[SR-71]

...and I was just about done finalizing on an SX(O) AT after a 3 month research. Since Elantra is a CKD model, its quiet likely the upgrade will find its way to our shores, sooner than later ! Perhaps I should push the purchase by another 2 quarters ?

https://www.autocarindia.com/car-new...e-works-408325

[Flyer]

Spy pics of 2019 Hyundai Elantra Facelift.

[nik_kapur]

Its needed and it better arrive soon. The designers really messed up the Elantras styling by trying to go sober (like they did with even the Sonata in the US). At a time when Honda and Toyota are going the radical way, Hyundai went their old way !

[jsrakkar]

All,

What kind of annual expenses should one be looking at for the diesel AT version? Normal running being around 15 - 20,000 kms annually?

What would an ideal 10k kms service for the Elantra cost?
Does Hyundai have any pre-published maintenance chart, like some other manufacturers?

Regards,
Jaspreet Singh.

[docprashant]

The story of the “Fair Maiden” – Hyundai Elantra 2017 VTVT SX(O) AT

“Horsepower is how fast you hit the wall…Torque is how far you take the wall with you.”

Prelude:
Owing to the ease and convenience of app based ride hailing services, my usage of our daily ride (the trusted warhorse Toyota Etios 2011 G- hereby referred to as “Jane”) was rapidly dwindling. Trust me Uber and Ola have been a boon in a city like Delhi where finding a parking spot is a scarier anecdote than the exorcism of Emily Rose. However, passion always (…errrr mostly) trumps sense and here I was pulled back to the love of driving when I had almost given up on it.
Now there weren’t any major issues with Jane, just that I did not connect with it on a personal level. My previous ride, the Fiat Punto 2009 1.4 Emotion (Hound) was a true driver’s delight, but circumstances (namely my shifting to Karnataka for 3 years to complete my MD) led to a painful decision of parting ways just 3 years into its ownership. For a year and a half in Karnataka I had a delightful time with the NS200 (Red Head), but a promise made to my wife compelled me to sell it when we got to know that we were expecting a welcome addition to our family (our firstborn).

Hound (front view)


Hound (Rear view)


Red Head..


The Toyotas are built to last a million miles but my heart was set on getting a ride which I could connect with. So here I was in the market for a car, sole criteria being it should appeal to my heart.
The Shortlist:
1. Ciaz
2. Brezza
3. XUV 500
4. Creta
5. City
6. Rapid/Vento
7. Duster/Terrano

Latecomers to the party:
8. Octavia
9. Jetta
10. Corolla Altis
11. Elantra
12. Tucson
Could have been:
13. Compass

The Filtration Process:
Petrol vs Diesel- Slight dilemma initially, but owing to ever changing NGT regulations thought that good ol’ petrol was a safer bet compared to the relative volatility in the diesel passenger car market.
Manual vs Petrol- An autobox is an enthusiast’s worst nightmare…but sometimes in crawling/stalled Delhi traffic it might just be the tool which the Orthopedician ordered. Besides that for the wifey the automatic transmission is a friendlier option considering the fact that she is usually chauffeured to and from work and rarely drives herself.

Updated Requirement: Petrol Automatic

Automatic Exclusions:
Brezza (Diesel)
XUV 500 (Diesel)- Initially had my heart set on it but better sense prevailed when I read the never ending niggles section as long as the LOTR trilogy
Duster/Terrano (AMTs are just not refined enough)
Rapid/Vento- Skoda aftersales horror stories + Unreliable DSG + Perceived higher cost of ownership

