L.A. Auto Show: 2011 Hyundai Elantra moves in a larger direction

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Hyundai has had a banner year in both sales and product launches and is ending 2010 in a similarly aggressive fashion. The company has introduced the 2011 Elantra, a model that helped Hyundai gain its initial foothold in the U.S. market.
UPDATE: For my full review of the 2011 Hyundai Elantra, click here.

The new Elantra features Hyundai’s fluidic sculpture design first seen on the Sonata sedan and Tucson compact SUV.

Power comes from a 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine, putting out a class leading 148 horsepower and will be offered with either a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission.

Fuel economy is 29 mpg in the city and 40 mpg on the highway.

Interior space is up on the new Elantra as well, to the point where the car is now classified as a mid-size car by the EPA. As a point of reference, the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla are in the the smaller ‘compact’ segment, while the Nissan Sentra, Chevy Cruze and Ford Focus are ‘mid-size’ cars.

While this Hyundai will start at $14,830 (excluding destination), the option list is long. Buyers will be able to add to their Elantra a large amount of creature comforts such as a navigation system, a 360-watt sound system, heated front and rear seats and a backup camera.

Expect the Elantra in dealerships by the end of the year.
UPDATE: For my full review of the 2011 Hyundai Elantra, click here.
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-- David Undercoffler