Return after 17 years—Chengdu test drive of the seventh-generation Elantra

In the compact family car market, there is such a car. After 17 years of polishing, it has had an absolute "highlight moment". People can even see it and admire it in the streets and alleys. Praise abounds. In the global market, its sales have already exceeded 10 million and are sold all over the world. Even if you look around the world, it is still an indispensable model in the family A-class car market. That’s right, it’s the Elantra! ?

If the product that best represents Toyota is the Corolla, then Lao Wang believes that the model that best represents Hyundai is the Elantra. The reason is also very simple, that is, Elantra has witnessed the development and growth of the Chinese automobile market. ?

Just as the Beijing Hyundai product lecturer said before test driving the seventh-generation Elantra: After Yuedong, Langdong, and Lingdong, the seventh-generation Elantra chose to "return" to the name Elantra. In essence, This is a tribute and a return. As the latest generation model after "fighting" in the Chinese market for 17 years, can the seventh-generation Elantra, a young boy who has returned, become a blockbuster? This is the answer Lao Wang was looking for when he came to Chengdu to participate in the "7" Smart Victory? ?

Focus on the key points! Is the seventh-generation Elantra easy to drive?

Generally speaking, for family cars priced between 100,000 and 150,000, "easy to drive" must be an important part of measuring product strength. Especially for the seventh-generation Elantra, after using the new i-GMP architecture, will its driving performance improve as dramatically as the tenth-generation Sonata?

First of all, I need to tell you that this time the seventh-generation Elantra has launched two power combinations, 1.5L CVT and 1.4T DCT. The former is mainly for home use and is the main combination of the seventh-generation Elantra. ; The latter is more sporty, and its overall positioning will be more "upward" against competing models. What Lao Wang got this time was a 1.4T top-end model, so the evaluation of driving performance cannot be directly applied to the 1.5L CVT version. ?

OK, with so much laid out, let’s talk about the dynamic experience directly. Starting from the Chengdu hotel, we happened to hit the traffic rush hour in the morning, and the road conditions were relatively congested. At this time, Lao Wang began to repeatedly test the shifting "movements" of the seventh-generation Elantra's dual-clutch gearbox. ?

Different from many DCT cars I have tested before, as long as the seventh-generation Elantra releases the brake pedal, the vehicle can crawl naturally and smoothly without any noticeable jitter. During road conditions, the accelerator and brake are repeatedly switched, and the gearbox will not falter at all. Even when the vehicle starts, the seventh-generation Elantra still has the decisiveness and crispness of an AT gearbox. Such outstanding performance makes people question what Beijing Hyundai is doing. How was it trained? ?

Excellent powertrain tuning can make the entire driving process more comfortable, and the seventh-generation Elantra performed well. After passing the congested road section, we drove onto the smooth Tianfu Avenue. From the parameter point of view, although the parameters of the seventh-generation Elantra's 1.4T engine of 140 horsepower and 211 Nm are not particularly eye-catching, thanks to the sensitive throttle calibration and relatively "real" power delivery, the speed only needs to exceed 2,000 At just one turn, this car can get ample acceleration, and when you continue to step on the accelerator and increase the speed to 4,000 rpm, you can feel a clear push-back feeling in the car, which is quite exciting. Of course, the seventh-generation Elantra also has four driving modes to choose from: economy, comfort, sport and smart. Even if you drive in the economy mode for daily driving, you still won’t feel too powerful. In the sport mode, the engine speed is very happy. Maintained above 2000 rpm, combined with sensitive throttle calibration and dual-clutch shifting speed advantages, the overall speed-up response and power can satisfy 90 users. ?

As for driving mode selection, Lao Wang recommends that you put it into the SMART intelligent mode during daily driving. This mode can automatically adjust the power output distribution according to the current working conditions. It is very smart in terms of actual experience and is worth choosing. praise! ?

After talking about the powertrain, let’s talk about control.

For the seventh-generation Elantra, although its appearance has become more sporty, it is still an out-and-out family car in essence. Therefore, in terms of steering feel calibration, the seventh-generation Elantra continues the neutral tuning style, which is neither overly sensitive nor slow. Even novices can get started easily when driving for the first time. What is worthy of praise is that the steering speed-dependent damping gain of the 1.4T model we tested is very good. When the speed reaches 80 kilometers per hour, the steering becomes relatively stable, which also provides the high-speed stability of this car. Helped. ?

