Hyundai unveils the 2017 Avante Sport (Elantra Sport) in South Korea
Hyundai has just unveiled the 2017 Avante Sport in South Korea, globally known as the Elantra Sport. The company is set to launch the new Elantra in India too, however, there's no confirmation about the sporty model accompanying the sedan.
The specifications of the Hyundai Avante Sport state the car gets the Veloster's 1.6-litre, turbocharged, four-cylinder, T-GDI motor that develops 201PS and 265Nm. The car comes with a 6-speed manual transmission as standard with the option of a 7-speed dual-clutch gearbox. Hyundai says the car accelerates from 0-100kmph in eight seconds.
Hyundai has also replaced the torsion beam rear suspension on the standard car with a multilink independent suspension on the Avante Sport.
Visually, Hyundai has tweaked the design a teeny bit to distinguish the Avante Sport from its sedan sibling. It gets lower side sills, larger front fascia (with a red turbo badge on the grille) and a rear diffuser with dual exhaust tips. The DRLs are now positioned horizontally, below the projector headlamps. The car runs on 18-inch alloys.
Inside, it has a flat-bottomed steering wheel, larger bolsters on the front seat and faux carbon fibre trims to add to the sporty theme of the car.
Hyundai will also sell an Extreme Package for the Avante Sport, in the South Korean market, in case customers don't find the car sporty enough. The package includes a different alloy wheel design, spoiler and performance parts.
The prospect of a sporty petrol sedan seems dull in the Indian market, with majority of the buyers opting for diesel powered sedans in the interest of better fuel efficiency. However, if Hyundai would be interested in catering to the remainder, the Elantra Sport (Avante Sport) could serve as its contender in the Indian market. Hyundai will launch the Elantra in India this year and you definitely know what the icing on the cake will be.