Can The Hyundai Elantra Resurrect The Midsize Sedan Segment In India?

Highlights
- Hyundai is the second largest manufacturer of cars in India
- Neither the 3rd nor the 5th gen Elantra achieved much in terms of sales
- The new-gen Hyundai Elantra could change that
The i20 resurrected the slow moving premium hatchback segment that already had a bunch of competent cars. The Creta repeated the process by showcasing how the Indian audience did not mind paying a premium for a compact SUV that was high on quality and gadgetry but was not typically butch and in-your-face in terms of design. So, can it do the same with the slow-moving midsize sedan segment? India did get the third generation as well as the fifth generation Elantra but neither could really do much in terms of sales despite being extremely capable cars in their own right.

In fact, the last gen (or fifth gen) Elantra was head and shoulders above the competition when it came to gadgetry and the fact that it had cooled seats was enough to get us to recommend one to buyers. But, with its Fluidic 1.0 design out of sync with the likes of the Elite i20 and the Grand i10 (and later the Creta), it was always left out of the running when it came to actual buying decisions. The new one looks much smarter with the Fluidic 2.0 design, has a whole bunch of gadgets that really set the benchmark in the segment and is well built. So what really seems to be the problem with the segment as a whole?
Well, the answer is quite obvious. For the average Indian who is upgrading from the likes of a premium hatchback or a family sedan (like the Honda City), bigger is better! And this is why an overwhelming majority will choose to buy an SUV instead of the conventional sedan (which was the norm about 10 or so years ago). But, we do think that the Hyundai Elantra could change this and swing the popularity pendulum back into the sedan's favour. For starters, the uncertainty of whether or not large diesel engines (or diesel engines in general) will be allowed in major metros has shown a huge shift towards petrol engines (and more importantly, petrol automatics).
Conventionally, SUVs have never been seen as petrol powered vehicles and thus there are a number of people who will want to shift to a more conventional solution like the petrol sedan. The Elantra, then, is the right car for the right time. With prices similar (broadly) to the likes of the top of the line Creta, we predict a shift towards people re-considering these sedans once again. Yes, it will have stiff competition from the likes of the evergreen Toyota Corolla, Volkswagen Jetta and Skoda Octavia but we think its biggest rival will be the soon to be launched Honda Civic. And since it will soon be exactly three years since the latest Honda City was launched, the Hyundai Elantra is in the best position to get a jumpstart over the Civic and capitalise on buyers who are now looking for an upgrade.
Great Deals on Used Cars
View All Used Cars
- 41,489 km
- Petrol
- Manual

- 75,000 km
- Petrol
- Automatic

- 1,18,054 km
- Diesel
- Automatic

- 22,376 km
- Petrol
- Manual

- 77,000 km
- Diesel
- Automatic

- 44,300 km
- Diesel
- Automatic

- 47,549 km
- Diesel
- Automatic

- 76,000 km
- Diesel
- Manual

- 76,000 km
- Diesel
- Automatic

- 62,500 km
- Diesel
- Automatic
Upcoming Cars










Upcoming Bikes










Explore More
Latest News
Related Articles

6 hours ago
The made-in-India sport bike is powered by a 457 cc parallel-twin engine that puts out a peak 47 bhp.

6 hours ago
The new Triumph Bonneville Stealth Editions come with special hand-painted colours that change hues depending on the light

8 hours ago
The W175 Street gets alloy wheels and tubeless tyres, aside from new paint finishes

9 hours ago
The motorcycle, finished in white, features unique mineral erosion artwork by Daniel Arsham on various body panels.

11 hours ago
The updated EV6 is expected to get styling updates in line with its siblings like the EV9 and EV5.

12 hours ago
Hennessey Performance's upgrade for the 2023 Cadillac Escalade-V delivers a power boost, elevating its horsepower from 682 to 1005 and 1196 Nm of torque

13 hours ago
The measures will remain in place till December 31, 2023

1 day ago
The Kia Sonet facelift is slated to be unveiled on December 14. The leaked brochure reveals details about its specifications, features and variants.

1 day ago
Enyaq 85 SUV offers over 560 kms of range while the coupe variant sees range increased to over 570 km.

1 day ago
The carmaker said that rising input costs necessitated the revision in pricing.

2 days ago
India-spec compact SUV to get a different design from the model sold in global markets.

4 days ago
Images of the next-generation Hyundai i20 have recently surfaced online, and this time around a couple of prototypes of the car have been spotted testing in India. Unlike the previously seen spy photos of the new-gen Hyundai i20, which features alloy wheels, the cars in these latest images are running on steel wheels with hub caps, but we do get a much closer look at the front section of the car.

7 days ago
New tech moves the EV's reduction gear into the wheel hub allowing for more compact electric motors and greater space efficiency
