Hyundai Elantra 4 doors 2003 - 2006 sedan

Car of Korean nationality

If they asked me a question, what South Korea seems to me, I would answer yes, I would answer that it is such a place on Earth, where the air is clean and fresh, and where always morning. Where amazing people live extremely developed and gifted, but at the same time simple and unsophisticated to naivety. Who speak in a melodic, though not too emotional language; who unconditionally respect the elders and spend their whole lives in self-improvement and who are still wild! They see in the dog not a four -legged friend, but a delicious treat.
 
Among my friends there is not a single person of Korean nationality, so the compiled portrait of a resident of South Korea is nothing more than the fruit of my own imagination. However, I seem to know where this image came from. On duty, I had to deal with Korean -made cars, which formed the basis of my very subjective impression about the country of morning freshness with its inhabitants. Is it impossible to judge people of their affairs?
 
Take a look at the photo. What does this car look like? Styling is at least not devoid of originality. It seems that he was formed like the letter of Uncle Fedor to his parents. At first, the chief designer made a general sketch of a car with a sloping back and unusual convex sides, as if flowing from the roof. After that, another artist cut the front part of the car with wide sweeping movements. And only then, the third neatly attached a chrome grate of the radiator and launched a sunny hare into the rear lights resembling nozzles of aircraft turbines.
 
Elantra is produced in two forms: four -door and five -door (which you see). Cars are supplied to Russia only with a 1.6-liter engine and a mechanical or automatic box. It will be not enough! But for $ 14,000 you get two pillows, ABS and air conditioning is not counting the electric packet and radio. One of the main advantages of a sentence called Hyundai Elantra seductive warranty for five years or 120 thousand kilometers of mileage.

 
The spacious salon of the Elantra is made of gray plastic and dark fabric upholstery in multi -colored peas. The relief of hard front seats is felt even in winter clothes, but after a while the inconvenience disappears, and the seat begins to seem exactly made in figure.
 
While the photographer tried to worthy to capture the bewitching blue-violet glow of the dashboard, I, sitting on the back sofa, became convinced that the new Elantra became more favorable to passengers. The two will be quite comfortable there, you can fall apart on the armrest and use the cup holders for their intended purpose.
 
The volume of the trunk in the suitcases is large enough, but if instead of hand luggage you need to transport something very bulky, the rear seats can be laid out in a 1: 2 proportion. The inner handle will slam the trunk lid the first time, riding from unwanted contact with a stained body.
 
It's time to go a road. At idle, the motor pretends to be quiet, but with an increase in revolutions it becomes more talkative. Yes, the basic Elangrem is far from the monster prepared by Jem Motorsport for the Fast and 2 film. However, from the point of view of everyday driving, the engine looks dignified: sixteen -plastic with a good moment at low speeds, with the subsequent vigorous steepness, if it does not allow you to regularly win in races for a quarter of a mile, then at least can bestow the ease and lightness so appreciated by the townspeople. The brakes are absolutely understandable and ergonomic: the effort on the pedals is adequate to slow down, and ABS comes to the rescue in time.
 
The steering has a clear and clear zero that instills hope for the sports nature of controllability. However, a miracle does not happen: Elantra is just a calm and reliable car with neat and natural reactions. The smoothness of the course in most cases does not cause complaints. On large potholes, the car, of course, is shaking, and the suspension works echoing.
 
Hyundai Elantra did not complicate itself. But it is not as simple and ingenuous as it might seem. This is a solid car for every day or at least five years. Large, convenient, original. Cleverly juggling the concepts of price and equipment.
 
To my portrait of a resident of South Korea, I will add this: he is modest, with trepidation refers to family values \u200b\u200band tries to seem original. But do not be them.

   
The car is provided by the company Vostok-Auto.
During the test, the car is insured by LLC Nation Center.
 
Text: Kirill Brevdo
Photo: Roman Ostanin
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Source: Wheel magazine [No. 66/2003]