It’s painful to see what Hyundai has done with the Elantra. From a world-beating compact sedan that had the Japanese almost beat down pat, it’s now good as gone; plummeting into obscurity just as quickly as it rose to fame. It’s the automotive equivalent of being a K-Pop one-hit wonder. It was classy, sexy, and original. Now, it’s simply overpriced, unoriginal, and sadly, uninteresting.

Honestly, it’s not all bad. If you loved the previous Elantra, you’ll surely love this new one for sure. It’s still refined, comfortable, and capacious; but then again, just about any new compact car is. Adding to its problem is the fact that Hyundai didn’t seem set their sights far enough with this one. It’s as if the designers and engineers had some metrics to fulfill and they did so. Barely.



Take the design, for example. Hyundai has got their entire Fluidic Sculpture at work here from the angled lines, hexagonal grille, and slim headlights—they all work to give it a well-proportioned and pleasantly modern look, but it’s also far too close to the previous model. It’s too much of a déjà vu. The problem continues when start sticking your nose into the details too. Those 17-inch rims sure look yummy, but the halogen headlights and taillights sure don’t.

The same problem confronts you as step inside. While it doesn’t stray far from Hyundai’s cabin playbook (which equates to it being comfortable, modern, and well-wearing), but start poking around and there are expanses of hard plastics scattered throughout. It also occurs to you that this P 1.1-million car lacks leather seats. It’s a shame because the Elantra’s made some steady progress in other areas such as the nice, crisp controls and buttons and clear, legible gauges. It could have been a high-quality product, but instead, it ended up as being simply run-of-the-mill.



Equally concerning is the Elantra’s lack of safety gear. While its dual SRS airbags, anti-lock brakes, and rear parking sensors with camera would have merited a perfect score in the early 2010s, it’s 2018 and that makes it a crime. There are no side-impact or curtain airbags and no stability control. Oh, and have a gander at the back seat and you’ll see just two adjustable headrests and a two-point lap belt for the middle occupant.

It’s certainly hard to get over the Elantra’s lack of features, but at least it makes you forget (sort of) with its refined, comfy driving character. It does away with any sporting pretentions, so instead this range-topping GLS model makes for a quiet and sensible cruiser. The 152 horsepower and 192 Nm of torque outputs are average, and that’s how it pretty much behaves on the road. Compared to its lesser GL sibling though, it’s far better. Plus, it actually achieves better fuel economy: 8.33 km/L or a 7 percent improvement over the 1.6-liter variant at similar speeds.



Just like its powertrain, the rest of the car is tuned for sensible motoring. Not only does it offer impressive NVH levels, but drive through a pothole deliberately, and it’ll absorb it well. It’s smooth without the ungainly float. It’s best experienced during long straights and sweeping bends, but if you do push it a bit, it remains stable with some amount of roll built in. It’s only when you hit quick transitions that the beam axle suspension shows its rather low limits.

As quiet, refined, and sensible as the 2018 Hyundai Elantra is, it’s hard to get excited over it. On one hand, there are noticeable improvements to its ride, handling, and some degree, style, but on the other, it also sticks far too close to the original formula while also skimping on safety, luxury, and convenience specifications. In the end, the improvements that this generation offers is far too marginal compared to what the previous model has offered. The Elantra almost beat the Japanese at their own game some years back, but this time, it’s actually the Elantra that’s fighting for relevance in a crowded compact sedan marketplace.