Revised Contenders:
Creta- Novelty factor has worn off as it has become as common as a Maruti Swift. The Sales Rep made a ‘smart’ move of 1st asking wifey to sit in the Elantra before the Creta. Creta seemed bare boned after that. There it went outta the window without as much as a test drive
City- Did not feel special enough. Spending 15 big ones and getting a tinny vehicle (no offence) made me look away. Though the interior space and ride quality is very good but build quality leaves a lot to be desired.
Ciaz- It moved to Nexa but nothing new on offer. The auto box doing duty in the Ciaz lacks refinement and so made me look elsewhere. Otherwise the space in the car is phenomenal for its price point.
Corolla Altis- It’s a story of almost there. 1st of all the success of Fortuner and Crysta has gotten to the Toyota sales folks and that reflected in their lackluster involvement. No discounts or loyalty bonus was on offer. Took a test drive of VL Automatic but it just left me with a feeling of Mehhh!!. Totally uninvolving to drive, coupled with 80s theme interior made me say adios.
Jetta- No updates for the past 2 years made a once appealing car a tad old in the tooth.
Octavia- The new 2017 Octavia was just on the horizon. I liked the pre-facelift version as the split headlamps looked ugly as hell. Well done Skoda on degrading a beautiful car, you managed to beat Fiat in how badly they updated the exquisite Linea.
Tucson- Imposing-check, Appealing- check, Overpriced- doublecheck. All well except the finances…sigh!!
Compass- Never ending wait…
Elantra- Hmm…the car which made my wife cringe at the accomplished Creta must have something going right about it…so called in for a test drive of the top end petrol automatic.
The Elantra Test Drive:
Hyundai folks were very helpful and accommodating. Good follow up. Came to the home at the assigned time with the mentioned car. The Elantra VTVT SX(O) AT seemed truly special. The interiors felt top notch, right next to the famed Germans in my humble opinion. The oh-so-lovely ventilated seats..genius Hyundai!!. The test drive itself was in normal traffic situations and lasted for around 20 minutes. I was pretty impressed with the autobox and handling (surprisingly good for a Hyundai!!). My 2 year old loved the sunroof. Sport mode was inspiring and when I got the chance of an open road, the pedal to the metal pinned us to our seats. The smile on my wife’s face told me that our search was over.

Purchase Decision:
GST was an added boon for us as it almost brought the price down by Rs90k/-. Purchase finalized from Orion Hyundai Gurgaon, with finance from HDFC and insurance from TATA AIG.

D-day!!
Delivery process was rather smooth. No major hiccups and car was delivered on time with a small celebration. 5L of petrol was put and all major functions were explained albeit in a slight hurried fashion.
A few pics of the day…

My daughter’s favorite moment…ribbon cutting!!



Presenting…The Fair Maiden

Initial Impressions:
The drive is a pleasant experience. Automatic transmission is free from jerks and is such a boon in crawling traffic. The car has the personality of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde depending on the drive mode you select (Normal, Eco or Sport). The interiors are very well done and one feels totally comfortable.
As of July 2017, have driven her for just 200 odd kilometers. Average fuel consumption stands at 8.7km/l (all city driving with ac on).
Additions:
Got skid proof mats and transparent bumper/door protectors (don’t know how useful they are going to be in Delhi’s notorious traffic)

Detailed Report with Pics shall follow soon.
Apologies for the extended hiatus…the usual busy mundane life got to me. However, I shall make up for my initial complacency by giving a more detailed update.
10 month update:
Mileage: ~8000Kms
Fuel Efficiency (as per onboard computer): 9.9km/l
Usage pattern: 75% Delhi city traffic; 25% sedate highway drives
Driving style: Responsible (I shall not label myself sedate)

Pros:
1. Still a head turner (at least for me)
2. The automatic transmission is butter smooth with zero lag (hold your horses fellas..not comparing with Octavias/Lauras/Jettas out there)
3. Did I mention those ventilated seats…
4. Very well put together, zero rattles
5. Jet black interiors are classy
6. Dual zone auto AC is a boon


The Elantra has been a great decision I must say. Coupled with the GST benefits, Auto box, ventilated seats it came out to be a perfect deal pour moi.
A very important addition I would like to make is the ease of driving this car. We were contemplating getting a small automatic hatchback as a second car for my wife as we were ditched by our driver.
Note: She’s a newbie driver; has always been chauffeured around; overall hates to drive (unlike me totally!!).
As my work currently was demanding I travel 12-15 days a month, I was truly sad that I wasn’t able to drive the Elantra as much as I should/could. Add to that parking space constraints were really making me rethink on my decision to get a 2nd car. A brilliant idea (that’s what I thought) popped in my head, that I should let my wife use the Fair Maiden as her preferred commute. I convinced my wife (against her sound judgment) that she would be up for the job and geared up for the learning curve ahead.
To my wife’s surprise (and to my utmost delight) she was able to handle the Elantra pretty well. All her inhibitions of driving a “BIG” car vanished when she synced with the auto box. The ample glass area, sensors and video parking aids etc also played their part wonderfully. In the end, I saved on a 2nd car, a possible chauffeur, and maintenance of a car which would be standing half the month: A win-win deal

Overall, the ease of use of the Elantra has been phenomenal and I love every associated day with her.

[docprashant]

{Dear Mods I am unable to place the pictures in the set order, all are coming at the end.}

Elantra and the kiddos go to the Himalayas!!

