2021 Hyundai Elantra Overview
A mainstay in the Hyundai lineup for 30 years, the Elantra is all-new for 2021. This compact sedan’s award-winning redesign includes a fresh exterior look, better gas mileage, and more state-of-the-art technologies. The 2021 Elantra is available at six trim levels: SE, SEL, SEL Hybrid, N Line, Limited, and Limited Hybrid.
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Performance and efficiency
The 2021 Elantra gives customers a choice of three powertrains. SE, SEL, and Limited models come equipped with a 2.0-liter engine mated to a Smartstream Intelligent Variable Transmission. This pairing yields 147 horsepower, 132 lb-ft of torque, and up to 37 combined mpg.
The N Line features a 1.6-liter turbo engine with a standard six-speed manual or available seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. This engine puts out 201 horsepower and 195 lb-ft of torque while getting up to a combined 31 mpg.
The SEL Hybrid and Limited Hybrid get a combined 139 horsepower and 195 lb-ft of torque from a 1.6-liter gas engine and a 32-kilowatt electric motor. This hybrid system pairs with a six-speed dual-clutch transmission and is estimated to top 50 mpg in combined city/highway driving.
Exterior design
For 2021, the Elantra has been widened, lengthened, and lowered for a sportier, more aggressive look. It also boasts a new coupe-like outline. Standard exterior features include a chrome jewel-patterned grille, LED daytime running lights, and 15-inch alloy wheels. Higher trims add larger wheels, LED headlights and taillights, a hands-free smart trunk release, and a power sunroof. The N Line distinguishes itself with sporty elements like chrome twin exhaust outlets and a special grille design.
The New Elantra: Find out more about this redesigned Hyundai sedan
Interior features
The interior of the Elantra gets a more spacious design for 2021, including a best-in-class 38 inches of rear legroom. Cloth seats come standard, with leather, power adjustability, and heating available. Key options include push-button start, dual automatic temperature control, and a leather-covered steering wheel and shift knob. The Elantra also offers Hyundai Digital Key tech, which lets you lock and unlock the doors with an Android smartphone.
Safety and infotainment tech
The 2021 Elantra comes loaded with standard safety and infotainment tech, plus a wide range of options. On the safety side, all models receive eight SmartSense systems: a rearview camera, High Beam Assist, Safe Exit Warning, Rear Cross-Traffic Collision Avoidance Assist, Driver Attention Warning, Lane Keeping Assist, Lane Following Assist, Blind-Spot Collision Avoidance Assist, and Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist with Pedestrian Detection. Smart Cruise Control and Highway Drive Assist are available as well.
For infotainment, the Elantra comes equipped with a new 8-inch touch screen, Bluetooth hands-free phone connectivity and voice control, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, and HD Radio. The Elantra is also available with a stunning twin 10.25-inch touch-screen array: one displays a fully digital driver display and the other is for infotainment. This system adds navigation and Dynamic Voice Recognition as well.
For in-depth information on other key vehicles in the Hyundai lineup, check out our model overview section at The News Wheel.
A longtime editor/writer and recently transplanted Hoosier, Caleb Cook lives in Xenia, Ohio. His favorite activities are reading and listening to music, although he occasionally emerges from the heap of books and vinyl records in his basement to stand blinking in the sunlight. Once fully acclimated to the outside world again, he can be observed hanging out with his wife, attempting a new recipe in the kitchen, attending movies, walking the dog, or wandering into a local brewery to inquire about what’s on tap. See more articles by Caleb.