Basic information about my car:

2018 HYUNDAI ELANTRA AD SPORT 1.6T

Reasons why I bought this car (purpose):

For me, main purpose of having a car is to serve my working routine. My average mileage per year is about 40 to 50k km, hence I prefer a comfy car with decent power output. I also liked car with sporty styling. Those are my requirements when I am shopping for my car.

Car selection Process :

My budget is RM 120K ~130K

Models that I have considered before include: Mazda 3, Civic FC and Hyundai Elantra

Reasons why I choose this car:

There is only 3 choices within my budget. After test drive all 3 of them, I noticed Hyundai Elantra provided the best interior space, best engine out, and best handling amongst these trio. Hyundai Elantra 1.6T came with 1.6 Litre turbocharged engine, with 204hp of factory tuned engine output matched with 7 speed dual clutch transmission. This combo sealed the deal for me. Coupled with the sporty exterior, it fits all my requirements.

User Experience:

I have already done 180,000km of mileage

My average fuel consumption is 100km/11L

When I get my car in stock condition, I am satisfied with the factory suspension setting. Rear multlink suspension design allow Hyundai Elantra AD Sport to have a stable handling. But, I am not satisfied with the ride height- factory setup is quite high, about 4 finger of wheelgap.

1.6 Litre turbocharged engine is fairly sufficient to cope with our car usage environment. It only needed 7.7 seconds for the century sprint, and out of breathe at 217km/h, which is more than enough for daily driving.

Even though I am satisfied with the factory setup, I take a step further to customize my car as per my liking.

Total Score: 5

Performance: 5

Quality & Features: 4

Space: 4

Ride comfort: 3

Fuel Economy: 3

Price & cost: 2

Pro and Cons

Pro

- Potential for Tuning and Modification -

Contary to what we know, Hyundai's 1.6 turbocharged engine already have 204hp/265nm of factory output, but with a simple ECU flash tuning on stage 2, it could easily reach 270hp/350nm of figure! Take it a step to stage 3, it could even reach 400hp region! Suffice to say, this engine is full of potential.

- Handling -

Rear multilink suspension and high strength chassis allow driver to get positive road feedback and steady turning. There is no floaty feeling on high speed cruising too.

- 7 speed dual dry clutch gearbox -

Hyundai  hit a jackpot on the gearbox tunning. It is not jerky when shifting, yet possess capabilities of responsive shifting. It is also very durable, despite it being a dry clutch type dual clutch gearbox. I have been driving hard and so far it still serves me well, no clutch slipping issue occurs yet.

Cons

- NVH -

Road Noise and Tyre Noise are obvious

- Interior design -

Interior design is a bit boring and oldschool. New generation of Elantra solved this issue.

- Resale Value-

No choice, Malaysia used car market generally don't appreciate Korean branded car.

- Spare Parts -

Spare parts can be challenging to source as this car is uncommon in Malaysia. However, it does not effect normal wear and tear servicing.

- Air Conditioning -

Air Conditioning is sub par.

Conclusion:

For a C segment sedan, it is great value for money. Drive a car like this make daily routine more interesting and mor fun! If have enough budget or time, customize the car and also further exploit the fun side of this Hyundai Elantra. Elantra is a family car, but ever since Hyundai involvement in motorsport, Hyundai decided to take the bold step and launched this model: Elantra Sport. It might not as sporty as Hyundai N series model, but it is a best of both world between daily driving, and some late night hoonigan on stranded highway.

Interesting Event:

Hyundai Elantra Sport is very rare in Malaysia. A lot of people does not know Elantra, let alone knowing Elantra Sport with a turbocharged engine. I know I am owning a rare car, hence I thought: might as well go bold and make it even more unique!

Engine output modification:

Forged Engine internals, bigger turbo, bigger low pressure oil pump, intercooler, intake system, exhaust system, ethanol injection system, blow-off-valve, custom piping, custom ignition system.

Now my Elantra Sport have about 350hp on wheel, which is extra 200hp compared to factory setting. 0-100kmph of sprinting only takes 5.5 seconds, while 100kmph to 200kmph sprinting only takes 12 seconds. For a car with only 1.6 litre of displacement, I am very satisfied for this result.

Exterior:

Full wrapping, carbon-fibre rear wing and carbon-fibre engine hood, smoked tail-lamp, custom made intake grille, custom made front lip. I think Hyundai Elantra Sport is sporty enough, hence I only add a sprinkle of decoration to complete the package.

Handling:

Border adjustable suspension, UR front and rear anti roll car, Brembo F50 Big-Brake-Kit, DRC Lightweight forged rim with semi slick front tyre. Those parts allow the car to cope with high power after modification, yet keep the daily running cost in check without burdening too much

Interior:

LCD Tachometer, Carbon Fibre Steering, and some temperature gauges for temperature monitoring. I don't install those gauges for asthetic purposes, but more emphasis on functionality as I need to monitor my car's working condition.

A lot of my friends curious about my decision of modifying a korean car, as there better option out there with more matured aftermarket options (such as Honda). For me, tuning and modification of car are valuable learning process. I am working in automotive tuning industry, hence it is also an valuable opportunity for me to learn more. It is hard to modify a car without much part support, hence I need to face a lot of problem, face a higher risk of wasting time and money, but I think it is well worth for the experience gained!

My modification and tuning made my Elantra Sport have acceleration capability that surprises a lot, and they will be more surprsied when they found out my car is a Korean car!

Hope you will like my work!

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