Friday, May 24, 1996 ~ North Shore News - 29

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THE redesigned Hyundai Etantra is ‘avallable in sodan and new. wagon ‘body styles. Bigger inside and out, the new Elantra offors 19% more  horzopower, improved i

‘ide and handing, and serodynamic styling. Test Drive a new Elentra at Vancouver South Hyundai, 8850 0 Osi, Vi Vancouver (266-6088). .

‘SOUTH Korean-made_ oo
“ Hyundai automobiles have '

: been making some big strides

_in the past couple of years,

largely unnoticed,

Both the mid-sized Sonata and
subcompact Accent (formerly Excel)
“have been fedesigned and are now

ed for 1996. Leet ae
leeker profile, the new Elantra is
: , roomier, more powerful, and
handles better than the Previous oe

‘the addition of an Etantra station’
| wagon. ‘Though station wagons have"

largely been replaced by mini-vans, »

{compact wagons priced under
$20,000 have found a niche with .
peopl who §
but don’t want to give up the han-
ing and maneuverability ofacar. .

‘Therein lies the appeal of the new .. 3

‘cargo space of the’

ant, éxtra cargo spare ny

Greg

‘The he wagon has
more than twice the

sedan, and even more
when the split 60/49
rear seats are folded
down. Then there’s a
flat, carpeted five-

‘foot-long (1.5 metre): |

loading bed wiih a
low-loading height.

_- This flat surface has

. one disadvantage?

parcels tend to slide -
around the trunk when tie car nego-
tiates comers. I'd recommenda’

; ribbed: rubber miat to stop items from
-’ being damaged when flung against
_ the side walls.

. The Wagon has a oue-piect, lift-
ap rear hatch door thut is easy to lift

_and high enough not to bump your
~ head. The rear window has 2’stan-
| dard defroster and wiper. My only:

gripe: the rear wiper doesn’t have an
intermittent setting so you have to

“keep | turning it-on and off in Fight °

rain.

fea private, a rear pull-out privacy

“sereen extends from the Tear, seat to 7
; the hatch.” : Pa

Oot) you believe?
Under. $14, 0001): fe

Wilson in

To keep the contents of the cargo, .

Under the Elantra’s
sloping hoor is an all-

litre four-cylinder
engine with 13% more
. horsepower (130). This
engine is quite sophis-
ticated, offering dual
overhead cams, four

valves per-cylinder and.

direct ignition. With

90% of its torque’avail-

able at 2,300 rp.m.,

there's pleaty of avail-:

ebfe power at lower .
around-town speeds. The engine

growls under acceleration, but is sub- |
’ dued and quiet at highway speeds, .

turing over a leisurely 2,300 r.p.m.
at 100 km-h (62 m.p.h.) in top gear. °
A. new five-speed manual trans-
mission, with improved, but not
*Honda-perfect’ throws, is standard

- equipment. The optional four-speed _-

aufomatic with push-button Normal __
and Power modes is also a compe- .
tent transmission, but there is a slight

- delay in engagement when ‘shifted

from Park to Drive). =

_-’ One of the best features of the -
new Elantra is its handling. Both

sedan and wagon have four wheel

independent suspension (front

starting :

new Hyundai-built 1.8-”

interior. .

MacPherson struts/rear multi- link’, a a

low, wide stance and standard. -

'175/65R-14 inch radials — all of ©
which contribute to flat, stable han-
grippier tires are avail’. |

dling. Bigger, gri
able on the GLS model. ;
The Elantra’s new reck and pin-

: jon, power-assisted steering is light

and quick, and outward visibility is
excellent. Front disc/rear drum"

brakes are standard, while four. wheel. °
iad 19S/60R- 14

disc brakes with anti-lock braking .
are available as an option. . ..-
Frankly, | was surprised at how .

~ much fun [ had driving the Elantra

Wagon around town (except for the’ ’
parcels sliding around the trunk).
Thanks to a wheelbase that is

“almost 5 cm (1.9 in.) longer, the -
*: Elantra’s curvy, redesigned intesior

offers considerably more legroom
and. headroom. Contoured seats are
made of an unusually firm fabric, .-.

» however they didn’t feel uncomfort-

able after a long drive, Dual airbags

‘are not standard equipment, but they | °
. are now available as an option. *

The centre storage bin is on the

‘small side, and there are no rear head

restraints — apart from that, the.
Elantra offers a roomy, comfortable :

Elantra’ $C come ‘with a good war-'

"i 50. BRAND NE wW iN STOCK AND 50. ON THE WA

.. YOU BET ... WE ARE “DEALING”

‘Base price (GL): $13,495
Type: four-door, fiv assenger,

iorsepo' .
‘Torque: 122 fi.-lbs..@ ‘5,000 ipm
“Transmission: four-speed | auto-
“matic, Power/Norma! modes, os

‘cu: ft.) rear seat up.
“Fuel consumption:
1/100 km (26 m.p.g.); H

a] V/100 km (41 m.p.g.)

Suggested retail prices are as fol:
- lows: GL'sedan $13,455; GLS sedan
, $16,745; GL Wagon $14,495; GLS

Wagon $18,995. My, fully

- wagon came to $20,255