2009 Hyundai Elantra Touring: Intelligent hatchback

Jan 31, 2009

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Special to The Star

Victoria–Our roller-coaster fuel-price ride has taught us that size isn't everything. Despite ads to the contrary, few people haul home a subdivision's worth of building materials every week. And when hatchbacks are thoughtfully designed, they'll hold a lot more than their small footprints would suggest.

Such is the case with Hyundai's latest compact version, the Elantra Touring, currently making its way to showrooms as a 2009 model. You'll still need to rent a truck to bring home the king-size bed, but this will do the work asked of many SUVs for a lot less money.

This isn't simply an Elantra sedan with a hatch in place of a trunk, as was the case with the Elantra Hatchback, last seen for 2006. Known as the i30 in Europe, Asia and Australia, the Touring shares the Elantra's 2.0L four-cylinder engine, but with a different platform. While Europe's models are built in the Czech Republic, those for North America come from Korea.

There are four trim lines: the base L at $14,995; L with Preferred Package for $17,245; GL at $18,795, and GL Sport for $21,195. A four-speed automatic replaces the five-speed manual in each one for an extra $1,200.

Among its competitors, that's a starting price that undercuts all but the base Nissan Versa, although features in this hotly contested sector must be compared carefully.

The i30 comes in two wheelbase lengths, but our Touring exclusively uses the larger 2,700-mm one, which is longer than any of the challengers Hyundai is targeting. Along with wide front and rear tracks, it delivers confident stability.

Handling proves much better than expected, with – to use a tired cliché – a "European feel" to its nicely weighted steering, minimal body lean in the corners, small steering wheel and smooth return from each sharp curve on a tight mountain road.

The turning radius is very tight, making it easy to spin around in close quarters. The ride is firm, but while you feel bumps on bad roads, the suspension doesn't crash over them as many Hyundai models used to do.

At 138 horsepower, the Touring isn't the most powerful performer in the segment, but this isn't a category where brute strength is key. It feels lively enough, even when climbing steep hills, and gets loud when punched hard to get around highway traffic.

I didn't get a chance to drive the stick shift, but the automatic switches gears smoothly – almost unnoticeably. There isn't a mode that lets you pretend it's a manual, but the gated shifter can be dropped down into a lower gear for hills or when starting off on a slippery surface.

The base L trim line does come with power windows and locks (but not keyless entry), items that are missing on the entry-level Toyota Matrix, Pontiac Vibe, Mazda3, Dodge Caliber, Nissan Versa and Kia Spectra5. But you must move up to the Preferred Package, at $2,250 more, to get air conditioning, side and curtain airbags, anti-lock brakes and active front head restraints, which help prevent whiplash. The package also adds keyless entry and heated seats.

What's missing on all trim levels is electronic stability control – standard or optional on Touring in other markets, including the U.S., but not offered here because it would have pushed the price too high, according to Hyundai Canada.

This is where I'm supposed to scold about how important this feature is, and I'd like to, given our oft-slippery Canadian roads and the fact that entry-level buyers are often young, relatively experienced drivers.

But the reality is that cars represent a lot of money – even inexpensive ones – and with most automakers trying to come down to a price, Hyundai isn't the only one at fault. Among competitors, ESC is standard on only the pricier Pontiac Vibe and Subaru Impreza. It's optional on the VW Rabbit and Saturn Astra, elective only on higher trim levels of Matrix and Caliber, and unavailable on the 2009 Mazda3, Spectra5 and Versa.

Only when we demand it with our wallets – or if it's mandated by law, as will happen in the U.S. by 2012 – will it come.

The Touring's dash is laid out similarly to the Elantra's, but with large, simple heater dials and, on the Sport's included upscale stereo, a large screen that displays pertinent information. Instrument lighting is blue, which will eventually replace the cheaper-looking yellowy-green in all Hyundai offerings.

The top-end Sport also swaps sharp-looking, 17-inch double-spoke wheels for the 15-inch hubcaps on other trims, setting off what I think is one of the company's better-designed models. It's especially attractive at the rear, where the tall tail lights give it a Volvo-esque appearance.

It makes the most of its interior space, with considerable front and rear leg room, and cargo volume the company says is the class leader: 689 litres with the rear seats up, and 1,848 with them folded. I borrowed my co-driver's tape measure, and in more manageable terms, the luggage area is 91 cm long, opening to 170 cm with the seats folded to a not-quite-flat floor.

Low-slung "shingle-style" rear head restraints mean you can fold the seats without removing them. They also aid with rear visibility, along with generous rear quarter windows that make shoulder checks much easier than with many hatchbacks.

In this crowded segment, Hyundai hasn't quite brought a gun to the knife-fight, but it's certainly shown up with a very sharp blade. Intelligently sized, nice to drive and well-finished throughout, it should be enough for many buyers' needs.

Toronto Star