Hyundai Lantra 1998 test drive - 2000 sedan

Under the sign of the oval

Last summer, Korean automobile companies showed unprecedented activity in the Russian market.

The culmination was the August Motor show on Presnya, which many observers dubbed the branch of the Seoul Fair. Russia has not remembered such expansion since the time of friendship with the Ford and the construction of the giant plant in Nizhny. Korean machines are becoming better, and their operation in our conditions is more and less troublesome. We introduced you to the cars of three Korean companies of two classes - small and medium. However, the largest representative of the Korean Big Three, Huyndai Motor Co. There is an asset of a model, standing somewhere in the middle. This is Huyndai Lantra.

The base model Huyndai Lantra is equipped with a 128-horsepower 1.8 liter engine. Machines with a motor of such a liner are produced by other Korean companies. But if the model of a small class of Kia Sephia has a 1.8 l (124 l. P.) Is offered in the top version, and Kia Clarus 1.8 and Daewoo Espero 1.8 (95 hp) are economical versions of 2-liter Middle class models, then Huyndai Lantra with a 1.8 liter engine on the Russian market stands apart.

Lantra was first presented to the public in 1990. In the markets of English -speaking countries, it is known as Elantra. The machine was equipped with Mitsubishi licensed power units and looked like a 1987 Lancer model. In 1995, a new generation of Huyndai Lantra with bodies and power units of Korean development was presented. The sixteen -valve Beta engine with multi -point injection is not inferior to the same in power, although its operating volume is less than 40 cubes. The cheapest version of Huyndai Lantra is installed 1.6 liter engine (114 hp, 16 valves, injection). But in such a modification, Lantra is not delivered to Russia. The choice of transmissions is traditional: 5-speed mechanics or 4-speed automatic. The second -generation Lantra is produced with two types of bodies - sedan and station wagon (Lantra Wagon is the first Korean wagon).

For acquaintance, we chose cars with a mechanical gearbox, both in the top version of GLS.

So, Lantra 1.8 and Lantra 1.8 Wagon cars.

Their appearance cannot be called original. That's just the rear parts are not quite usually made. In the sedan, the rear wings and lanterns resemble the same details of the Accent model, but look more solid. And in the station wagon, the back of the body is, as it were, the sedan is assigned from above to the body, it seems that the back doors are both at the sedan and the station wagon.

The rear lights of the station wagon look very stylish, they slightly resemble the lanterns of the Mercedes-Benzw124 station wagon, and the stamping over the place for the rear number is made almost the same as on Mercedes-Benzw126 and Daimler.

The main design element Lantra is an oval. It seems that all the designers of the world were obsessed with this figure. You can recall a dozen cars that have appeared recently, in the appearance of which it dominates. Lantra has an oval everywhere - ranging from the lighting lamps and ending with rear -speed lamps (on the station wagon). By some miracle, the appliances and governing bodies of the ventilation system escaped the general fate.

Well, we will get acquainted with all this oval household better. Let's start with the sedan, as usual, from the driver's seat. The door opens very easily, but the driver should not forget about its acute angle, and passengers are not bad to warn about danger every time. And you can forget, playing with the adjustments of the driver's seat, which are already five. I especially liked the very functional adjustment of the middle of the back, having four fixed positions. It reminds of Hyuindai Accent, in addition, the cars have a similar decent lateral support. The tissue upholstery of the seats will also help to fix the driver’s body even in the most intense turns. A very stylish handle of a gearbox lever also hints at some sports. It is leather and fits perfectly in the hand. The steering wheel adjustable in height is also very convenient. In all positions, he does not block the instrument panel.

All other governing bodies are very simple and understandable. Even the air conditioning control system, which designers often turn into a problem for quick wits, surprised us with its simplicity.

The universal of the radio is simpler, the fifth door cleanser control buttons have the head of the speed lever is unremarkable, and the steering wheel is much less convenient. Looking closely, we realized that there was no airbag for the driver in the station wagon. Strange equipment for a modern car.

Drivers and passengers of both cars are not enough space over their heads, tall people will have to be in the position of reclining. In addition, the front passengers of the sedan and the station wagon are not protected by a pillow of safety, although the place for it is provided. Apparently, psychological comfort during movement should provide two convenient cup holders on the console. In the back seat, it will be spacious only together.

For the first trip in Moscow, we chose a sedan. Hyuindai Lantra accelerates well, mainly due to the very successfully selected gear ratio of the box. True, decent acceleration begins only after the motor is untwisted to 2.5 thousand revolutions. With active movement mode, when you have to open the engine and often switch, you begin to mark the very clear shifts of the box and the sound of the engine.
Apparently, the designers tried to achieve a noble sports growl, but they cannot be called a successful attempt. Low frequencies are pressed on the ears and after a few minutes they begin to irritate greatly. The only way out is to switch to higher gears earlier, but then you can forget about active driving. The desire to make the car more sports has turned into an opposite result.

Disk brakes on all wheels provide Lantra excellent braking. The pedal is very informative, to the effort on which you get used to it instantly. For emergency decelerations, a standard equipment includes ABS, which does not annoy the driver with early inclusion.

On suburban tracks, we drew attention to how well the aerodynamics of the sedan were thought out. With open glass, they practically do not vibrate on the go, and the air flow that enters the salon does not annoy. In order not to annoy the roar of the motor, you need to stick the fifth and forget about the box. The fifth gear provides confident acceleration starting from 70 km/h.

And now again to the city. We transplant to the station wagon. The main difference is the notorious setting of the exhaust system. In Lantra Wagon, the engine sound is unremarkable. Everything seems to be still: the second program, 4500 revolutions, but quiet, very quiet. Another pleasant feature: a softer steering wheel amplifier, at the sedan, he was reflected tight. Everything else is unchanged, even the tougher Korean tires Kumho (on the sedan stood Mishelin Pilot) did not affect the smoothness of the course: the former smooth swaying on gentle irregularities and the rigid passage of small pits. We noticed the difference in the behavior of cars only with a quick passage of a winding path.

The front -wheel drive car on Korean rubber, as we expected, smoothly fell out of the turn, and Mishelin gave the car a more neutral twist. All this confirmed the long -resulting opinion that Kumho does not allow realizing all the possibilities laid down in the suspension design. Although, on the other hand, you should not demand from the workhorse the statue of the tribal horse. And both the sedan and the station wagon are really work horses, and very good.

Alexey Kostyuk
 

A source: Motor magazine [No. 10/1996]