The Itch-
Me: Let’s go for a holiday
Wife: Don’t have time + difficulty with kids
Me: Please (kinda in a begging tone)
Wife relents…
Wife: Where should we head to? Goa or Andaman..
Me taking a step back..
Me: Whoa Whoa Whoa I was meaning for a road trip
Wife: With kids? Have you lost it?
Me: Pretty please
Wife relents again… (guess I was having a good day)
Me: Let’s go to Shimla..we will stopover at Chandigarh for the kids’ sake
Wife: Ok..plan it out baby!!
Me: I’m on it

Booking process:
Park Plaza, Zirakpur, Punjab- 1 night (onward journey)
Marigold Sarovar Portico, Shimla, Himachal Pradesh- 3 nights
James Hotel, Chandigarh- 1 night (return leg)
** All bookings done courtesy MMT App

Checklist:
Travelling with a 3.5 year old and a 9 month old requires special skills of packing (else you may end up packing the whole house and stuffing it in the boot of your chosen ride). We made a list of the essentials and chalked out a packing plan. I am a tad meticulous about the whole thing so I was in-charge of this. My frequent travels for my job require me to be airborne 10-15 times a month, so I guess I was the right pick in the art of packing. Pic 1

Packing complete, simultaneously get the car ready for the trip ahead.

The Ride:
I drive a Hyundai Elantra SX(O) AT- Petrol 2017 model. Prior to the trip had completed ~9000 kms in 11 months. I have a brief review of it posted on the Hyundai Elantra 2016 thread.
I refer to her as the “Fair Maiden”. It has been a pleasure to be associated with the Elantra and it has surpassed my expectations in many ways. Pic 2

Got a brief check-up done by a known FNG, air in all 5 tires, a tankful of petrol, and we are ready to roll

Departure from Delhi:
15th June 2018 1PM
Lazed out from Delhi by midday (cause wifey had to see a few patients) with yours truly in the navigator seat.

Some images: Pic 3

Pic 4

Kids’ car seats in place. Check
Pic 5

The boot easily swallowed a full sized foldable stroller, a small suitcase, 2 backpacks and a mat with a lot of space to spare.

The drive to Zirakpur (at the entry of Chandigarh) is always a pleasure. The highway is well specced and traffic isn’t all that heavy. A smooth ride is ensured once you cross Delhi and the traffic lightens up considerably. A customary stopover at one of the famed dhabas (this time Amrik Sukhdev) of Murthal is always a joy, keeps the driver and the car occupants happy.
The car was driven by my wife 50% of the total distance and she too felt comfortable and not tired by the process. As kids grew restless we had to switch seats and I finally got to drive the Fair Maiden.
The highway manners of the car are spot on, ride quality and sound insulation is above average. If one uses the throttle judiciously, you end up with a healthy mileage too. Overtaking was never a problem and the pounding 150 horses overpower any obstacles thrown. GC was also not an issue and we never scraped the bottom in the whole journey. Air conditioning (Dual Zone ACC) kept both me and the wifey happy ( as we have different definitions of an ideal temperature in a moving vehicle).
Evening at 6ish, checked into Park Plaza. I have come here multiple times and it’s a nice friendly place bang on the highway. In room dining and breakfast buffet is a delight.
Day 1 stats:
Distance covered: 290kms
Duration: ~5 hours
N.B: Speed and time were never a priority as we had planned this trip keeping the comfort of or kids as the top priority.

16th June 2018 10 AM
Checked out from the hotel and started enroute to Shimla. As my wife is a relatively new driver, the car key stayed with me.
The drive to Shimla is majestic. Sweeping sections, tight turns, exquisite scenery, you name it and you find it. We got a prophylactic tank full before starting the mountainous section of things. Wifey and the kids were slightly sedated owing to the motion sickness meds, but all felt well.
Driving an automatic up the mountains, I read about using the manual mode if power delivery becomes an issue. To my delight and surprise the full journey was covered in auto mode and no lags or abandoned overtakes were encountered. The power and the torque were always adequate. The sun roof was finally used for its full potential (now got my money’s worth finally!!) and kept the kids entertained.
Reached Shimla in ~4 hours and our hotel (beyond Shimla on Mashobra-Naldehra road) in quarter to 5 hours. Pic 6


Check in at Marigold Sarovar was smooth and welcoming. Adequate parking was available ( a point of concern in many hotels in main Shimla). Got a nice spot for her just near the reception. Pic 7


