2019 Hyundai Elantra is Infatuated with Triangles

Hyundai had a bit of surprise last night for journalists at the first drive event for the 2019 Santa Fe. They unveiled a refreshed 2019 Elantra sedan.

The company's designers really had a thing for triangles since there are a lot on the Elantra's front end. The headlights and cutouts in the front bumper are of the three-sided variety. The large grille appears to be borrowed from the Nexo hydrogen crossover. Around back, the Elantra takes the idea of a smoothed-out trunk lid from the Sonata. Inside, Hyundai only makes some minor changes with a new center stack design and updated trim pieces.

SEL models and above will get a number of active safety features such as blind spot monitoring, forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, and lane keep assist as standard.

The engine lineup is unchanged,

• 2.0L Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder with 147 horsepower - SE, SEL, Value Edition, and Limited
• Turbocharged 1.4L four-cylinder with 129 horsepower - Eco
• Turbocharged 1.6L four-cylinder with 201 horsepower - Sport

No word on pricing, but the 2019 Elantra will be arriving at Hyundai dealers later this fall.

Source: Hyundai

Safety Comes First in the Redesigned 2019 Elantra

• Hyundai SmartSense safety and convenience technologies enhance driver assurance

PARK CITY, Utah, Aug. 22, 2018 – The redesigned 2019 Elantra sedan conveys emotion with a new intense design, while delivering a sophisticated driving experience through Hyundai SmartSense safety and convenience technologies. Hyundai SmartSense offers a variety of advanced active safety and convenience features. SmartSense technologies available as options on the 2019 Elantra include: Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist, Lane Keep Assist, Driver Attention Assist and Safe Exit Assist. The newly designed 2019 Elantra will be available later this fall.

Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) data shows that Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) and Forward Collision Warning (FCW), which are both integrated into Hyundai’s Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist, are associated with a 50-percent reduction in rear-end collisions. In addition, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) 94 percent of serious vehicle crashes involve human error, which is why advanced safety technologies like Lane Keep Assist have the potential to save lives. 

2019 Elantra Sedan Updates

Exterior Design Changes

• New hood, front fenders, front fascia, grille and headlights
• New trunk, taillights and rear fascia
• New 16- and 17-inch wheel designs
• New 15-inch alloy wheel design on Eco trim
• LED headlights applied to Limited and Sport trims

Interior Design Changes

• New center cluster
  • Air vents
  • AVN/Audio/Temperature controls
  • Storage tray
• New instrument cluster and housing

Hyundai SmartSense

• Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist (FCA) applied to SEL trim and above
• Lane Keep Assist (LKA) applied to SEL trim and above
• Driver Attention Alert (DAA) applied to SEL trim and above
• Safe Exit Assist (SEA) added to Limited with Ultimate Package

Interior Features

• Standard: 5-inch color audio system
• Bluetooth and steering wheel audio controls applied to SE manual
• Blue Link® Connected Car System with three years of complimentary Blue Link services applied to Value Edition
• Qi wireless charging applied to Limited
• Available AVN 5.0 with faster processor, Android Auto™ and Apple CarPlay™ and HERE HD Traffic 8-inch Multimedia Navigation System offered with higher level trims
• Infinity premium audio with 8 speakers including a center channel and subwoofer applied to Limited
• Smart Shift Drive Mode applied to SEL and above
• Standard: Rear view camera with dynamic guidelines

Now in its sixth generation, the Elantra has sold more than 3 million units since its launch in the U.S. in 1991. Elantra has received numerous accolades including the most recent IIHS Top Safety Pick Plus for model year 2018. In addition to quality, reliability and being backed by America’s Best Warranty, the JD Power IQS recently awarded Hyundai third place overall in the highly regarded industry quality study. The Elantra is built in Hyundai’s Montgomery, Alabama plant and its Ulsan, South Korea facility.

“Refinements to both the interior and exterior were initiated on the 2019 Elantra to maintain its emotional design character and include affordable and desired features,” said Scott Margason, director, product planning, Hyundai. “The hood, front fenders, fascia, grille and headlights as well as the rear fascia, trunk and taillights each have been redesigned to convey a catchy and confident image. On the rear of the vehicle, the license plate has been relocated to the lower fascia to further enhance the new body sculpture.”

Safety

Cutting-edge SmartSense safety features have been added to the 2019 Elantra. Most of these features have been added to the SEL trim level and above meaning they are now available on 75 percent of the Elantra lineup. SmartSense safety features have been added to the SEL, Value Edition, Eco, Limited and Sport (SEL and above) trims and include the following:

• Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist (camera-only type) that is designed to help detect and monitor the vehicle ahead and warn the driver if a collision may be imminent. The system also initiates automatic braking when it detects a slower or stopped vehicle ahead.
• Lane Keep Assist that detects the lane on the road and may apply steering wheel control if the vehicle leaves the lane when the vehicle speed is over 40 mph.
• Driver Attention Alert that warns the driver of tired driving patterns with an audible alert and visual warning displayed on the instrument cluster.

SmartSense features included on the Elantra Limited with Ultimate Package include:

• Safe Exit Assist that may sound an alert when a vehicle approaches from behind letting passengers know it may not be safe to open the door to exit the vehicle.
• Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist with Pedestrian Detection is a technology that utilizes both the front forward-facing radar and camera through sensor fusion to help detect a vehicle or pedestrian, and warn the driver of a potential collision. If the driver does not react to avoid the impact, the system may apply emergency braking in certain circumstances.

Additional Smart Sense Safety features include:

• Blind-Spot Collision Warning with Rear Cross-Traffic Alert and Lane Change Assist.

Next Generation Infotainment: Audio/Video/Navigation (AVN) 5.0 with HD Traffic

The 2019 Elantra also debuts with Hyundai’s next generation AVN 5.0 infotainment system. This system features an upgraded processor for greater responsiveness, as well as an 8-inch screen vs. the 7-inch screen in the last generation Elantra. Using presets with AVN 5.0 is a snap because AM, FM and SiriusXM channels are now combined on one screen and also feature HERE HD Traffic (without a subscription). A bird’s eye view has also been added to navigation maps and drivers can now get traffic flow and incident data without ever paying for a subscription via HD Radio.

The Elantra is available with conveniences like Infinity Premium Audio with Clari-Fi™, Apple CarPlay™, Android Auto™ and wireless smartphone charging.

Engine Performance

The Elantra features two engine options that provide fuel efficiency and a third engine option in the Elantra Sport model. The SE, SEL and Limited offer the Nu 2.0L MPI Atkinson Cycle engine with 147 hp @6200 RPM and Eco offers the Kappa 1.4L Turbo-GDI with 128 hp @5500 RPM. The Eco model achieves an EPA estimated 35 mpg combined fuel economy rating thanks to a 7-speed dual clutch transmission.

Elantra Sport Trim

The redesigned 2019 Elantra Sport will debut later in 2018 and have similar design changes to the other models. Hyundai will release more details in the fall. Mechanically, it will have the same level of differentiation as the 2018 model. The Elantra Sport trim features a 1.6L Turbo-GDI engine, 6-speed manual transmission or available seven-speed dual clutch transmission, a sporty interior and revised trim headliner, advanced technology and connectivity, paddle shifters, sport front seats with leather, flat-bottom, leather-wrapped steering wheel, a sport instrument cluster and door trim garnish. The Elantra Sport features multi-link independent rear suspension which improves the dynamic performance and allows for greater flexibility in tuning.

Trim Levels

The 2019 Hyundai Elantra offers 6 trim levels—SE, SEL, Value Edition, Limited and Eco or Sport.