A value leader shows its more efficient side. Wayne Gerdes – CleanMPG – May 11, 2016 2017 Hyundai Elantra Eco powered by direct injected and turbo charged 1.4L I4 mated to a wide ratio 7-speed Dual Clutch AT - $21,485 incl. $835 D&H to start provides owners a 32/40/35 mpgUS city/highway/combined rating. Hyundai’s all-new 2017 Elantra Eco finally arrives with the even more fuel-efficient 1.4L turbocharged powertrain plus all the advanced safety features and user-friendly technology of the all-new 6th generation 2017 Elantra from which it is based. Like the Elantra, the Elantra Eco’s wraparound headlamps, LED DRLs and hexagonal grille define the all-new model. In addition, the vertical fog lamps consist of an array of LEDs meant to stand out. What is different is Eco badging and 15” alloys. Door handle puddle lamps provide improved visibility at night. The hands-free Smart Trunk which opens the trunk when the owner approaches the rear of the vehicle is also included. This is pretty slick in practice. The outer grille openings create a passive air curtain around the wheels while a larger percentage of the underbody is covered by aero panels. Into the rear bumper, a bottom spoiler helps prevent separation until the actual edge of the bumper fascia. Together these additions create a Cd of just 0.27. 2017 Hyundai Elantra Eco Interior Inside, the Elantra Eco is equipped with a 7” high resolution Display Audio touchscreen with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay which includes app-based navigation, streaming audio, voice-controlled search capabilities, plus any approved smartphone apps. Other standard features include Blind Spot Detection with Rear Cross-traffic Alert and Lane Change Asist, proximity key with push-button start, heated front seats, dual auto climate, leather wrapped shift knob and steering wheel with audio, cruise and Bluetooth controls. 2017 Hyundai Elantra Eco Features 2017 Hyundai Elantra Eco Drivetrain The all-new 128 hp and 156 lb.-ft. torque 1.4L Kappa engine is mated to a hyper fast shifting 7-speed dual-clutch transmission (DCT). Although the 7-speed DCT ratios are not as wide as the std. 6-speed AT (5.31 vs 5.68) in the base Elantra, the taller 7th provides a lower RPM@60 mph (1,828 vs 1,914 to 1,921 depending on tire sizes) which in turn provides a bit more efficiency at highway speeds. The 7-speed should in theory also provide a slightly faster acceleration vs. a 6-speed mated to the same engine. Improving efficiency further, a DCT provides a direct connection between the engine, gearbox and wheels through a n external damper vs a std. ATs lockup torque converter. The gearbox consists of three shafts with a double input shaft with gear actuation handled electronically and an electric motor driven clutch. In ECO mode, the 7-speed DCT is mapped with earlier upshifts and delayed downshifts maximizing efficiency. An integrated cylinder head and exhaust manifold improve efficiency at higher engine speeds, while an optimized straight intake port increases tumble flow for fast combustion, suppressing knock tendency to further enhance efficiency. 2017 Hyundai Elantra Eco 1.4L GDI-T 2017 Hyundai Elantra Eco Safety Like all 2017 Elantra trims, the Eco is equipped with passive safety based front, side, side curtain and a driver’s knee airbag. Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) with individual tire pressure indicator is also standard. On the active front, Vehicle Stability Management (VSM), Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Traction Control System (TCS), Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD) and Brake Assist (BA) are also standard. The 2017 Hyundai Elantra Eco trim cannot yet be ordered with the Limited’s High Beam Assist, Forward Collision Warning (FCW), Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) with Pedestrian Detection, Lane Departure Warning (LDW), Lane Keep Assist System (LKAS) or Radar Cruise Control (RCC) so it will not qualify for an IIHS Top Safety Pick+ rating in 2016. The IIHS and NHTSA have yet to complete their crash test regimen which should arrive at any time. 2017 Hyundai Elantra Eco The all-new 2017 Elantra Eco arrives in Hyundai dealerships nationwide this month.
