Hyundai Elantra 2009 News

Hyundai recalls HD Elantra models due to risk of losing steering assistance. The Hyundai i30and Elantra are being recalled due to a potential electric power steering fault that could increase the steering effort required to control the car, which could be hazardous.If the problem occurs, Hyundai advises that an electronic power steering (EPS) light will illuminate on the vehicle’s dashboard.The vehicles affected were sold in Australia between the start of November 2009 and the end of April 2010.More specifically, the recall affects Elantras with VINs (Vehicle Identification Number) ranging between KMHDU41DAAU929998 and KMHDT41B9BU084665. The i30 VINs affected range between KMHDC81TMAU064300 and KMHDC51TMAU267226.Hyundai will contact owners of affected vehicles by mail. Vehicles will need to be returned to an authorised Hyundai dealership to have their steering inspected for either motor replacement, or a software upgrade.

Hyundai was the single brand in the top 10 to lift its result over the same month in 2008 as new-car sales slipped to their worst level since the start of the global economic downturn.April was a massive 23.9 per cent down on the same month last year, a result which also drags the year-to-date total back by 20.3 per cent and points towards a full-year showroom total in the 840,000 range.Some of the pain was eased by the usual sales dislocation over Easter, which gave an excuse for some under-performers, as well as the potential for the Federal government's investment allowance to lift results in the selling days before the end of the financial year."While the figures confirm that market conditions remain soft, the extent of the fall has been compounded by the timing of the Easter holidays," says FCAI chief executive, Andrew McKellar."After adjusting for seasonal factors, sales in April appear to be broadly consistent with results of recent months and we remain hopeful that conditions will soon stabilise."But Hyundai does not have to wait as it improved its result by a solid 12.3 per cent, improving from 3683 sales in April '08 to 4136 in April '09. The brand is also up more than 12 per cent for the first four months of the year, a huge contrast to market leader Toyota which dropped 37.5 per cent in April and is trailing its year-to-date effort in 2008 by 29.3 per cent.Hyundai's i30 managed a best-yet ranking of sixth for the month, a result which even trumped its traditional showroom favourite, the Getz, in ninth. The numbers are not huge, 1491 for i30 and 1307 for the Getz, but reflect a significant boost for the brand.So, why is Hyundai doing so well, taking fifth overall for the month?"There is no smart answer for us. We've got a good team that is working well for us," says Ben Hershman of Hyundai Australia."We've gone up over the last few months and we believe there are three factors. The first is new product ...  secondly people are coming to value brands ... the third is that the i30 has brought people to look at Hyundai for the first time. We're seeing new customers walk into dealerships who would never have been there before."We've also very aggressive in our campaigns."Hershman says Hyundai has also been helped by an improvement in the brand's secondhand values, even if it is only for the newer models which have arrived in the past three years. The Elantra alone has improved from a 47 per cent residual after three years to 57 per cent."At the top end of the car sales chart, Toyota continued its leadership and GM Holden held onto favourite car choice with the Commodore.But the two brands are split on their predictions, with Toyota forecasting a significant showroom improvement in coming months with Holden waiting for change."We expect a pick-up in sales for May and June, followed by a market that will be stronger in the second half of the year than in the first six months," Toyota's sales and marketing boss, Dave Buttner, says."I don't think anybody is beating their chest, it is and remains a tough market," replies GM Holden spokesman, Scott Whiffin.But, with the Commodore continuing as Australia's most popular car, Whiffin said the company is getting some encouragement after the pain of downsizing its manufacturing operation in Adelaide to a single rotating shift."We're encouraged to see Commodore sales off only four per cent in a market that's down 25 per cent. You're also seeing flight to value in the market."TOP 10 SELLERSApril 20091. Holden Commodore - 31772. Toyota HiLux - 26323. Mazda3 - 25034. Toyota Corolla - 23855. Ford Falcon - 22296. Hyundai i30 - 14917. Toyota Yaris - 13958. Nissan Navara - 13119. Hyundai Getz - 130710. Subaru Forester - 1239 

Some things just feel instantly comfortable - an old pair of jeans, a fat roll of $100 bills in your hand, the driver's seat of a Ferrari. Then there's the new Hyundai Elantra. From the very first minute, this car like wearing socks with sandals. The seats are flat rather than flattering, the steering wheel has all the tactile feel of a garden hose and as you attempt to drive off you find the accelerator pedal is touchier than a domino expert at the end of a long day. The instantaneous thrustiness gives a misleading impression that this is something of a jackrabbit in the acceleration department. Obviously, the Elantra is a budget mid-sizer, not a sports car, but while it boasts an engine size advantage over some of its 1.8-litre competitors, the 2.0-litre powerplant produces just 105kW and 186Nm. Hyundai claims a 0 to 100km/h time of 8.9 seconds, but they must have had a cyclonic tail wind of when they recorded that time. It's also noisy and rough sounding. Then there's the steering, which is about as talkative as Humphrey B Bear. The lack of feel would be mildly annoying, but it's actually worse than that. There seems to be a disconnect between the steering-wheel position and the reaction of the wheels. In fact, it gives new meaning to understeer. Not only does it exhibit this tendency in the traditional sense, it actually is literally under steered. Throw in the generous amount of bodyroll and you've got a car that doesn't exactly inspire confidence. When my colleague and I swapped places I discovered that these feelings weren't entirely my own as she apologised for wandering around the road like a drunken wombat. She couldn't get to grips with the Playstation-like steering either. To be fair, on smooth freeways the Elantra's ride, with its new rear suspension, is reasonably supple and indeed, amid the mundanity of everyday driving, the car's failings would hardly be noticeable. It's roomy, with a decent back seat, it's got a sheen of classiness and the exterior styling, with the “curvaceous character line” along its waist will no doubt turn heads. As will the pricing. The base SX model of what Hyundai calls its “very big small car” is $19,990. But at that price you miss out on some things - like steering-wheel adjustment, side-impact airbags, curtain airbags and buttons on the wheel for the stereo. The rest of the range, which tops out at $28,990, gets all that and more, including a very capable ESP (Electronic Stability Program) system. Buyers of the SX, who will make up the vast majority of customers, have the option of paying for a Protectz Pack, for $1790, which adds ESP, traction control and the curtain and side airbags. While this option is a potential life saver, safety just isn't sexy and realistically people are more likely to shell out for alloy wheels. Hyundai already offers a similar pack for its Getz and out of the 1800 units it sells a month, only 10 to 15 buyers have chosen to Protectz themselves. The company tips a similar take-up rate for the Elantra, which it expects to sell between 750 and 800 a month when it goes on sale in October. It's a real shame Hyundai couldn't have made ESP standard across the range, but a sub-$20K price is a far better selling point. The other attraction for buyers will be the claimed fuel consumption of just 7.4 litres per 100km (7.8 in the auto). Strangely, though, our car on the launch drive returned a less impressive average of 8.7 litres per 100km. Even so, at least drivers will get a good feeling from the Elantra when they get out of it to approach the bowsers.