Under the bonnet of the Avante / Elantra is a spanking new direct injection 1.6-litre petrol engine, christened 1.6 GDI (Gasoline Direct Engine) by Hyundai. Dishing out close to 140PS (16 more than the previous version) of power and 175 Nm of torque this engine looks both exciting and practical at the same time. A 6-speed manual transmission takes the power from the crank to the wheel – and returning a Hyundai claimed 17km to the litre. There is also an automatic option, but it won’t be as exciting or as fuel efficient as the manual tranny, for obvious reasons.
The new Avante / Elantra comes equipped with a vehicle dynamic control and vehicle stability management system, to automatically control braking and steering during slippery road conditions and emergency braking. Tire pressure monitoring, emergency stop signal and active headrest be standard features. The vehicle will have curtain airbags as a standard feature. Apart from these goodies, the car will come loaded with features like HID headlamps, LED tail lamps, LCD color info display, parking sensors and heated seats.
Price wise, the new Avante will cost 13.4 million won to 18.4 million won in South Korea, which is equal to 5.2 lakh to 7.2 lakh rupees in India. Obviously, the car won’t retail for such a low price in India with added duties and transport overheads. We are expecting a 10+ lakh price tag for the base model.
Hyundai have not confiremed any more engine options for the car yet. There were options of a 2.0-litre petrol or diesel engines for the current generation Avahte, but they were discontinued because of a lack of demand. We hope the car has a refined, efficient and modern diesel option when it sets foot in India.