Hyundai-Sime Darby Motors (HSDM) just dropped another teaser for the 2021 Hyundai Elantra for Malaysia. The company now confirmed the exact engine that will be under the hood of the new C-segment sedan for the local market, including the transmission it will be paired with.
According to HSDM, the seventh generation Elantra will come with Hyundai’s Intelligent Variable Transmission (IVT), which is essentially its take on a CVT gearbox. Compared to a conventional CVT, the Korean carmaker’s IVT uses a chain belt instead of a metallic belt, which improves efficiency in power delivery. The chain belt is said to be maintenance-free with a longer lifespan as well, making it more reliable.
On top of that, Hyundai’s IVT also mimics the shifting pattern of a manual transmission with eight virtual speeds. This “better reflects the driver’s intent and driving conditions, making it feel more responsive in general,” as Hyundai puts it. The carmaker further elaborated that in the case of the IVT fitted into the Elantra, it offers 4.2% better fuel economy and a 5-8% reduction in engine power loss.
Speaking of which, the engine that will be powering the Elantra for the Malaysian market is a 1.6L SmartStream four-cylinder MPI engine that offers 123PS and 154Nm of torque. As a point of comparison, the previous sixth generation Elantra for our local market had a bigger 2.0L Nu MPI engine that outputs 152PS and 192Nm of torque paired with a six-speed automatic transmission.
At the moment, we still don’t know exactly when HSDM will officially launch the 2021 Hyundai Elantra in Malaysia. Rest assured, we will keep a close eye on any news regarding the local availability of the C-segment sedan.