Hyundai took their Elantra and chopped off two doors to give us the Elantra Coupe with sportier looks and surprisingly, it didn’t lose the space inside. However, the power did not increase, and you still get the same engine choices from the 4 door sibling; a 1.6L with 121 HP and 152 Nm of torque with the bigger 1.8L with 143 HP and 186 Nm of torque. The Elantra Coupe provides some good options for a buyer who wants a fully optimum car with lots of gadgets to provide comfort for any user. However, the car’s ride is uncomfortable.
Drive
The drive is not that comfortable, you can feel all the bumps and humps on the road, which is because they have fitted the coupe with sports suspension, but that doesn’t improve the handling; it has a sedan-like handling. Not much in performance as well, engine choices are a 1.6L with 121 hp and 152 Nm of torque that can do 0-100km/h in 11.8 sec, and a 1.8L with 143 hp and 186 Nm of torque that can do 0-100km/h in 10.4 sec. Not the fastest coupe out there, but that’s a good thing, since the basic comes with only one airbag, and the full option comes with two. You don’t want to be going fast anywhere. When driving at high speed, the ride is smooth and doesn’t shake, but you do get some wind and wheel noise. All you have to do it put the radio on and soon forget about the noise. On the bright side, fuel economy is good, parking is easy, and braking is good; you get 4 disk brakes, instead of the cheap drum brakes.
Interior
As soon as you open the doors, you will notice that the doors are quite broad which gives easy access for getting in the car, for both the front and back seats. The seats are comfortable and adjustable to suit the driver’s height. For the seat belts, the mechanism installed for the extension of the belt when reaching for it provides ease. Also, you get foldable side mirrors for when you park in a tight spot. Yet, soon you realise that it’s hard to get out because of the long doors. There is a lot of space in the car both in the front and back, so your back seat passengers won’t be complaining as much, but they will be complaining about the heat since there are no A/C vents in the back in result of the UAE extensive heat during summer. However, if you get sick of them complaining you can blast the radio, because you get a good sound system, and an easy to use stereo with AUX/USB ports, so that way your passengers will be quiet and entertained. You get stereo controls on the steering wheel as standard, so that way you don’t have to take your hands of the wheel and keep your eyes on the road. On the full option you also get a start button, parking sensors, and a reverse camera that displays on the rear view mirror to make parking easier. The trunk is spacious which is convenient compared to other Coupes. Since the seats in the back are foldable, you can even gain extra space.
Toyota’s Zelas is one of the main competitors with the Elantra. It is also a two door coupe. The Zelas has a more powerful, bigger engine at 2.5L with 176 hp. However, Unlike the Elantra, it is easier to enter the car. Regarding the price, it is sold at cheaper price. At a starting price of 60,000, the Elantra is one of cheapest Coupes in the market. Compared to the Zelas, which is sold at around 90,000, the Elantra provides firm competition. The Elantra’s looks are fairly better than the Zelas, but that’s up to you to decide.
Verdict
Overall, the Elantra is a decent car that provides good value for its price. It is practical for users who are looking for good looking coupe with lots of space, good sound system and a variety of convenient gadgets. However, the ride is not very comfortable and it does not have power.
