Flash Drive: 2021 Hyundai Elantra Hybrid

Why This Car Matters

56 mpg! That should say enough of why this car matters, but the all-new 2021 Hyundai Elantra Hybrid brings far more than stellar fuel economy. This five-passenger sedan offers a full array of tech, driver comfort and a top warranty, making it an excellent value.

Hyundai recently invited automotive journalists to Los Angeles to drive a few of its new cars, enabling socially distanced mingling with the cars’ designers and engineers. What we learned at this mid-November event was the importance and investment Hyundai is placing on low- and zero-carbon emission vehicles. With 10 eco-friendly vehicles coming through 2022, Hyundai will have battery electric (BEV), plug-in hybrid electric (PHEV), hydrogen fuel cell (FCEV) and hybrid (HEV), models on a full spectrum from compact sedans to midsize crossover SUVs.

Driving Experience

The 27-mile drive from Malibu to West Hollywood in the 2021 Elantra Hybrid wasn’t long, but was sufficient to get the feel for its drivability and efficiency. Winding south on Pacific Coast Highway, starting at Geoffrey’s Restaurant, then hanging a left on Sunset Boulevard, with a final destination of The London West Hotel, was ample time to realize the potential of owning an Elantra Hybrid. Clean Fleet Report will do a full road test review in the coming months, reporting on all the features, performance and fuel efficiency in detail.

The 2021 Hyundai Elantra Hybrid, with a dual clutch six-speed manual transmission, has a 1.6-liter, four-cylinder engine mated to a 32-kilowatt electric motor, producing a total system 139 horsepower and 200 pound-feet of torque. The 1.3 kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack is recharged through regeneration when coasting or braking. Curiously the Elantra Hybrid doesn’t have a way to up the regeneration level, which is a way to increase the driving range without adding fuel.

The EPA fuel economy rating is 53 mpg city/56 highway/54 combined, which is more efficient than its Honda Insight and Toyota Corolla competitors. Our short 27-mile drive, where we spent most of the time on-and-off the brakes, produced an average of 55.2 mpg. Aiding the fuel efficiency are three drive modes of Normal, Sport and Smart, and a 0.29 coefficient of drag. If you have a similar commute, this will equal less than a gallon of gasoline. When Clean Fleet Report has the 2021 Elantra Hybrid for a week or longer, we are confident of reporting similar, or better, numbers.

The 2,965-pound Elantra Hybrid’s ride was smooth, with confident handling that belied it being a fuel sipper–and not a sports sedan. The motor-driven power steering, along with the multi-link independent rear suspension, gave good road feel and feedback.

Modern Interior/Head-turning Exterior

The redesigned and updated Hyundai Elantra Hybrid interior continues Hyundai’s history of clean and simple design. Clean Fleet Report drove the Limited trim line which had leather seats and a 10.25-inch color touchscreen with navigation that housed the Bose audio system (with six speakers and a subwoofer), with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Next to the infotainment screen is another 10.25-inch color screen, but this one is for the gauges. Depending on which of the Drive Modes is selected–Normal, Smart or Sport–the digital dash changes colors and design. Especially fun is watching the brief animation the screen goes through between drive modes. It is really a different look, one that concept cars are showing more often, to see more than 20 inches of digital screen across the dash.

Soft touch materials are interspersed with hard plastic, with the subtle use of chrome accents giving the dash, door panels and center console a quality and class-up feeling. The Limited edition was equipped with all the creature comforts, many of them power, that are expected from Hyundai on this top trim level. The customizable ambient lighting, with 64 color choices, added a cool factor.

The 2021 Elantra Hybrid shares a very attractive exterior with its gasoline-only siblings (check out our N model drive). The Limited design starts out with a curved nose featuring LED head and daytime running lights sweeping onto the fenders. From there the Elantra takes on dramatic angles and cut lines leading to the sweeping rear deck lid that incorporates a spoiler, which sits atop LED taillights.

Safety

Available advance driver assistance systems (ADAS) include parking and forward collision avoidance assist with pedestrian detection, high beam assist, driver attention warning, lane keeping assist, adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go, blind spot collision avoidance and lane following assist, rear cross traffic collision avoidance and highway drive assist. This last feature is a co-pilot system that, when engaged on the highway and using the adaptive cruise control, keeps the car centered in the lane and traveling at a set distance behind the lead car. It also can automatically set the speed using GPS and highway real-time data.

Pricing and Warranties

The 2021 Hyundai Elantra Hybrid comes in two trim levels with these base prices, including the $995 freight and handling charge.

SEL                       $24,545

Limited                  $29,095

The 2021 Elantra Hybrid comes with these warranties:

Hybrid System – 10 years/100,000 miles

Powertrain – 10 years/100,000 miles

New Vehicle – Five years/60,000 miles

Anti-perforation – Seven years/Unlimited miles

Roadside Assistance – Five years/Unlimited miles

Why This Car Matters

Sedans have taken a sales beating over the past few years with consumers on an increasingly rapid pace choosing crossover SUVs. Clean Fleet Report has reviewed many crossovers and recognizes their attraction for road visibility, cargo capability and in some cases offering up to seven passenger seating. But the best fuel efficiency any of them gets is in the low-to-mid 30 mpg range. So this begs the question: If a family doesn’t need a large crossover for the vast majority of their driving needs, could they forego the extra size and instead opt for a hybrid sedan?

Hyundai makes a strong case for the 2021 Elantra Hybrid, with a spacious interior, large trunk, striking styling, high tech and an eye-popping EPA-rated combined 54 miles per gallon. This is only the beginning of why the 2021 Elantra Hybrid should matter to you when shopping for your next car.

Call your local Hyundai dealer about taking a test drive. Have the sales associate walk you through all the features on this appealing car, especially the differences between the SEL and Limited trim lines.

Whatever you buy, Happy Driving!

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Story by John Faulkner. Photos by John Faulkner and Hyundai.

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Disclosure:

Clean Fleet Report is loaned free test vehicles from automakers to evaluate, typically for a week at a time. Our road tests are based on this one-week drive of a new vehicle. Because of this we don’t address issues such as long-term reliability or total cost of ownership. In addition, we are often invited to manufacturer events highlighting new vehicles or technology. As part of these events we may be offered free transportation, lodging or meals. We do our best to present our unvarnished evaluations of vehicles and news irrespective of these inducements.

Our focus is on vehicles that offer the best fuel economy in their class, which leads us to emphasize electric cars, plug-in hybrids, hybrids and diesels. We also feature those efficient gas-powered vehicles that are among the top mpg vehicles in their class. In addition, we aim to offer reviews and news on advanced technology and the alternative fuel vehicle market. We welcome any feedback from vehicle owners and are dedicated to providing a forum for alternative viewpoints. Please let us know your views at publisher@cleanfleetreport.com.