Hyundai has issued the following press release:
The all-new 2007 Elantra makes its world debut today at the 2006 New York International Auto Show. Hyundai’s 2007 Elantra is the seventh all-new model from Hyundai in just 24 months, giving Hyundai the freshest lineup in the industry. All new from headlight to taillight, Elantra brings more refinement, safety and interior space to compact car shoppers.
The Elantra marks Hyundai’s seventh all-new product in 24 months when it goes on sale in fall 2006. This “24/7” product plan included the arrival of the all-new Tucson, Sonata, Accent, Azera, Santa Fe, Entourage and Elantra. From the flagship, full-size Azera, to the entry-level Accent, each of these models offers unsurpassed standard safety technologies in their segments, and each reflects the Hyundai brand’s refined and confident nature.
UNSURPASSED STANDARD SAFETY IN THE COMPACT SEGMENT
All Elantra models have six standard airbags, including two advanced front airbags, two front seat-mounted side-impact airbags, and two side curtain airbags protecting front- and rear-seat outboard passengers. The combination of side and curtain airbags, which help protect the head and body during side impacts, can reduce fatalities by more than 45 percent according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).
Accident avoidance technologies start with Elantra’s all-new chassis featuring fully independent suspension, front and rear stabilizer bars and motor-driven rack-and-pinion steering. The Elantra’s standard power braking system has front and rear discs with a four-sensor, four-channel Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) that includes Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD). — fifth generation Sonata.
Elantra’s standard front-seat active head restraints help prevent whiplash by automatically reducing the space between a front occupant’s head and the head restraint during a rear collision and are highly recommended by safety-focused organizations such as the IIHS.
All seating positions feature three-point seatbelts and adjustable head restraints.
In low-speed impacts, the Elantra’s five-mph front and rear bumpers help minimize damage. In higher-energy collisions, its steel unibody structure is engineered to dissipate crash energy as its crumple zones deform, while bodyside reinforcements help maintain the integrity of the passenger compartment. Hood buckling creases and safety stops help to control the deformation of the hood in a frontal collision.
EXPRESSIVE AND CONFIDENT DESIGN
Elantra continues the dramatic new styling resurgence introduced on the all-new 2007 Santa Fe — refined and confident. This new theme resonates in Elantra’s assertive front appearance, rising beltline, sculpted body side and an overall lively appearance. For a more upscale appearance, chrome headlight bezels and grille bars highlight Elantra’s assertive face. The profile of Elantra features confidently sculpted surfaces, an expressive bodyside character line that has a family resemblance to Azera and a clean look with bodycolor door handles and mirrors. The rear styling compliments the front design with taillamps echoing the theme of the headlamps, and the cohesive look continues with a bodycolored rear license plate garnish and integrated bumper fascia. — new Tiburon Coupe debut.
A “CLASS ABOVE” INTERIOR – MORE ROOM THAN ACURA TL
Elantra is wider and taller than its predecessor. Increasing the height 2.2 inches and moving the driver’s seating position up 1.8 inches opened up the cabin for more room and flexibility. Two inches of added width deliver more front and rear shoulder room as well. This repackaging delivers a remarkably spacious interior — one that is truly a “class above” Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla for interior room. Elantra is so roomy the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) classifies it as a mid-size car, not a compact car like Civic and Corolla. With 97.9 cubic feet of passenger room and 14.2 cubic feet of trunk space, the Elantra has the most interior volume (passenger volume plus trunk space) for a sedan in its class. Elantra’s total interior volume of 112.1 cubic feet easily betters the 2006 Civic sedan (102.9 cu. ft.), 2007 Nissan Sentra (110.8 cu. ft.) and 2006 Corolla (103.8 cu. ft.), and, surprisingly, even surpasses the interior volume of the near-luxury Acura TL (110.4 cu. ft.) sedan. Elantra trunk capacity also beats Civic and Corolla. Its 14.2 cu. ft. of trunk volume is 18 percent larger than Civic and five percent bigger than Corolla.
The center console features a two-level storage compartment and a comfortable armrest. An overhead sunglasses holder has built-in map lights, and map pockets are integrated into the front door panels. Seatback storage pockets provide additional room for small items. Storage can also be found in the dash, center stack and console. A convenient handbag strap holder is sure to surprise and delight owners. Dual front cupholders and an available rear armrest with cupholders complete the interior.
The Elantra’s comfortable and versatile seating includes a multi-adjustable driver’s seat with height adjustment, adjustable head restraints and a 60/40 split fold-down rear seatback that makes it easy to accommodate cargo.
Conveniences like standard cabin air filter, rear window defroster, tilt steering wheel, tinted glass, two-speed variable intermittent windshield wiper with mist function, dual vanity mirrors, and power windows with driver’s auto-down and illuminated switches make the Elantra seem like it’s a class above its modest price point. — Kia's three all-new models at Frankfurt.
SUPER-CLEAN ENGINE
Many Elantras sold in California, Maine, New York, Vermont and Massachusetts will score high on the EPA’s Green Vehicle Guide to Green Cars and be certified as Super Ultra Low Emission Vehicles (SULEV). The SULEV Elantra is as clean as many hybrid electric vehicles and helps Hyundai meet its environmental commitments.
Hyundai’s advanced 2.0-liter in-line four-cylinder engine powers Elantra. This sophisticated 16-valve powerplant employs an aluminum cylinder head that features dual overhead camshafts (DOHC) and Continuously Variable Valve Timing (CVVT). The combination helps give the engine a very broad power spread, coupled with high fuel efficiency and low emissions.
The ULEV variation is rated at an estimated 138 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 136 lb.-ft. of torque at 4,600 rpm. SULEV engines are available only with a four-speed automatic transmission, and are rated at an estimated 132 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 133 lb.-ft. of torque at 4,600 rpm.
TWO TRANSMISSION CHOICES
The Elantra comes standard with a precise five-speed manual gearbox. A smooth four-speed automatic with a new gated console-mounted floor shifter is available as an option and includes an overdrive lock-up torque converter for higher fuel economy at freeway speeds. — Ssangyong Rexton II.
SUSPENSION AND STEERING
Elantra’s design team worked to solve the classic design tradeoffs between interior roominess, agility and driving comfort. On one hand, interior space and cargo room are critically important to a sedan in its class; on the other hand, secure, responsive handling and good road isolation are also priorities.
Elantra delivers a comfortable ride and responsive handling thanks to a front MacPherson strut suspension with coil springs and gas shock absorbers, and multi-link suspension and twin-tube gas shock absorbers. A 23.0-mm diameter front stabilizer bar and 17.0 mm rear stabilizer bar, which is larger than its predecessor’s by 5.0 mm, helps reduce body roll when cornering, and tunes the Elantra’s at-the-limit handling for maximum predictability. To enhance stopping power, the front and rear brakes are larger than its predecessor’s at 10.8 inches (275 mm) for the front and 10.3 inches (262 mm) for the rear.
The 2007 Elantra body stiffness is up 49 percent from the outgoing model and nine percent over Corolla.
