In today’s fiercely competitive automotive world, simply getting a buyer’s attention is tough. 6 years ago, Hyundai figured a 10-year warranty wasn’t enough and adapted daring design, the Elantra getting the swoopiest lines of the bunch. The gamble now? Toning those curves down. Meet the new more mature 2017 model. (ON CAMERA) Now, of course you’re going to cross-shop because intelligent people always do. That means you’re probably looking at Civic, Cruze, Corolla, Focus, Mazda3, Focus, Sentra. So many cars in this segment. And many have grown up. Like Corolla and Civic, the E.P.A. classifies Elantra’s cabin volume as a midsize, about as large as a BMW 3 Series. Materials look and feel good in class, don’t (SOUND UP) expect soft materials everywhere. This Limited model, that’ll set you back $27,710, has stuff found only on luxury cars 10 years ago including blind spot warning and adaptive cruise control. (ON CAMERA) Also, this Elantra is equipped with an auto braking system that detects pedestrians. Some of you have written to ask why I don’t demonstrate it. I’ll invite you to come stand in front of it, right after you sign these release forms. (SOUND UP) As for driving dynamics (ON CAMERA) Hyundai engineers have done an awful lot to improve the ride quality. It’s very comfortable. Not sporty like Mazda3 or maybe Honda Civic but nicely done. Body movements are well controlled. The outgoing cars steering rack was the very inspiration for Novocain, this one offers feedback. Here’s what makes it go, a 147 horsepower 2-liter four-cylinder (SOUND UP) connecting it to the front wheels is a 6-speed gearbox with a manual mode, just not up on the steering wheel. Set the steering weight and throttle response to suit your mood. Eager to hit 60 miles an hour? (SOUND UP) that’ll take about 8 seconds. Brisk at best. (ON CAMERA) In the outgoing generation, if I were talking to you about road noise, or anything else, I would have to talk like this. The new generation is much quieter. Half the structure is stamped out of high-strength steel. Some 390 feet of adhesive stiffens it further. Yes, folks it’s glued and welded. That’s a good thing. (ON CAMERA) For better fuel efficiency, a lot of modern transmissions are reluctant to kick down into a lower gear, Elantra? Happy to do it. In a week of driving, I averaged about 32 miles from each gallon of gas. It’s worth noting that visibility is decent and that Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are available. Also the lane keep assist system is well executed . (ON CAMERA) Memory seats, nice So, are, lots of, storage cubbies. The sun visors are well thought out. And Elantra is available with a proximity trunk release that open automatically (SOUND UP) if you stand next to it for a few seconds (ON CAMERA) Space is not an issue back here, two adults will be perfectly comfortable. Three will be okay, if they’re skinny. Haul car seats in and out often? Wide opening doors cooperate. Not sure why Hyundai couldn’t put a pocket on the driver’s chair, or throw in a power port. (ON CAMERA) I recently tested the new Honda Civic that easily holds six packs of this stuff.... You can practically cut the suspense with a knife can’t you? Yes the seats do this. Yes there is a spare. And yes, the trunk is very large, in my practical real world test it matches the Honda at 6 packs when the hinge arms do not pinch the cargo. These crisp lines appear more elegant and upscale than the outgoing car, something the larger Sonata didn’t pull off quite as well. It may be less emotional to the eye now but the new Elantra’s comfort and refinement is worth a shopper’s attention in this crowded segement.