Most vehicles at the resort were SUVs (Fortuners, Endeavors et al ) with Chandigarh or Punjab registrations. Spotted a few sedans from Delhi in the parking lot too.
The hotel/resort is a great place for families and has something for all age groups. Ranging from slides, trampolines, swings to art & craft hobbies for kids. The rooms are adequate with nice sit out balconies offering a sweeping view of the mountains (that’s what we came here for..right!!) Pic 8


We had an unexpected visitor in our balcony. Hotel staff had pre informed us about monkeys and that we should keep our balcony doors locked at all times. Pic 9

Certainly got the kids’ attention!!
Evening we spent lazing around the resort, enjoyed a little walk and came to a sumptuous dinner buffet.

Day 2 stats:
Distance covered: 150kms
Duration: ~5 hours

17th June 2018 11AM
After a relaxing sleep, enjoyed the breakfast and were prepared to head to main Shimla city. Pic 10

Pic 11

Morning view: Rains!!
As we progressed towards Shimla, the rains subsided and the weather opened up a tad. The way from Naldehra to Shimla is quite picturesque. Traffic ain’t too heavy. Entering and proceeding in Shimla is another story altogether, can be summed up as: Crowded as Hell!!
It’s a painful ordeal looking for a decent parking when you want to head to the Ridge or Mall Road. We found one which was a bit far, but it was an available licensed parking. Pic 12


Pic 13

St. Michael’s Church- a peaceful nest in the cacophony

We saw the usual touristy places of Shimla, enjoyed a walk on the Mall Road, had a customary Giant Samosa and Coffee and headed back to Marigold Sarovar. Exiting Shimla we realized how much we were blessed not to have taken up a hotel in Shimla proper, gave a high 5 to each other and moved on.
At our resort, took the kids to the activity center for a couple of hours and then retired post a delectable dinner.

Day 3 stats:
Distance covered: ~40kms
Duration: ~2 hours

18th June 2018 11AM
Post the morning rituals, thought of heading back to Shimla proper. Drove to Shimla, searched for a reliable parking spot for an hour!!! (not kidding, not exaggerating). In the end just gave up, wifey suggested we can go towards Naldehra instead. So that’s where we decided to go. Pic 14

Wife and the kids making up their minds…
Pic 15

Gorgeous view!!
Pic 16

Majestic indeed..
Pic 17

Vegetation change observed..
Pic 18

In the Naldehra valley

Pic 19

Live to Drive!! That’s what we do ..right??

After a visit to Naldehra (nothing much to see here, just a few guys with smelly horses who want to literally take you for a ride) we thought of some pet-pooja after all. Stopped at a quaint place called WoodStock..’twas nice and cosy.
Pic 20

Wood StockED!!

Headed back post food to our resort, lazed around, enjoyed the dinner courtesy a live band.

Day 4 stats:
Distance covered: ~60kms
Duration: ~3 hours

19th June 10 AM
Checked out from Marigold Sarovar and headed to Chandigarh. I tried and used a fair bit of engine braking here as we were headed downhill. Came across a few reckless cowboys headed full throttle downhill and stayed away from them for the most part.
Saw the upcoming Santro mule in camouflage being tested, however as I was driving and wife was involved with the kids, missed on an opportunity to sneak a click.
As we neared the plains, the weather again reminded us of the dreaded summer awaiting us. Pic 21

Happy-pre nausea; soon it set in and there was a puke bomb. But we were prepared and a few strategically kept cloth pieces saved the car from particulate and stench. My daughter later enjoyed as she got to wear my shirt!!
Pic 22

Making the most of a pitfall…valuable lesson learnt from my kiddo.

We arrived at James Hotel, Sector 17, Chandigarh by late afternoon. After a siesta, went to the Sector 17 market for a stroll and ice cream!!

Day 5 stats:
Distance covered: 150kms
Duration: ~4 hours

20th June 2018 10 AM
Time to head back home. Final leg of our mini adventure with kids. Pic 23


Got a tank full at Chandigarh itself and headed to Delhi. The drive back home was uneventful and was shared between me and wifey 50:50. Stopover at Garam-Dharam in Murthal for customary Paranthas and Lassi.
We reached home safe and sound by approximately 3:30 PM. Road Trip well executed. We grew in confidence overall pertaining to our travel with kids in tow and are already scouting for our next scheduled road vacation somewhere in December-January.


Back Home!! Pic 24


Pic 25

Yours Truly!!

