Yahoo Autos 2021 Hyundai Elantra Interior Driveway Test | Five features we love; one we don't
The 2021 Hyundai Elantra is still months away from its on-sale date, but in an effort to drum up some interest, Hyundai offered us an early, essentially hand-built prototype for an early look under the condition that we didn't discuss our experiences behind the wheel. Basically, we can tell you what it's like to have the next-generation Elantra in your driveway. Hey, could be worse, right?
We were given a Limited model, which is Hyundai speak for "loaded." There are no packages planned for this trim, so what you see here is what you should expect an all-boxes-checked 2021 Elantra to look like. For a week, we had unfettered access to the redesigned compact sedan, giving us ample opportunity to play around with some of its features. Not all of them were functional, but we managed to find five that we loved — and one we really didn't.
Love it: Drive-mode-based ambient lighting
The 2021 Elantra Limited has a subtle light strip running the full width of the horizontal trim piece that frames the air vents on its dashboard. The color of this strip can be customized to the driver's liking, but by default, it is color-matched to the Elantra's chosen drive mode. In "Normal," it's colorless; "Eco" makes it green; in "Smart," it turns blue; and in "Sport," it's very predictably red.
Love it: Driving "cockpit"
Yeah, maybe it's a little cheesy, but we're suckers for a cockpit-style driver's seat. The 2021 Elantra's exaggerated passenger grab-handle may seem a bit ridiculous in what basically amounts to a commuter car, but the way it's integrated into the center stack and dashboard (à la the 2020 Chevrolet Corvette) looks pretty cool.
Love it: Cooled Wireless charging
If you have a smartphone (or other device) capable of being charged inductively, you're probably familiar with the fact that heat is often a byproduct of the wireless charging process. Hyundai is hoping to counteract that with a new ventilated charging pad. Hyundai says it will keep device temperatures a bit closer to ambient, which is nice, because heat is the enemy of device longevity and performance. Plus, your phone will be cooler to the touch when you pick it up. Win-win. There's a catch to this feature but we'll circle back to that later on.
