2021 Hyundai Elantra Official: Wireless Android Auto, Aggressive New Design, Hybrid Option

If you think the current Hyundai Elantra for the Malaysian market looks unconventional, the all-new 2021 Elantra pushes the envelope even further. Sporting an even more aggressive design language than its predecessor, a high-tech interior, and a hybrid option, the seventh-generation Elantra is quite interesting.

Unlike the previous model, the new Elantra has a more coupe-like design, not to mention the fact that it is longer, lower, and wider too. To be specific, the C-segment sedan is now 56mm longer (4,676mm), wider by 25mm (1,826mm), and lower by 20mm (1,415mm). The wheelbase has also been stretched by 20mm, measuring 2,720mm long.

Aesthetically, the 2021 Elantra has a “Sensuous Sportiness” design identity, as Hyundai puts it. The sedan has a wide, cascading grille on the front, an “H-Tail Lamp” that stretches across the width of the car in a single line – I personally really like how futuristic the taillights look – and 15- to 17-inch wheel designs that match the car’s “Parametric Dynamics” theme.

Inside the cabin of the new Elantra, you’ve got a much more modern-looking interior than the outgoing model. Not only does it support wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay (this is said to be a segment-first), there’s also a sizeable 10.25-inch infotainment system. The instrument cluster is digital now too, measuring 10.25-inch in size.

Under the hood of the Elantra is a 2.0L MPI Atkinson Cycle engine that produces 147hp and 179Nm of torque, which is paired to the Korean company’s Intelligent Variable Transmission (IVT). In essence, IVT is Hyundai’s take on CVT: it’s said to provide “superior efficiency and simulates gear shifts” like conventional automatic transmissions.

Want a more economical engine? Then consider the Elantra Hybrid, which has a smaller 1.6L GDI Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder engine. Together with a permanent-magnet electric motor that delivers 43hp (32kW), you’ve got a combined system output of 139hp and 264Nm of torque. This engine is mated to Hyundai’s six-speed dual-clutch transmission.

The 2021 Hyundai Elantra will enter production later this year in September, and it’s set to go on sale sometime in the fourth quarter of 2020. On top of that, the sedan will be getting the N Line treatment as well, though no tentative release date was given for the sportier, performance-centric model.

Regardless, here’s hoping the new Hyundai Elantra will be coming to the Malaysian market not long after it enters production in other countries. Perhaps sometime in 2021?