2015 Hyundai Elantra Sedan Quick Spin Review

2015 Hyundai Elantra

The 2015 Hyundai Elantra Sedan has been one of the top five compacts in the country for the past two years, attracting customers with a distinctive style, a strong reputation for value and very competitive fuel-economy grades. And with a winning recipe like that, Hyundai isn’t going to mess with success for 2015.

What the brand has done, however, is reconfigure some of the upgrade packages for the Elantra, providing hundreds of more dollars in value for the SE and Limited trims while introducing a whole new technology bundle for the Elantra Sport models (shoppers should remember that Hyundai offers an Elantra Coupe and Elantra GT five-door hatch, too). 

Styling

Showcasing taut lines, a prominent headlight casing and a cleanly finished rear fascia, the Elantra gets a style upgrade this year thanks to the appropriately named Style Package. Included are LED accents for the car’s projector headlights, a chrome beltline molding, front-door aluminum entrance sills, a power tilt-and-slide sunroof, and a leather wrap for both the steering wheel and shift knob--and all that comes at a $400 value.

Another bonus: Despite its compact dimensions, Hyundai engineers and designers worked to ensure the Elantra offered as much cabin space as a traditional mid-size sedan.

Photo by Hyundai

Performance

A pair of powerplants are available for the 2015 Elantra Sedan, with a 1.8-liter, four-cylinder unit as the standard offering. That engine produces outputs of 145 hp and 130 lb.-ft. of torque, along with EPA ratings that are fairly strong for an entry-level compact: 27 mpg city/37 mpg city/31 mpg with a six-speed manual and a line of 28/38/32 with a similarly cogged automatic. As a bit of a power-up alternative, drivers can upsize to a 2.0-liter, four-cylinder engine that offers the same transmissions but with 173 horses and 154 lb.-ft. of torque; EPA ratings remain at 24 mpg city/35 mpg highway/28 mpg here with the automatic, while the manual puts up the same numbers, save for a 34 mpg grade in highway travel.

Safety

The Hyundai Elantra Sedan is a 2015 Top Safety Pick of the IIHS, and it also has achieved a 5-star overall safety score from NHTSA. Then, complementing its robust body structure, the Elantra includes a standard blind-spot mirror for the driver as well as available features like a rearview camera and Hyundai’s Blue Link telematics system, the latter of which offer automatic crash notification and emergency assistance.

Pricing and Features

The MSRP of the 2015 Hyundai Elantra Sedan opens at $17,250, but the lineup also includes a Sport model that starts at $21,600 and an upscale Limited Edition that stickers from $21,700. That range-topper can serve up plenty of lux cues, too, with highlights like premium cloth or leather seating surfaces, along with heated front and rear seats, a 360-watt audio system, ”Proximity Key” entry, push-button start and navigation with a high-resolution, 7-inch display

Of course, it’s also worth pointing out that even the entry model is well equipped for a starter compact, boasting six-speaker audio with a USB port, center armrest storage and Hyundai’s Driver Selectable Steering Mode. With this technology, Elantra owners can adjust steering performance and feel to match their own driving preferences.