The Family Sedan Gets an Update
Put away any preconceived notions of the boring sedan – the 2019 Hyundai Elantra is about to change that. The Elantra has been on the market since early 90’s and a mainstay of the market. Comfortably seating up to five, it has held up over the years and been a family favorite. So why change it? Hyundai wants to make sure they stay ahead of demand and has updated the Elantra into a sleek, and beautiful sporty car that you will love.
Highlights of the updates:
- Increased trunk and storage space
- Redesign of the front, grill and rear of the car
- Condensed center console and infotainment system
- Safe Exit Assist (on select models)
- Smart Sense Technology throughout
What does this mean for the owners of the new Elantra? A styling new ride, easy of control and more safety for the family. It will be a challenge to fill up that large of a trunk space, and the car will take you from day to day to family road trips. Don’t worry, all of your luggage and gear will fit in there as you head out on the road for your next adventure.
Hyundai Elantra’s New Features
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. For a comprehensive overview on each trim, please refer to the Elantra specifications sheet available online or here.
Hyundai Motor America
Hyundai Motor America believes everyone deserves better. From the way we design and build our cars to the way we treat the people who drive them, making things better is at the heart of everything we do. Hyundai’s technology-rich product lineup of cars, SUVs and alternative-powered electric and fuel cell vehicles is backed by Hyundai Assurance—our promise to create a better experience for customers. Hyundai vehicles are sold and serviced through more than 830 dealerships nationwide and the majority sold in the U.S. are built at U.S. manufacturing facilities, including Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama. Hyundai Motor America is headquartered in Fountain Valley, California, and is a subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Company of Korea.