Double driving impression: Hyundai Elantra Sport & Hyundai Tucson Sport

Lawrence’s opinion:

Nowadays it is en vogue for manufacturers to take one of their run-of-the-mill family vehicles, spice them up a bit, and create a Sport version. Hyundai has done this by taking the 1.6-litre, turbocharged manual Tucson and adding a ground effect body-kit, performance exhaust, 18-inch one-off rims and throwing in a hike in power (from 130kW with 265Nm to 150kW with 295Nm), and giving us a rather yobbish-looking SUV. This was a point of contention amongst those of us on launch, with many disliking it immediately and others taking to the styling straight away. I was the latter and I absolutely love what Hyundai has put forward here.

The new Elantra has also benefited significantly from the Sport-treatment. The Elantra Sport gets the exact same engine spec as the Hyundai Veloster Turbo, and now boasts a generous 150 kW and 265 Nm output from its 1.6 TGDI-engine, mated to a dual-clutch transmission. The newly upgraded, naturally aspirated 1.6-litre Elantra (with 96kW & 157Nm) remains, and a 2.0-litre Elantra Elite (with 115kW and 195Nm) is now available too. Both the Sport and non-sport versions get a thoroughly modern makeover.

We chose our weapons of choice and instead of the normal road test route we headed straight to a local racetrack to see just what these new offerings could do. Where the Tucson looked brash, the Elantra presented a somewhat less aggressive appearance that hid its true form.

I opted for the Tucson Sport first, after taking one look at the four exhaust tips peaking out of the rear diffuser. Greeted to a decent burble from the aforementioned exhaust, we cruised towards the freeway. After numerous test laps at Red Star Raceway, two things were very apparent: The Elantra Sport proved that it’s no sedentary family car, and the Tucson had the go to match the show.

The Tucson Sport truly surprised. I was expecting the wallowy handling and strained power delivery of an oversized man on a treadmill, but instead I was impressed by nimble sure-footedness and steady torque delivery. The Tucson was going into and out of corners faster than it should ever have done. The manual gearbox is paired well with the engine, resulting in a well-balanced drive on the track, at pace.

If the Tucson was great, the Elantra completely blew my hair back. With more than enough power and a steady delivery thereof, the power transfer to the wheels via the seven-speed DCT paddle-shift transmission is amazing. The Elantra flew into the corners with abandon and even if you got it all completely wrong, the chassis is truly forgiving.

Hyundai has hit the nail on the head when adding the Sport nameplate to these new derivatives, even if the styling isn’t exactly your cup of tea, the performance of these cars surely deserves the nomenclature.

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Ané’s thoughts:

I will admit that I am a food and wine snob. In general, my taste is expensive. But when you have Moët & Chandon taste but JC Le Roux income, surely you’re doomed to drive an underpowered, plasticky, sparsely-specced family saloon?

Not according to Hyundai. With the new Elantra, these clever Koreans are putting Hyundai on the map yet again. The Tucson was a COTY finalist for 2017. The Elantra won COTY in 2012. The new Elantra Sport? Let’s just say it’s going on my shortlist for next year’s Car of the Year competition.

Improvements are far and wide. From the revised McPherson strut setup in front to the new independent multi-link suspension in the rear, the new Elantra Sport is a surprisingly inexpensive key to a pleasurable, firm-footed 150kW daily commute - yes, you heard me. That’s quite a lot of kiloWatt.

The turbocharged 1.6-litre TGDI engine is remarkably torquey from a low 1500 rpm, and you will reach 100 km per hour in a swift 7.7 seconds. Steering feel and feedback? Welcome to the party, finally! And despite those 17-inch profile tyres the ride is never uncomfortably hard. Throw in some flappy paddles for complete control of the new 7-speed DCT gearbox (unique to the Sport-variant), and voíla! You have a sporty sedan for the man. Or woman. Either way, plenty of automotive entertainment can be had, whether you’re just plodding along at the speed limit (the cabin is oh-so-quiet) or driving vehemently over jagged mountain passes with a silly grin on your mug.

Then there’s the (spacious) interior. The Elantra Sport comes with a flat-bottomed sport steering wheel as well as bolstered, mulberry-coloured leather bucket seats. It’s not something you’ll easily tire of - it’s a deep, understated shade (and not as bright as it looks on the photos). The 8-inch touchscreen is neatly integrated into the dash, and comes with all bells and whistles already installed, such as SatNav - standard on every Elantra in the range. Other cool standard features (on every Elantra) include Bluetooth and smartphone screen mirroring, USB/AUX ports and a CD-player (some of us do still listen to CDs), with leather seats and alloy wheels thrown in too.

Those who are keen on safety will be happy to hear about the Elantra’s 5-star ANCAP safety rating (ABS with EBD, six airbags and rear-park assist, with impact-sensing doors that unlock). The Elite and Sport versions also receive stability control as well as rain-sensing wipers. For the complete list of specs, feel free to have a squiz at www.hyundai.co.za .

As far as value and performance go; compared to the competition, both the Elantra and Elantra Sport look like Miss World contestants at a Miss Umhlanga beauty pageant. If you put the Elantra Sport head-to-head against the VW Jetta, Mazda 3, Ford Focus Sedan, Audi A3 Sedan (as well as my previous favourite, the Honda Civic 1.5T Sport, R430 000), the Elantra Sport shows them a thing or two - 150kW in this price range is quite special. Hyundai also has the leading warranty and service plan.*

Hyundai Tucson dons a sports jacket

Also attending the sporty soirée in attire to match its newfound status, is the Hyundai Tucson 1.6 TGDI Executive Sport. Featuring custom-built, Imported body kit (from Korea) that also adds a more audible exhaust note, the Tucson Sport looks and sounds more menacing. It’s endowed with 20 more kiloWatts too. Blacked-out wheels with low profile rubber round off the picture nicely. It’s not a huge difference, but if that’s your thing, would you fork out R499 900 for it? Only 500 body kits are available, and no, you can’t take your current Tucson in for an upgrade.

I wasn’t as lucky as my Jo’burg colleague who rushed around a racetrack in it. For most part of our Cape Town launch route, we were stuck in horrendous traffic, with only a short section of road that allowed us to frolic a little. The increase in power does make things more interesting, though!

Aye or Nay?

The ‘regular’ Hyundai Tucson 1.6 Turbo Executive currently sells for R449 900, so personally I’d forgo the Tucson Sport (R499 900) with the body kit and slick rubber - yes, it looks sexy, and has the voice of a nightclub singer at times, but I like lesser-travelled dirt roads too much - and those low-profile tyres won’t. 50K is hardly pocket change, even though there’s quite a bit of added zest. (If you were wondering, the Tucson is currently outselling every other SUV in its segment, with a current share of over 16 percent.)

As for the eloquent new Elantra Sport - Aye, and also, yay! There was a moment when both my co-driver and I mistook the Elantra Sport in our rear-view mirror for an Audi. Just saying. Some champagnes are just as enjoyable, despite not being French, or in this case, German!

Pricing

Elantra Executive MT	R299 900
Elantra 1.6 Executive AT	R314 900
Elantra 2.0 Elite AT	R349 900
Elantra (Sport) 1.6 TGDI Elite DCT	R399 900
Tucson 1.6 TGDI Executive Sport	R499 900

* Warranty: 5 years / 150 000 km with an additional 2-year / 50 000 km powertrain warranty. Service plan: 5 years / 90 000 km. Roadside Assist for 5 years / 150 000 km.