Hyundai today revealed the 2019 Elantra compact sedan, which comes to market in September with new styling and a more affordable suite of active safety features.
A starting price of $16,999 is $1,000 more than the outgoing 2018 model but now includes air conditioning across the line, which Hyundai says makes this the least-expensive car in Canada to come so equipped.
The other notable packaging-related change is the optional SmartSense active safety suite, which puts forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking and lane-keeping assist in the Elantra Preferred AT for $21,949 all-in, or about $2,000 less than before.
Elantra's update also includes a more streamlined lineup consisting of Essential ($16,999), Preferred ($19,199), Luxury ($24,099), and Ultimate ($27,399) trims.
On the outside, only the doors are carried forward from the outgoing car, while all other body panels, bumpers, lights, and wheels are new. Inside, there's a new centre stack and gauge cluster.
Other newly available technology includes wireless smartphone charging and a safety exit alarm that Hyundai says is a segment first that prevents the doors from being opened into the path of moving traffic when the car is parked streetside.
A 2.0L four-cylinder engine carried over from 2018 makes 147 hp and 132 lb-ft of torque. In Essential and Preferred trims, it comes with a six-speed manual transmission that can be optioned to a six-speed automatic; the auto is standard kit in Luxury and Ultimate trims.
The turbocharged Elantra Sport doesn't get a mention in Hyundai's announcement, so we've reached out to the company to confirm that variant will carry on wearing the old car's styling.
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