generation Elantra for the 2017 model year, bringing with it an all-new exterior design, and a driver-oriented cabin that is more in-line with the Sonata. The handsome Elantra has balanced proportions and angular sheetmetal, and it also offers great value. A 147-hp four-cylinder mates to either a six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic. The frugal Eco, with its seven-speed automatic, averaged a lofty 42 mpg in our test. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are available, as are heated rear seats. Optional safety tech includes automatic emergency braking and lane-keeping assist. Vague steering spoils what is otherwise a competent, well-equipped car. On the outside, the car got a new hexagonal grille that takes up a majority of the front fascia. On the front corners, there are recesses in the bumper that house LED fog lamps. These recesses look similar to the fog lamp units on the previous generation. Overall, the exterior is more refined than before with less of that "fluidic" design. Even the taillights are less aggressive that the last-gen model. Inside, the instrument cluster gets a 4.2-inch color display between the two primary gauges, and upper trim levels come standard with leather upholstery. A seven-inch touch screen display is standard equipment, but an eight-inch screen is available on some models. Under the hood, Hyundai gave the Elantra two new engines – a 2.0-liter with 147 horsepower and a 1.4-liter with 128 horsepower. A direct-injected 1.4-liter turbo four lives under the hood of the newly added Eco model. It makes 128 horsepower and 156 lb-ft. Paired with a new seven-speed dual-clutch automatic, it's expected to be the mileage champ, although so far Hyundai only has an estimate for the combined fuel-economy rating: 35 mpg. (You may have noted that the Sport trim level has gone missing, but we hear it's merely taking a hiatus—and when it returns, it could be with as much as 200 horsepower.) Outside of the engine room, the other big news is the raft of available driver aids. The list includes adaptive cruise control, automatic high beams, adaptive headlights, blind-spot warning, lane-keeping assist, rear cross-traffic alert, and automatic emergency braking that detects both cars and pedestrians. Also new is proximity-sensing trunk opening; it senses the remote in your pocket, beeps three times, and then pops the trunk. Android Auto—but not yet Apple CarPlay—connectivity will be available with either of the higher-level infotainment systems, the 7.0-inch Display Audio or the 8.0-inch touch screen with navigation. The Elantra feels substantial and well-made as it hums along, sipping fuel at an observed 31 mpg. Running a 147-hp 2.0-liter four, this is not an overtly sporty vehicle, delivering 0.83 g on a skidpad and huffing and puffing to 60 mph in 8.5 seconds. But it flows with controlled roll from corner to corner and with steering effort that rises and falls commensurate with the angles. A sport/eco button can summon the mildest of sporty shift maps, but you won't notice much difference. Firm brakes, the Elantra's best performance asset, produce a laudable stopping distance of 166 feet.