A lot of bang for your buck, IMHO. I wonder what kind of numbers we could get with this one Wayne? ;-) Thanks, Bob
This could be a good one. Especially if the MSRP is less than a Civic turbo , even though they don't directly compete for sales(46 HP deficit , in America). I like the idea of a DCT , even though I've never driven one. Honda makes a DCT but choose not to sell it on their cheaper cars. And I am keenly looking forward to the Ioniq !
One reason to go with the Civic instead is the transmission. They say they'll offer it with a manual. I wasn't to crazy about the DCT in the rental Veloster I had last year. It was a good automatic, especially on the highway, but still an automatic. A little jerky in stop and go traffic too. It did honor my requests to hold a gear instead of shifting anyway.
As far as transmissions go , I miss the direct involvement and control of the good ole manual transmission. But the e-CVT is so smooth and so EASY. The lazy man's hypermiling weapon. For balls-out performance , the DCT rules. But who here really goes balls-out ?
I have been enjoying the hysteria and internet-crashing terabytes of gasping and sobbing posts on various "enthusiast" forums as self-proclaimed car-guys go into apoplectic fits over the 128hp engine rating. Hello "enthusuasts" on all those pointless and uninformative motorhead forums out there - 128 horsepower is about 30% more than what you actually need, unless you're driving an 18-wheeler. Interesting point - the 1978 Ford LTD - 224 inches long and over 4200 pounds - had the old iron 302 under the hood, and it was rated at 134 horsepower. Link - http://www.automobile-catalog.com/m...n/ltd_usa_3gen_base_4-door_pillared/1978.html Ford's automatics at the time, the FMX ("CruiseOMatic") and the C4, had first gear ratios of 2.2:1 and 2.4:1 - and the LTD had a final drive around 2.8. If the old 2+ ton Ford, complete with hidden headlights and 30 pounds of woodgrain shelf paper stuck on the instrument cluster, could move around with 134 horsepower, how much faster will the Elantra Eco be at 128 horsepower, with double the first gear multiplication and 3/4 of a ton less weight? You should see these guys online - "less than 200hp is not safe" - "can't get on the freeway" - "can't safely pass". Those are symptoms of bad driving, not inadequate engine power. I said it before and I'll say it again - Real Men only need one drive wheel, whether it be ahead of the driver seat or behind it; and they should never need more than a hundred horses to make it back to the ranch*. *-whether rural horse-infested property or a delightful salad dressing.
Nice. Really grown-up looking interior. And they toned down the lines a bit, which I like as well. I'm a bit eh on the grille but overall nice packaging. DCT over the top? Maybe. The question is whether the turbo will be too boosty to get top FE marks.
Hi All: From the 2016 Midwest Automotive Media Association (MAMA) Spring Rally held at Road America in Elkhart Lake, WI, we had a short discussion with the brands Robin Warner, Midwest Product PR, about the all-new 2017 Hyundai Elantra Eco. The short drive results within were not half bad either. #MAMA16SR #efficient #long #distance #traveler #CleanMPG Wayne
Be sure to take note of the D to N and back to D transitions for us. I would assume some rev matching would be required? In their 6 speed auto, I only bother rev matching above ~40 MPH or so.
Hi Andrew: It holds the RPM at 1,000 RPM at about 20 mph, about 1,100 at 30 mph and 1,200 up to at least 55 mph. REV match in an Auto does not have to be an exact match and they did a pretty good job although I would rather see a 600 RPM idle in N myself. Wayne
Ok, that's less bad than I thought, but still not good. They have blip-shift rev-matching in sports cars, surely they can do the same here.
Probably just a minor coding alteration to change that. But I figure they must have had a reason for keeping it partway above idle, it would be a conscious choice to code it to operate like it does. Transmission lubrication or something maybe?
I know my 5AT Civic was very forgiving about rev-matching. Good thing too ; the throttle was VERY sensitive and revs way too easily in neutral. But I think that a DCT should have standard rev-matching. It is basically a fancy manual transmission, right ? Maybe they don't anticipate that their customers will do neutral glides.
Bing, Bing, bing! you win the prize. No they don't think that most people would ever do that. We are using the cars not as they were intended.
