These days, the average production life of a car is somewhere between six and seven years. Manufacturers tend to make on-going updates, not least where there are legislative imperatives or fiscal advantage in so doing, and they constantly need to add the latest tech features to keep their product appealing to the buying public. Most of them tend to make a more significant update, or facelift, or whatever term they want to use, at around the half way point. Often the press release talks of all the visual changes and yet even a keen eye can frequently find it hard to spot slightly reprofiled bumpers and some subtle changes inside the light units, which are often the only changes to the appearance that are made, more of the effort going on efficiency and technology updates. Hyundai is no different, though with their model cycles typically being a little shorter than average, their updates can come after as little as two years. When Hyundai made their mid-cycle changes to their medium sized sedan, the Elantra, for the 2019 model year, just two years after a full redesign, the alterations were significant enough that the car is easy to pick out from its predecessors. New almost triangular headlight units at the front and completely different light cluster at the rear make it an easy spot but in fact more than that has changed, with reshaped bonnet, front end, front wings, rear bumper, and even a new wheel design. Interior changes are less drastic, but they include a revised centre console with new controls, vents, storage tray and updated gauges.  The facelifted Elantra also comes with expanded convenience and safety tech, including a standard rearview camera with guidelines, a larger infotainment display and Bluetooth phone connectivity on base models. Moving up the trim ladder brings features such as wireless device charging and an 8-inch infotainment display. All trims except the SE base model receive driver aids including forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot and rear cross-traffic alert, lane keeping assist, and a drowsy driver warning system. Mechanically, things remained much the same. I decided that sufficient had changed that it was worth seeking out one of these facelifted cars, to see how the Elantra would now fare, it having struck me as a perfectly decent proposition when I sampled one back in early 2018. The chance came when the Hertz Phoenix Sky Harbor airport facility was fairly low on cars – a common problem these days – so this 2019 model year Elantra in the photographically appealing colour of Symphony Silver almost chose itself.

The Elantra goes back to 1991, although the first models were actually called Lantra, and for a while the car was offered to European customers, but more recently, Hyundai has focused on a similarly sized hatch model, known as the i30 in these markets. Although visually there is not a lot in common, under the skin, the two share much, and both have a similar objective, which is to complete in the C-segment or medium-sized family car class. The sixth generation car was launched at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November 2015, a few weeks after the global debut in Korea, and sales started a few weeks later, as a 2017 model year car. The initial range comprises just two trim versions, but Hyundai soon added more and with the Sport, a more powerful engine. Sales continued much as they had been with its predecessor, nowhere near as many Elantra finding buyers as the Toyota Corolla or Honda Civic, but generally close to levels achieved by other competitors such as the Nissan Sentra, Mazda 3, Kia Forte and VW Jetta. This is a class where no-one really deviates much from the same formula, Hyundai in recent years having tried to differentiate with bolder styling than has been seen on some rivals. The sixth generation car, although having some similarities to its predecessor abandoned the “fluidic sculpture” approach and was deliberately more conservative in its appearance.  The facelift was not universally welcomed, but I think it actually looks quite good. However, to win market share, there’s more to it than looks as what matters is how well the Elantra does on the road. Time to find out.

Relatively unusually these days, the Elantra needed a key to start it, and this proved to be very old-style thing indeed, with a separate unit on the key ring being used for the remote locking and boot release. This version of the Elantra came with the 2.0 litre four cylinder engine which puts out 147 bhp. You might have thought that this would be sufficient for a car of this size to feel quite brisk, but in reality, it only really delivers quite modest performance and the on-paper figures suggest that this is now one of the slowest cars in its class. The engine is generally refined, and the car is quite quiet on the freeway at cruising speed, but to get the best out of it, you will need to work it quite hard and then it does get somewhat noisier. The test car had the six speed automatic transmission, and this seemed well matched with the engine, making gearchanges quite smoothly and seemingly when needed. I drove the Elantra down to Tucson, which is a freeway journey from right by the hotel, at a steady speed (it is well policed, so no breaking the 75 mph speed limit that starts once clear of the Greater Phoenix area, and the trip computer advised that the car was delivering 40 mpg US. At the end of the test day I put 5.8 gallon in the car, having covered 204 miles which works out at 35.17 mpg US or 42.02 mpg Imperial, suggesting that perhaps the car was not quite as full on collection as return. Either way, that is still a respectable result.

