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[image from auto.snkcrplus.co.kr]
The Hyundai Elantra (Korean: 현대 엘란트라),
or Hyundai Avante (현대 아반떼) in South Korea,
is a compact car first manufactured in October 1990 for the 1991 model year.
Marketed as the Lantra in Australia and some European markets until 2001, the
name was standardized as Elantra, except in Korea and Malaysia where it was
called "Avante".
Launched in 1995, the second generation of this car was
offered as a sedan (Avante) and station wagon (Avante Touring). For the 1998
model year, the car received a ‘facelift’ with new headlights and grilles as depicted
in these photos.
[text edited from en.wikipedia.org]
[image from gtcarlot.com]
[image from blog.daum.net]
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Seen in Episode 16
After being rejected by Yoo
Joo-Hee in favor of Sun-Mi, Young-Mi attempts to get revenge by tampering
with the brakes of Joo-Hee’s new 2000 Wind Rose Red Avante. Leaving from
work, Joo-Hee loses control, hits a wall in the MBS parking garage, and is
taken to the hospital. This is the only scene featuring the Avante, except
for a few seconds it is visible in the garage security camera video.
Young-Mi’s scheme fails to
secure the anchor slot on the MBS 9PM News when Joo-Hee returns unexpectedly
from the hospital in time to do the news.
Later that night, in a plot line that parallels the outcome of another
of Young-Mi’s schemes, the ‘accident’ yields an unintended consequence: the
spark of romance between Joo-Hee and Sun-Dal.
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Review
If the Elantra proves anything, it's this: Hyundai is
serious about catching, then keeping, a new generation of owners.
Catching customers starts with a solid, well-equipped
subcompact at one basic price, with an engine larger and more powerful than
many other subcompacts, and a list of standard features anything but
bare-bones basic. Keeping customers is left to a surprisingly complete five
years or 60,000 miles bumper-to-bumper warranty, with a powertrain warranty
of 10 years or 100,000 miles. Plus, Hyundai offers free 24-hour roadside
assistance. The impressive warranty would be meaningless if the Elantra were
otherwise difficult to live with, but in fact, the opposite is true. With
improved fit-and-finish and decent performance, the Elantra goes a long way toward
changing perceptions of small Korean cars.
Available as a four-door sedan or wagon in a single trim
level (GLS), the Elantra may not be the most distinctive small sedan on the
road, but it's pleasant enough to look at. Its rounded fenders, sloping hood
and large greenhouse afford good outward visibility in all directions, and
the optional rear spoiler indeed adds a hint of sportiness. The restyled
front end features improved halogen headlights that spill more lumens onto
the road ahead.
Hyundai's effort to project a higher level of quality is
apparent in Elantra's passenger cabin, focused not on bells and whistles, but
clean, efficient design, better finish, and improved controls. In all,
materials feel quite rich for a car of Elantra's price. Interior volume,
including available headroom, compares favorably with other cars in the
class. The only caveat: a small trunk opening, making it difficult to load
larger items that should easily fit.
In general, Elantra's ride is compliant and well
controlled, and it handles twisting mountain roads in fine fashion with a
twin-cam four-cylinder engine produces 140 horsepower and 133 foot-pounds of
torque – impressive power in this class. The manual transmission is
recommended when performance is a priority, yet the automatic is up to the
work-a-day grind of commuting and running errands. Steering assist gives the
wheel a light touch at low speed, for easy parallel parking, yet is not
overly sensitive at highway speed. The suspension is fully independent and
quite sophisticated with multi-link rear suspension. Only on the most uneven
stretches of freeway, where joints and undulations can get the suspension
hopping does the Elantra get bouncy.
Noise and vibration control is average for the subcompact
class. The engine can get loud when run wide-open, yet overall, Elantra is
smoother and quieter than its predecessors had taught us to expect. Hyundai's
efforts to dampen shakes and limit cabin noise have paid dividends.
Let's face it folks, we aren't talking a luxurious
limousine here. The Elantra is a small sedan that will carry two adults and
two or three children to work, the grocery store or a PTA meeting
comfortably, economically and free of worry. The 2000 Elantra isn't the most
refined car in its class, but it's a long way from the least refined, and a
formidable competitor for the Dodge Neon, Honda Civic and other small cars.
Given the high-value price and solid warranty, we'd guess that Hyundai will
catch plenty of new buyers with this little sedan.
[text edited from a review on www.automobile.com]
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