Hyundai has always been a safe and sensible car choice, but the 2019 Elantra offers a new measure of design intensity to the equation with a sleek, triangulated update to the front end.
Automotive websites began their reviews of the new Elantra marveling over the bold new look, with Roadshow going so far as to call it “experimental.”
“The 2019 Elantra is, frankly, a wild departure from the more demure 2018 model. The front end is a menagerie of triangles, from the headlights to the heavily sculpted lower fascia. At the absolute minimum, it will help differentiate the Elantra from the rest of the compact-sedan crowd,” Roadshow says.
Hyundai Motor Co. officials are more inclined to point out Hyundai SmartSense safety and convenience technologies. SmartSense technologies available as options on the 2019 Elantra include: Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist, Lane Keep Assist, Driver Attention Assist and Safe Exit Assist.
The Traffic Safety Administration says that 94 percent of serious vehicle crashes involve human error, which is why advanced safety technologies like Lane Keep Assist have the potential to save lives.
Now in its sixth generation, the Elantra has sold more than 3 million units since its launch in the U.S. in 1991. Elantra has received numerous accolades including the most recent IIHS Top Safety Pick Plus for model year 2018.
“Refinements to both the interior and exterior were initiated on the 2019 Elantra to maintain its emotional design character and include affordable and desired features,” says Scott Margason, director, product planning, Hyundai. “The hood, front fenders, fascia, grille and headlights as well as the rear fascia, trunk and taillights each have been redesigned to convey a catchy and confident image. On the rear of the vehicle, the license plate has been relocated to the lower fascia to further enhance the new body sculpture.”
The Elantra SE packs a 5-inch color infotainment system, but higher trim levels boast Hyundai’s latest system, AVN 5.0, updated with a faster processor and an 8-inch screen. The system includes Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and a host of embedded naviation, traffic info and incident data.
The newly designed 2019 Elantra, built in Hyundai’s Montgomery, Alabama plant and its Ulsan, South Korea facility, will be available later this fall.