In terms of chassis control, thanks to the i-GMP architecture, the center of gravity of the seventh-generation Elantra is lower than that of the old model. From the actual feel, Lao Wang feels that this car The center of gravity is even lower than that of the Civic. This also provides it with good body stability when cornering at high speeds. The chassis tuning of the seventh-generation Elantra is not a soft setting. The overall suspension hardness is more dominant and the support performance is good. When facing big and small bumps, the suspension can create a certain degree of flexibility and is relatively balanced. To summarize the dynamic performance of the seventh-generation Elantra: first of all, the powertrain of the vehicle performs well, and is smooth and responsive; secondly, the control is relatively neutral, making it easy to get started; and the low center of gravity advantage brought by the i-GMP architecture is The whole driving process brought a certain amount of fun.

Based on its inner qualities, is it practical enough?

As an entry-level A-class family sedan, space and practicality are crucial! At this point, the seventh-generation Elantra brings a body length of 4680mm and a long wheelbase of 2720mm to Chinese consumers. When you actually sit in the seventh-generation Elantra, you can experience ample horizontal and vertical space in both the front and rear rows. However, the slight drawback is that due to the body shape, the rear headroom of this car is slightly cramped. If a passenger taller than 1.8 meters rides on it, he or she may bump their head. ?

As for the rear seats, what needs to be praised is that the seat material of the seventh-generation Elantra is relatively soft, coupled with the relatively sloping backrest and the cushions that support the thighs, the ride is comfortable. Sex can be guaranteed! ?

Of course, as a product under the i-GMP architecture, the seventh-generation Elantra has the "true inheritance" of the tenth-generation Sonata in its interior and some configurations. In terms of interior design language, you can think of it as a smaller version of the tenth-generation Sonata. The dual screens with a 10-degree fold and the touch-controlled air-conditioning area make the front driving area full of technology. In order to strengthen the driver's position, the seventh-generation Elantra also adopts a covered driving area design. Just kidding, Lao Wang thinks that this design has a sense of familiarity with an office workstation.

Of course, in terms of technological and intelligent configuration, the seventh-generation Elantra is also equipped to the teeth. Needless to say, it supports L2 level automatic driving assistance system. What is worth paying attention to is that this car-machine system jointly developed by Beijing Hyundai and Baidu not only responds quickly enough, but also integrates major top Internet apps. It can be said that every None of these functions are just decorations, they are very practical!

Finally, as for the "good-looking" design of the seventh-generation Elantra, I personally think that beauty and ugliness are different opinions. But from the perspective of subjective visual experience, Lao Wang believes that it is more acceptable to mainstream consumers than the Festa. If the appearance of compact A-class cars is ranked, the seventh-generation Elantra will definitely be in the top three in my mind. !

As for some detailed designs, first of all, the first visual impression of this car is that it is "low and lying". The flat front of the car combined with the design of short front overhang and long rear overhang makes the whole car have a particularly obvious dive feeling. In terms of design aesthetics, the seventh-generation Elantra is definitely the most "radical" one in the Elantra family.

Consumer Suggestions

After reading so much, I believe everyone has an understanding of the seventh-generation Elantra. To be honest, after having in-depth contact with this car, Lao Wang finally understood the secret why the seventh-generation Elantra was able to achieve sales exceeding 10,000 in just over a month after its launch. The answer is "sincerity". Yes, in the price range of 99,800-141,800 yuan, the seventh-generation Elantra not only satisfies the sense of design, sporty driving and the current trend of intelligence, but it still essentially fulfills the mission of a family car.

So for consumers who pursue comfort, pragmatism and economy, I personally think that the 1.5L CVT model is already a very practical choice, and I recommend the GLX Elite Edition priced at 112,800 yuan; and for those who pursue driving more, then Lao Wang It is recommended to choose the 1.4T top model in one step.

This article comes from the author of Autohome Chejiahao and does not represent the views and positions of Autohome.