Elantra fits the family and more

In the small car market, hatches reign supreme. As they're often used as runabouts or second cars, rear cargo room and rear passenger comfort isn't all that high on the list of priorities, plus folding seats mean you can still fit a bunch of stuff in the back if needed.

But there are a lot of people who want a small sedan, be it as a family car on a budget or simply because they feel it looks better. And there have been a fair few new models hitting the market recently: the Mazda3, Kia Cerato and Toyota Corolla among them.

A face-lifted Elantra joined this group at the start of the year, and it's a good thing. It's the sedan version of the popular i30 - why it doesn't share the same name as the hatch is anyone's guess - but it has all that makes the i30 a great little car: nice looks, a capable 1.8-litre engine paired to a smooth six-speed auto transmission, plus there's Hyundai's five-year/ unlimited km warranty.

So what does the Elantra sedan bring to the table?

Well, there's the boot, obviously. At 420 litres it's close in size to those found on some mid-sizers such as the Mazda6 and can accommodate an extra 42 litres than the i30 if you have rear passengers.

Happily, you don't have to pay a premium for this, with the Elantra costing the same as its i30 sibling.

But the biggest key with the Elantra is the local suspension tuning. As it's been tailored for our often-coarse roads, it is a remarkably composed cruiser and those looking for a family holiday vehicle will be most pleased.

The steering can be adjusted between Normal, Sport and Comfort modes, making it heavier or lighter depending on the driver's whim.

The mid-spec Elite also has a good suite of technology available; reverse camera, Bluetooth/USB connectivity, a detailed trip computer, sat nav and more mean you won't have to splurge for the top-range model to enjoy a lot of what new cars offer in 2014.

There's also good interior room, particularly for long legs. But the same can't be said for headspace. The low, streamlined roof looks great and reduces drag (and hence fuel consumption) but it can encroach on headroom. It's not terrible but it can feel a bit intrusive, even for those up front.

However, the main problem with the Elantra has nothing really to do with the car itself, more the market it resides in. There have been some heavy hitters enter new models into the small sedan sector which offer great engines and tech specs for low prices.

And it's not just the Mazda3/ Corolla world beaters either - Hyundai's fellow Korean company Kia, for instance, offers the Cerato with the same underpinnings and transmission as the Elantra, with a far more capable 2.0-litre unit under the bonnet which offers more power and torque while using barely any more fuel.

The kicker? The similarly kitted-out mid-spec Cerato Si costs less than the Elantra Elite.

That said, the local work done on the Elantra has done wonders and does mean it has something to distinguish it from the crowd.

VERDICT

The Elantra has all that makes the i30 great, you don’t have to pay for the top-spec option to get a heap of features and its local tuning makes it a very capable family sedan on a budget.

HYUNDAI ELANTRA
Model: Elite
Price: $26,790
Engine: 1.8-litre four-cylinder petrol
Outputs: 110kW/178Nm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic

Thirst: 7.1L/100km

COMPETITORS
TOYOTA COROLLA
Model: ZR sedan
Price: $30,990
Engine: 1.8-litre four-cylinder petrol
Outputs: 103kW/173Nm
Transmission: Continuously variable transmission

Thirst: 6.6L/100km

MAZDA3
Model: Touring sedan
Price: $27,490
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol
Outputs: 114kW/200Nm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic

Thirst: 5.7L/100km

KIA CERATO
Model: Si sedan
Price: $25,990
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol
Outputs: 129kW/209Nm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Thirst: 7.4L/100km