata-inspired two-piece taillights and the reflectors on the bumpers and you have a tail that doesn't look empty and boring. The tail will only get the variant badges when the Elantra goes on sale. The CRDI / VTVT / AUTO badges will find their place over the front right wheel-arch.

Overall, the fluidic design looks great on the Elantra as expected - and while the busy lines give the car a sense of motion even when it's stationary, the high-rise boot, the coupe-ish roofline and the aerodynamic bonnet give the Elantra a low-slung stance that looks more aggressive than the likes of the new Volkswagen Jetta and the Chevrolet Cruze.

Also Read:

- Hyundai Elantra User Experience Review

- Hyundai Elantra Performance Review