Hatfield Hyundai

2012 Elantra Named North American Car of the Year

The 2012 Elantra has been named the 2012 North American Car of the Year. For this prestigious award, cars are judged on a number of factors including innovation, impact on the industry, design, safety, handling, driver satisfaction and value for the dollar. The Elantra's bold Fluidic Sculpture, outstanding fuel economy, and high owner satisfaction were huge contributors in achieving this honor. 

The Elantra exemplifies Hyundai's emotional "Fluidic Sculpture" design principles, which consider the interplay of wind with rigid surfaces to create the illusion of constant motion. Along the Elantra's sides are Sonata's flowing lines, with the addition of a strong undercut feature line starting at the front door. These lines, along with the muscular wheel arches and sleek roofline, create a memorable and spacious package. 

Hyundai's signature hexagonal front grill and detailed swept-back headlights give the Elantra a compact athletic face. Available fog lights and side repeater mirrors complete the distinct design.


 

Elantra's standard fuel economy is EPA-rated at 20 mpg city, 40 mpg highway, and 33 mpg combined, with the six-speed automatic or manual transmission.  These amazing figures give the Elantra a highway-only driving range of up to 500 miles. Elantra's strong EPA ratings are backed up by the highest owner satisfaction with real-world fuel economy in the compact class.

The Elantra is powered by an all-new 1.8 - liter Nu four cylinder engine with 148 horsepower and 131 lb-ft torque (145 horsepower and 130 lb-ft torque for Elantra PZEV). Most Elantra's sold in CA, OR, and several Northeast states are certified as Partial Zero Emission Vehicles (PZEV) by the EPA.  The PZEV Elantra helps Hyundai meet its environmental commitments. The Elantra is also available as an Ultra Low Emission Vehicle (ULEV).

Most importantly, the Elantra has driven a tremendous amount of traffic to the Hyundai showroom. Elantra's record 186,361 sales helped Hyundai achieve its record sales of 645,691 units in the U.S. in 2011.  Hyundai Motor America posted a 20 percent increase over 2011 total sales.