Hyundai Elantra 4 doors 2003 - 2006 sedan

Hatchback - does not mean small

Hyunde Elantra with a body hatchback
For the first time, the new Elantra visited our test two and a half years ago (ZR, 2000, No. 10). To be precise, that model was called Avanta XD - a one and a half -liter sedan with a machine gun was intended for the domestic Korean market and hit Russia in a gray way. A couple of years later, we tested the car already from official supplies with a 1.6 liter engine and mechanics - also a sedan (ZR, 2002, No. 12). From this year, dealers also offer hatchback - we have come to us one of the first, worth $ 13,990 in the intermediate configuration of GLS. Differences from European machines are increased from 140 to 165 mm road clearance, shelters in front, mudguards, a more powerful stove, northern electrical wiring.
In the city crowd, we have already become familiar in European short hatchbacks with an almost vertical stern. A few exceptions to the Pigo falling roof look at overlap, although formally belong to the same golf class. Hyunde Elantra is precisely from these - 4.5 m hatchback is subconsciously perceived as solid. He seems to say: I do not need to dress up in the skin of a sedan for a great importance. I am large enough to afford to be what I really are. However, we will reveal the secret - both bodies have the same length. A few kurguzny pits the false radiator lattice looks, but otherwise it is complete order.
Sympathy will not weaken and a closer look - the quality of coloring and fitting panels is no worse than most foreign cars. But the salon leaves a dual impression: quite stylish in design, pattern and shape of panels, it upset the poverty of materials and the poverty of colors. As in a children's coloring, I want to take brushes and add light, dark, here - graphite and chromium, and here - wood and skin. And the instrument panel looks some kind of empty. However, for another one and a half thousand you can get a respectable second-level GLS set with skin and something else. Our car only seems like a modest - in fact, it can boast of electric drives of glasses and mirrors, heated seats, mirrors and, of course, rear window (with a cleaner), air conditioning, a radio with six speakers, a steering wheel, a couple of frontal pillows, ABS, a central lock and other trifles.
In front, the hatchback is just as spacious as a sedan, above the head is more than a dozen centimeters. A rather hard driver’s chair has five adjustments, you can raise the steering column. The difference with the sedan will be found when looking into the inner mirror - a low ceiling, a tall shelf of the trunk and three protruding headrests will make it mainly by external mirrors. It is convenient to roll fashion models behind: long legs are allowed here, but not a spine. The passenger is 180 cm tall and not so attractive proportions will have to tilt his head slightly so as not to rest against the roof slope, then he will see another 70-100 mm of free space in front of his knees. However, we will be fair: rarely, someone sits with a straight back, as if a scrap swallowed, most likely he will crawl down and down and everything will be o'key. Moral: to approach the life realities of the planting mannequin will have to implant an additional hinge. The third passenger from behind is not that superfluous - just for a long time will not sit on a high roller pillow with a bent head.
If you like it, I don’t like it, then it is the trunk that determines the differences in the consumer properties of the bodies. Thanks to the same length with the sedan, the hatchback trunk also has a meter length (if exactly, then 990 mm) and the same 415 liters of volume. But the folding and also split (40/60) rear seat will increase its length to 1600 mm, and volume - up to 1222 liters. The fifth door easily rises with gas stops, pulling up a hard shelf. The opening is large and allows you to transport a large -sized cargo up to 750 mm high. Under the floor in the niche, a full -size spare wheel is laid. Incidentally, despite the large opening, the body has a high rigidity for twisting: the doors practically does not bake in the openings even with diagonal hanging, and this is the key to the survivability of the body on bad roads.
A steward motor is a dream for domestic cars. But the one whom the foreign cars have already been accustomed to good dynamics and verified reactions, they will not especially surprise 11 seconds to hundreds, 182 km/h of the maximum speed, a flat traction engine, a clear gearbox, a light brake pedal, a slightly viscous steering wheel, a hard short -flowing pendant. But five -year or 120 thousand km, you still need to look for the guarantee.

Brief data
Hyundai Elantra
Hyunde of the second generation Elantra was shown in the spring of 2000 at the Turin car dealership. In some markets, it is sold as a lantra or an avantte.
A sedan and a five -door hatchback are produced with bodies. Equipped with gasoline engines 1.6 (instead of the previous 1.5); 1.8; 2.0 liters or two -liter turbodiesel. Gearboxes - a mechanical five -speed or four -speed automatic (except for diesel).
Only 1.6-liter elanters with both types of bodies are officially delivered to Russia. The price range is from 13 to 16 thousand dollars, the cost of a test car is 13,990 dollars.

A nice knot, but only two colors, and those are gray and black!

The rear overhang of the hatchback is the same as that of the sedan, and therefore the minimum trunk size is the same - 415 liters, the differences are in the opening and possibilities of transformation.

In the back seat you can get comfortable if you slide down a little.

The design of the salon is good, but the colors and materials are too modest.

EQUIPMENT
Abs
Air conditioning
Adjustable steering column
Audiosystem
Full -size spare wheel

SUMMARY
+ Solid appearance, high body rigidity, spacious in the front, convenient access to the trunk, rather rich equipment, long -term guarantee.
- Sky -informative steering, modest interior decoration, small height of the cabin behind.
 
Yuri Nechetov. Photo: George Sadkov

A source: The magazine "Driving"