Dynamically, the Elantra proved pretty unremarkable to drive. There’s nothing really wrong with it, but nor does anything stand out, and in this guise at least, you would not really pick this as a fun car. The steering is light, and does not have that much feel, though this does mean that the car is easy to manoeuvre. The handling is your typical front-wheel drive safe and predictable, with plenty of a grip and a tendency to understeer if you really push it hard. The ride proved quite acceptable, probably helped by the fact that lower spec cars come on what are no, by class standards relatively small 205/55 R16 wheels. There were no concerns with the brakes which seemed to do their job well. There is still a conventional pull-up handbrake between the seats. Visibility is not the best with a relatively high set window line, but there are various aids to help you including a rear-view camera and the very useful Blind Spot Warning system. Hyundai added a number of safety features to the Elantra as part of the 2019 model year update including blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, lane keeping assist, and a drowsy driver alert system., but thankfully, the more annoying ones are either not there or can be turned off.

Little changed as part of the 2019 model year refresh the interior of the Elantra has definite Audi overtones in its design, as has been the case for the past few years, ever since Peter Schreyer, Chief Designer at Hyundai-Kia arrived, though, not surprisingly, given the price and market positioning of the car, the quality is not quite as you would get with the German car. That said, for a non-premium model, it is all still pretty decent, even if you do get a plastic-moulded steering wheel. There is a simple instrument cluster with a couple of large dials for the speedometer and rev counter with smaller ones for fuel level and water temperature inset. Between them is the trip computer display area which contains, among other data points, a digital speed repeater, and also – and slightly irritatingly, given the way it seemed to work, a warning message which tells you to take a break, when it feels you may have done something wrong. There are a pair of column stalks which include an auto function for the lights. The steering wheel boss includes cruise control and audio repeater buttons, very much as you find on most cars these days.  The centre of the dash contains the 7” colour touch screen, mounted up high, where it is easy to see and to operate. It is used for audio and other features, though in SEL trim these are not that extensive and mostly concern some of the settings and information for the car. It does include XM Satellite radio, Apple Car Play and Android Auto.  There are still plenty of buttons and knobs with which to make selections, so the system is easy to use. Sound quality from the six speaker system proved perfectly acceptable. Beneath the screen are three rotaries for the air conditioning system. The whole ensemble is unfussy to look at and easy to use.

SEL trim, as you might expect, means cloth upholstery typical of the genre, and there is all manual adjustment of the seats. Pleasingly, the seat belts are also height adjustable and there is a telescoping wheel which goes in/out as well as up/down, so it was easy to get the optimum driving position to suit. Once that was set-up, there was quite a feeling of space and the seat itself proved comfortable.

On the whole, there is good space for those in the back, though the picture is not without some potential challenges. Headroom proved to be only just sufficient for my head to clear the roof-lining and the central console unit does come well back, so a middle seat occupant would find that there is not a lot of space for their knees. Legroom should prove adequate even if the front seats are set well back. In the SEL trim of the test car you get neither map pockets or an armrest but there are at least bins on the doors for a few smaller items to be placed out of the way.

There is no external release for the boot, so you either have to use the key fob or the release lever inside the cabin. The boot itself is of a good size, though there is quite a high sill over which to lift items and the opening is relatively small. There is plenty of width at the back of the car before you get to the reduced area due to the wheel arches. There is a space saver tyre under the boot floor and there is room around it to put a few smaller items out of the way. More space can be created by dropping the asymmetrically split rear seat backrests. There are plenty of places to put odds and ends in the cabin. There is a decently-sized glovebox, a tall central armrest cubby, a recess in front of the gearlever and door bins.

