The next-generation Hyundai Elantra Lead, which was officially launched in China in March 2016, is the sixth-generation Elantra version of the sixth-generation Elantra unveiled by Hyundai Motor at the 2015 Los Angeles Auto Show. Hyundai's product layout in China can be very confusing for those who are not familiar with Korean cars, and if you walk into the Hyundai 4S store in Beijing, you will see four Elantra with different names on sale at the same time, because Hyundai has "four generations in the same house" in the compact car market, namely Elantra (3rd generation Elantra), Yuedong (4th generation Elantra), Langdong (5th generation Elantra) and the latest Lingdong (6th generation Elantra).
The advantages of the Elantra are "good looks" and "large space", through several replacements, its body and wheelbase are getting larger and larger, but the price range has been declining, which makes its cost performance more and more prominent.
The latest generation of Elantra Lingdong is powered by a 1.6-liter naturally aspirated and 1.4-liter turbocharged engine, with the 1.4-liter version being equipped with a dual-clutch transmission. The small-displacement turbo and dual-clutch gearbox are actually a bad match, but they are extremely popular in the Chinese market. However, the common performance of the models with this combination is that the power is extremely weak at the start, and the gearbox frustration is also very obvious when driving at low speed or in congested road conditions, and unfortunately these problems also appear in the 1.4T Lingdong. However, the naturally aspirated version of the Lingdong is easy to drive, its throttle adjustment is very sensitive, and the start is also very brisk, and the driving feeling is very relaxed.
All versions of the Elantra Lingdong do not have strong power, and the 1.4T model is already a relatively high-performance version, but this 1.4T is actually the smallest displacement among all 1.4T engines, only 1353cc, so the acceleration of Lingdong is not fast.
Lingdong's performance in terms of space is commendable, and its space and rear comfort are consistently among the best in the class.
Due to the high fuel consumption and minor problems of the first batch of localized Elantra and Sonata, many people are also biased against the quality and reliability of Hyundai and all Korean cars. In fact, the quality of Hyundai's cars has reached the first-class level, and consumers do not need to worry about quality problems to buy the Elantra, on the contrary, it will be one of the most reliable cars in its class you can buy in the Chinese market.
The Elantra is a fairly fuel-efficient car and it's cheap to maintain, but its used residual value is a problem because it changes so quickly, and overall the cost of ownership is quite low, especially if you plan to use it for a long time.
In terms of safety, the Elantra has also done a good job, and the Hyundai Elantra has won the highest safety level of the same type of car in 2012~2016: TSP Award, and the current Elantra is a TSP model, which is the safest model you can buy.