[itwasntme]

Considering a base petrol VTVT S Elantra for chauffeur driven second car use. Need a D1 sedan with ~17L and there is very little choice!

[sumeethaldankar]

Since the Elantra diesel shares the same engine as the Verna/Creta will the service costs and engine parts price eg filters etc will be same as the other two siblings for the Elantra?

[Arjun Reddy]

Originally Posted by sumeethaldankar

Since the Elantra diesel shares the same engine as the Verna/Creta will the service costs and engine parts price eg filters etc will be same as the other two siblings for the Elantra?

Not that you will notice. I do not have the current gen, but the Neo Elantra(2013) that my brother drives now. I have never had high service costs. A routine service was around the 6 k mark with oil and filter changes.

Yes the spares could be a little more expensive than the Verna. The engine might be similar but the other parts ie accidental( bumpers, headlights, taillights, windscreen etc, will be more expensive. Hope this helps.

[sumeethaldankar]

If driven carefully can the Elantra petrol MT return 10 kmpl in the city?

[dark.knight]

Originally Posted by sumeethaldankar

If driven carefully can the Elantra petrol MT return 10 kmpl in the city?

Manual, yes very much possible. Rather than say that the car will absolutely give 10 kmpl in the city (as there are way too many factors like duration of signals, density of traffic, aircon usage etc), I'll prefer to say that the car will give about 10% less than a C segment car (like Verna, Vento etc) owing to the larger engine size and larger body weight and about 20% less than a large hatchback.

Assuming that in gridlocked Mumbai, if a C segment car gives about 11-12, the Elantra will give about 9-10. With ideal traffic like say in small towns the car can give as much as 12-13 kmpl.. basically depends on how optimally you can ride on the higher gears. For great F.E, nothing like diesel. Petrol is simply not an efficient fuel, specially in an old-school naturally aspirated 2.0 litre engine. Go for petrol only if your driving is around 900-1000 kms per month. However also keeping in mind rising diesel costs and environment friendliness, its better to keep it to petrol for future resale value sake.

Once you sit in though, you forget the mileage part and just enjoy the super-quiet, incredibly stable and comfy ride. No car in the class has that careful balance of comfort and grip and that too at that price.

[sumeethaldankar]

Originally Posted by dark.knight

Manual, yes very much possible. Rather than say that the car will absolutely give 10 kmpl in the city (as there are way too many factors like duration..

Once you sit in though, you forget the mileage part and just enjoy the super-quiet, incredibly stable and comfy ride. No car in the class has that careful balance of comfort and grip and that too at that price.

My monthly running is around 1300 kms and I travel around 61 kms to and fro daily. In the morning I get light traffic and reach office in around 1 hour while in evening it takes two. Should I still go for the Petrol? Also the car will be kept for min 7 to 10 years so worried about long term maintenance. My Civic unlucky for me has proved to be a white elephant.

[dark.knight]

Originally Posted by sumeethaldankar

Also the car will be kept for min 7 to 10 years so worried about long term maintenance. My Civic unlucky for me has proved to be a white elephant.

With Hyundai you don't need to worry about long term maintenance (within 9-10 yrs), at least that's what my experience has been.

The rest is purely your call, 60 odd kms per day is an above-average running. Your need for decent if not good fuel economy is valid and you seem to be putting a good weightage on the same.. so you might have an alternative here : Verna Diesel AT - Advantages of diesel FE combined with convenience of automatic specially on the evening leg of the journey. Disadvantage - rear seat space is not close to an Elantra and refinement+suspension isn't close by a mile.

Petrol is justified at the running since anyway the costs of diesel are at an all time high and in the long run who knows, diesel might be ignored forever.

The only way you can save money upfront is discounts.. I think Ganesh Chaturthi is an apt time to push the dealers up the wall. The present discounts are upto 1.4 lacs as per the ads. In a way no car from Hyundai has this much VFM.

[vap2151]

Hi, I am considering the SX(O) AT petrol can any one help me regarding the FE in city and Highway Conditions? and what kind of discounts are being offered in delhi NCR region? Thanks.

[sandeepmohan]

Originally Posted by vap2151

Hi, I am considering the SX(O) AT petrol can any one help me regarding the FE in city and Highway Conditions?

City Cycle : 8kmpl is your best bet
Highway : 13-14kmpl. May extract a km extra with Cruise Control.

You might want to consider the diesel if city economy is an issue. It is not a bad drive and the engine is very refined.