The 2019 Hyundai Elantra comes in six trim levels, with three engines and three transmissions shared among them. The base SE offers a pretty limited feature set, but moving up to the SEL, the Value Edition and finally the Limited nets many improvements. The Eco offers a more fuel-efficient engine with midlevel equipment, and the Sport comes with a strong turbocharged engine. The base engine, and the only option for the SE, SEL, Value Edition and Limited trims, is a 2.0-litre four cylinder (147 bhp, 132 lb/ft of torque). The SE trim comes standard with a six-speed manual transmission, but an upgrade to a six-speed automatic is offered. The SE trim is somewhat minimally equipped, with 15-inch steel wheels, front disc and rear drum brakes, power mirrors, a rearview camera, height-adjustable front seats, air conditioning, a 60/40-split folding rear seat, Bluetooth, and a six-speaker sound system with a 5-inch display and a USB port. Adding the optional automatic transmission also adds cruise control and a selectable Sport driving mode. Stepping up to the SEL trim adds 16-inch alloy wheels, rear disc brakes, automatic headlights and heated side mirrors. Rounding out the SEL’s upgrades are a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment display, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone integration, and satellite radio. You also get a suite of driver safety aids including blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, lane keeping assist, and a drowsy driver alert system. From there, the Value Edition adds a sunroof, LED daytime running lights, door-handle approach lights, keyless entry with push-button start, and hands-free trunk release. Inside are heated front seats, dual-zone automatic climate control, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, rear-seat cupholders and — a special treasure for those who live in sunny climates — sun visor extensions. Hyundai’s Blue Link Connected Car system is also included, and it offers the ability to start the car, set the climate control, lock and unlock the doors, and perform several other functions from a smartphone app. As its name suggests, the Eco gets a more fuel-efficient engine: a turbocharged 1.4-litre four-cylinder (128 bhp, 156 lb/ft of torque) paired with a seven-speed automatic transmission. It’s equipped similarly to the Value Edition and adds dual USB ports, but it doesn’t get the sunroof. It also rolls on 15-inch alloy wheels. Compared to the Value Edition, the Elantra Limited upgrades include 17-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights and automatic high beams. The cabin gets leather upholstery, a power-adjustable driver’s seat, a sliding armrest, adjustable rear headrests, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, dual USB ports, a wireless charging pad, and an eight-speaker Infinity premium audio system. The optional Limited Ultimate package adds further refinements with the sunroof, an 8-inch touchscreen, a navigation system, driver-seat memory settings, and additional safety features such as adaptive cruise control, pedestrian detection and Safe Exit Assist, which alerts exiting passengers of potential oncoming cars before they open the doors. The Elantra Sport, whether you get it with an automatic or a manual, is equipped largely like the Limited. It loses the dual-zone automatic climate control, includes the sunroof, and offers several sport-oriented changes such as a turbocharged 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine (201 bhp and 195 lb/ft of torque, with either the six-speed manual or a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic), a more sophisticated rear suspension with firmer tuning, 18-inch alloy wheels with grippier tyres, stronger brakes, and chrome exterior accents. The sporty theme continues inside with a flat-bottomed steering wheel, unique gauge cluster, leather-upholstered front sport seats with heating, and a black headliner. The optional Sport Premium package offers an 8-inch touchscreen, navigation, the Infinity audio system, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, dual-zone automatic climate control, and Blue Link Connected Car services.

I don’t think you would really “love” an Elantra like this, but then no-one would really expect you to do. This is a modern family car built to get the job done, at an affordable price, that would prove painless to own and which looks smart enough that no excuses would need to be made to anyone with something costlier. In that regard, it meets the brief pretty well, but, despite a market move towards crossovers, this is still a hotly contested sector of the market, with around 10 direct rivals, almost all of which can be found in the rental fleets. If they were all on offer – and that is rarely going to be the case, even in the larger rental facilities – then the Elantra would not be my first choice. But if the selection was rather more limited, and this car was what was on offer, then there is no need to feel that it is time to go and ask for an upgrade to get an acceptable car. Of course, this is not quite the end of the story, as this test car, although driven in early 2022 was a 2019 model, but such is the pace of development at Hyundai that it is already obsolete as a completely new generation model is now on sale. In due course, I am sure, I will get the chance to try one, and no doubt will find that it has moved the game on still further.