Hyundai Elantra Arrives in Israel with Updates and Increased Price

2024-02-14 11:47:58

in short:

• The renewed Hyundai Elantra has arrived in Israel
• With an up-to-date look and accessory additions compared to the outgoing model
• The price of entry has increased by NIS 3,000

Allocate improvements: The Hyundai Elantra, which ended 2023 as the best-selling family car in Israel, passing the Toyota Corolla, arrived in Israel after undergoing a slight facelift. At the same time, the price of the two basic versions now stands at 170 and 173 thousand shekels respectively, while the price of the top “luxury” version remains unchanged and will stand at 180 thousand shekels.

And if the price of the basic versions seems high to you, you are not wrong. The new Elantra became more expensive by NIS 3,000 in both cases. Who else remembers that in 2016 it cost only NIS 132,000, similar to the rest of its competitors in the category. And just two years ago it went up NIS 148 thousand.

The first cars were unloaded yesterday at the port of Haifa, after a long journey that began in South Korea and went around the continent of Africa – this is due to the threats of the Houthis on the shipping routes in the Red Sea. Recall that the sporty N version may join the local offer down the road, but it is not yet clear when.

What has changed: Appearance updates include an aggressive front end with new bumpers, narrower LED headlights, a wider front grille than before that is split into two parts, a rear air deflector with a silver finish, and new rims. The change in the fenders led to an addition of 3.5 cm to the overall length, without any change in the other dimensions or the interior space. Hyundai promises an improvement in the quality of the materials inside, but beyond that there is no change in the appearance of the passenger cabin.

Accessory additions: In all versions, 2 side airbags were added for the rear passengers, which increases the number of airbags to eight in total. The USB sockets will now be Type C, while the base version (“Premium”) is equipped with a new design on-board computer, while the more expensive versions will continue to be sold with a full digital dashboard (“10.25”).

The manufacturer’s new and large multimedia screen did not arrive in Israel, and in its place the Elantra will continue to be sold with the familiar 8″ screen.

In addition, front LED lighting will now be offered as standard (previously it was offered from the middle trim level). The rear parking sensors have been removed from the base version, but on the other hand, front parking sensors will now be offered in addition to the rear ones from the middle trim level onwards.

The drive unit remains unchanged, a 1.6-liter gasoline engine plus an electric motor, with a combined power of 139 hp. The gearbox is a double clutch with 6 transmission ratios, acceleration to 100 km/h takes 10.5 seconds in the base version or 10.8 seconds in the variants the more equipped, while the declared fuel consumption is 22.7 km per liter.

What we think: When the current generation Hyundai Elantra arrived in Israel, about two and a half years ago, the importer decided to price it so that it would be several thousand shekels more expensive than its competitors, and on that occasion the price tag reflected a 10% increase in price compared to the outgoing generation.

Now it will be more expensive by another 22 thousand shekels, and there can only be one conclusion – this car is intended for fleets that enjoy significant discounts, and purchase them in the thousands and at significantly lower amounts. The private consumer who is willing to pay such a high amount, partially finances the discounts that the fleets receive.

And speaking of the private consumer. Considering the fact that the impressive and large Hyundai Tucson is NIS 6,000 cheaper than the Elantra, it is very likely that customers who do not have to choose the Elantra will continue to prefer the recreational vehicles.

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