The Audi S3 is a compact sport sedan that costs $46,900.
It comes with all-wheel drive and more than 300 horsepower. It’s quick, and ultra-competent, and pretty good looking. But, again, $46,900. Plus options.
How about a Hyundai instead. Now, stop your laughing right there: if you weren’t already aware, Hyundai has improved by leaps and bounds over the years, and the Santa Fe in particular has become a perennial Canadian favourite. With a styling department helmed by former Audi guru Peter Schreyer, they’re also putting out some of the handsomest sheet metal on the road.
Stuff like this, the new Elantra Sport. It starts at a hair less than $25,000, and while it doesn’t have the all-wheel drive nor the 300+ h.p., it’s a sporty little sedan with genuine character. Even better, this one’s got the choice of a manual gearbox.
Design
It is written, somewhere in the book of great automotive designs, that less is more. Unfortunately, it appears to be written somewhere near the back of the book as most designers don’t seem to read that far.
Not so with the current Elantra, which is a great looking little machine. The standard car looks sporty enough, with a few little tweaks like a kicked-up trunk instead of some bolt-on spoiler, and a face that looks straight out of Ingolstadt.
The Sport builds on this base with further reserve. Multi-spoke 18-inch alloys nicely split the difference between looking aggressive, yet not going to bankrupt you when it’s time to replace them or fit a winter set.
A few added air intakes and a bit of colour around the headlights seals the deal, with a muted twin-tip exhaust out front. This isn’t some boy racer’s machine, this is a car for a grown-up.
Environment
The adult entertainment continues inside. Wait, no, not that kind. This is a family newspaper.
What I mean is that the Elantra Sport’s uniform black leather and almost hidden carbon-fibre trim are a far cry from the bright pin-striping and confusing ergonomics you sometimes get from the competition. It’ll handily pass what I like to call the “disapproving mother-in-law test.” There’s a hint of a sporty nature, but nothing to raise an eyebrow at.
Aluminum pedals and a flat-bottomed steering wheel are practically expected from any sporting car, and you’ll of course find them in the Sport. Other than that, though, it’s more just a nicely finished upper trim level than anything giving off a vibe of backroad banditry.
The seats are well-bolstered, but not to the point that climbing in and out feels like falling into a race car. Back seats have plenty of room, though a little less than you’d find in a Corolla or Civic. The trunk’s a useful 407 litres, and the seats offer split-folding functionality.
Performance
With a 1.6-litre engine, the Elantra Sport is relatively efficient as a commuter. The six-speed manual operates with a slick, low-effort action, with a light clutch; if that’s too much work for you, there’s also a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox.
There’s also no sport button or accessible driving modes. Pretty much every BMW or Audi product these days has some kind of multi-level driving mode, and sporting versions of the Honda Civic are even starting to feature multi-mode dampers.
With the Elantra Sport, the engineers appear to have decided to leave buttons out of it, and simply get things right the first time. The steering is well-weighted, the throttle isn’t too twitchy, and the little turbocharged 1.6-litre leaps when you goose it. Peak power is 201 h.p. at 6,000 r.p.m., with 195 foot-pounds of torque at 4,500 r.p.m.
You’ll notice that both those values are higher up the rev range than you usually get with turbocharged cars. The Elantra Sport isn’t sluggish off the line – rather the opposite. However, the power delivery encourages you to keep your foot in, making for a more engaging drive.
The light shifter action is fine, but perhaps lacking the mechanical feel of something like the Civic Si. However, ripping through the gears is endless fun, as is nailing a rev-matched downshift.
As to handling and road-holding, the Sport has plenty of lateral grip, and reacts to quick transitions with surprising nimbleness. Steering feel isn’t quite what somebody with an old Acura Integra would hope for, but the Sport is a willing dance partner.
What’s more, when you ignore the elements of performance and just concentrate on the drive, the Elantra Sport is just plain fun. The power level is reasonable for a small car like this, so there’s no Fast and Furious posturing. The Sport zips through traffic without causing a fuss, and sits at a curb without calling attention to itself.
If you owned a GTI or similar in the past but grew sick of big repair bills, then the Sport makes a compelling case for itself. It’s well-packaged, subtle, and a genuine delight to drive.
Features
An optional $2,500 technology package adds an improved stereo and touchscreen navigation to the Elantra Sport, but as it comes with Apple Car Play standard, you might not need the extras. Like all Hyundais, it comes very well equipped as standard, from leather to heated seats.
Official fuel economy figures are 10.7 (litres/100 kilometres) in the city and 7.8 on the highway, with premium fuel required. Real world figures were a little up from these, but then again, I wasn’t being light on the accelerator.
Green light
Zippy turbocharged acceleration; handles well; sharp styling.
Stop sign
Shifter action a little too light; could use more steering feel.
The checkered flag
A convincing little fast sedan from an unexpected corner.
Competition
Honda Civic Si ($28,490): Better steering, better shifting, and a bit more punch. The Si is a bit more of a driver’s car than the Elantra Sport, but it has its demerits too.
For one thing, just look at it: where the Sport is demure, the Si is a cacophony of styling elements. Further, the Honda is more expensive, doesn’t offer leather, and only comes with a manual. While I personally applaud the choice, restricting the gearbox to one choice is only going to cut down on sales.
The Si is less of a car for grown-ups than the Sport is. Your choice might come down to how many times you’ve seen The Fast and The Furious.
