New Hyundai Elantra revealed in facelifted Avante

Hyundai has just revealed the new Avante in S. Korea, which we know as the Hyundai Elantra in India. There are a few cosmetic changes to the car, which could make it to the India-spec model as well in a few months’ time.

The car is still instantly recognizable as a Hyundai Elantra as there have been no changes to the sheet metal of the car. The changes are limited to the headlamps and bumpers mainly externally. The new Elantra has projector headlamps (following the same shape as the current car), but which also have an integrated daytime running lamp strip around it, keeping up with the trend. The only other Hyundai car in India that has daytime running lamps right now is the Hyundai i20. The bumper gets a mild redesign too, with altered fog lamps. Also see: 2012 Hyundai Elantra video review

At the rear, the significant change is to the tail-lamps, which are now full-LED units and a minor change to the rear bumper. The 17-inch alloy wheels on the car too are different, but that is market dependent and it may not be a change for the India model.

On the interiors, there are some feature additions. For instance, it gets full park assist – with front and rear parking sensors. There’s a new screen for the infotainment system and a new arm rest. Otherwise, most of the features remain largely the same – and the Elantra was anyway a pretty well-loaded car.

The Hyundai Avante in Korea gets the same engine choices that we are familiar with. These include a 1.6 litre diesel engine (shared with the Hyundai Verna) with six-speed manual and automatic transmissions, as well as a 1.8 litre petrol engine with manual and automatic transmissions. The Hyundai Elantra is currently the leader in the premium mid-size segment in India, selling an average of over 450 cars a month. Also read: 2012 Hyundai Elantra road test: Feature-rich cruiser

Expect the facelifted Hyundai Elantra in India early next year.