2021 Hyundai Elantra Unveiled with Killer Looks, Hybrid Model

Hyundai held a live broadcast last night for the world premiere of the seventh-generation 2021 Elantra. The Car Guide was supposed to be among the media on site at The Lot Studios in West Hollywood, but naturally the event was cancelled due to the COVID-19.

The Korean compact currently ranks third on Canadian sales charts behind the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla.

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For 2021, Hyundai hopes to attract more customers with a sleek new “four-door coupe” design and the first-ever Elantra Hybrid. The latter combines a 1.6-litre gasoline engine with a 32-kW electric motor and a 1.32-kWh battery mounted under the rear seat. A six-speed dual-clutch transmission is part of the mix, too.

Total system output is rated at 139 horsepower and 195 pound-feet of torque. Fuel consumption for the Canadian market has yet to be announced, but you should know that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) puts the Elantra Hybrid at 50 mpg, or 4.7 L/100 km.

Regular 2021 Elantra models will return with the same 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine that produces 147 horsepower and 132 pound-feet of torque. The new CVT introduced for 2020 obviously carries over, as well.  

As for safety, expect a number of standard features including forward collision alert with pedestrian detection, automatic high beams and lane keeping assist.

The 2021 Hyundai Elantra also becomes the first car in its class to offer wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility as standard equipment—no more need to plug your phone into the USB port. There’s a new available 10.25-inch touchscreen, too, and a similarly sized digital instrument cluster in front of the driver.

Pricing and on-sale date for the new Elantra will be revealed later this year, so stay tuned.