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Hyundai’s compact sedan has been a winner with the American consumer since the very first day it hit the showrooms. The 2024 Elantra got a facelift last year and it is an impressive offering in gas-power and hybrid.
New for 2024
On the outside, Elantra gets a sportier front end, new wheel options, and updated exterior lighting elements. Exotic Green and Ultimate Red are the newest colors offered (my tester was the stunning Ultimate Red).
In 2024, the Korean automaker made rear side-impact airbags and a rear-seat seatbelt reminder standard features across the board. Lane-keeping assist, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert, all standard, now alert the driver with haptic pulses in the steering wheel.
Performance
The base gas-powered Elantra is a naturally aspirated 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine pushing out 147 horsepower and 132 pound-feet of torque. The hybrid models utilize a 1.6-liter four-cylinder paired with an electric motor, which results in more torque at 195 pound-feet.
The base 2.0-liter engine is mated to a continuously variable transmission while the hybrids get a dual-clutch transmission. The sportier N Line ups the game a bit with a 7-speed DCT, while a 6-speed DCT is featured in the hybrid. While it’s not especially sporty, my tester featured different Drive Modes from Eco to Sport that varied in their use of power to the pavement and varied in level of responsiveness – all in the name of fuel economy.
I’m not a fan of CVTs for anything close to excitement, however, it does provide excellent fuel economy if you choose to drive it very conservatively. Elantra is not necessarily trying to appeal to those looking to go fast. The Elantra hybrid promises a 0-60 mph time of 8.4 seconds. That’s nothing to brag about, but totally worth mentioning is the hybrid Elantra’s 53 mpg city and 56 highway rating.
Cabin comfort
The cabin of my Elantra Limited was a beautiful and comfortable blend of contemporary design and better-than-average materials. Seating was comfortable up front with power adjustment for the driver, but manual for the front passenger. Heating and cooling vents were a nice upgrade for this level of sedan. Rear seating is very good for leg and head space.
The dashboard wraps around the driver (as does the center console) and feels custom cut to enhance driver attention and ability to see everything going on. A single air vent spans the entire dash from the steering column to the passenger-side door panel. It’s a little thin and felt a little too small to adequately cool the cabin quickly.
Passenger capacity is impressive with room for five adults. Sure, there’s an assortment of soft-touch and hard plastic surfaces, but that’s expected for this price point.
While the standard infotainment system is an 8.0-inch center display and analog gauges for the instrument cluster, my tester featured the optional 10.3-inch digital gauge display that flows into another 10.3-inch infotainment touchscreen that rises from Elantra’s dashboard.
Hyundai’s new infotainment interface was intuitive and a pleasure to work with. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard, so is a Wi-Fi connection. A voice-recognition feature can adjust climate control or the heated seats by simply stating distinct phrases. My tester featured an upgraded Bose audio system with eight speakers.
Warranty and pricing
Hyundai Elantra has a limited warranty for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Most notable is the powertrain warranty that covers 10 years or 100,000 miles. Sweetening the pot is a Complimentary maintenance period that gives the owner three years or 36,000 miles.
The base price of the 2024 Hyundai Elantra starts at $22,775 and goes up to $30,600 depending on the trim and options. The trim lines are the base SE; SEL; Blue Hybrid; Limited; N Line; and the Limited Hybrid, which I tested.
Final thoughts
The 2024 Hyundai Elantra is a compact sedan that is all about value first. Whether it is the base model’s impressive starting level or the comparatively cheap hybrid starting price. Add in a top-end Limited trim with all the bells and whistles and you will struggle to get to $34K, an accomplishment these days.
Overall, this is a good, solid people mover that offers comfort inside and excellent fuel economy in the hybrid version I tested. You won’t get too much excitement anywhere, but it looks very contemporary and the warranty is one of the best.
• John Stein is a freelance journalist based in Chicago. He has more than 25 years of experience driving, testing and writing about the automotive industry, its latest innovations and new vehicles.