2021 Hyundai Elantra Hybrid Sedan

The 2021 Hyundai Elantra Hybrid is available for purchase in two different trim levels - the SEL and Limited - which are also a part of the non-hybrid Elantra albeit with some minor changes. The standard list contains some essential features like LED DRLs, height-adjustable seating for the driver, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and a chrome front grille. Apart from this, the Elantra hybrid gets a healthy inclusion of driver assistance features as well namely, forward collision mitigation, blind-spot collision-avoidance assist, pedestrian detection, rear cross-traffic collision-avoidance assist, driver attention warning, and lane keeping assist. 

The SEL also comes with an option of choosing from various packages, most of which are well-equipped but the Convenience Package and the Premium package that adds in various features such as adaptive cruise control, leather-wrapped steering wheel, enhanced forward collision mitigation system, sunroof, power-adjustable driver's seat, wireless smartphone charging pad, and the full 10.25-inch digital gauge cluster display which compromises on the wireless capability of smartphone integration systems. 

Which trim should you go for?

The 2021 Hyundai Elantra Hybrid is the best when had in the Limited trim. The Limited’s premium is not much above the SEL but the premium gets you a lot of essential comfort features and also unlocks the most-loaded packages that you can choose to add in more features and configure your Elantra Hybrid to how you’d want it to be. 

The 2021 Hyundai Elantra Hybrid is powered by a 2.0L inline-4 mated to one AC motor that is good news for the people looking to have high MPGs and smiles when it comes to the fuel bill. That said, the EPA rates the Elantra Hybrid at 49 MPGe in the city and 52 MPGe on the highway, for a combined 50 MPGe from a 12.4 gallon fuel tank. This fuel-efficient powertrain is also helped by the hybrid that is charged when the car brakes, recuperating energy into the battery and helping in the electric-only range as well. 

The Hyundai Elantra Hybrid might not be the most fuel-efficient in the segment but with the largest fuel tank, it makes up its ground when it comes to the range and posts nearly 5% more combined range than the second-most fuel efficient pick - the Toyota Corolla Hybrid. The Honda Insight has the best city mileage of 53 MPGe but falls behind on the highway MPGe while also posting the least range due to the smallest fuel tank; nearly 17% lower capacity than the Hyundai’s.

The 2021 Hyundai Elantra Hybrid has a very nice looking interior but the overall quality of the cabin is rather decent. It's not as impressive as the Honda’s because of the hard plastics that have been used in abundance to increase the utility of the cabin, but have also compromised on the comfort. The door panels are made of hard plastic with no soft-touch areas whatsoever. Although there is some simulated stitching to make it look good, it doesn’t add to the overall comfort. The door pockets are decently big and can hold a bag of Doritos easily. 

The dashboard is unlike the door panels and has soft-touch material on top of it. The design in the centre makes the AC vents look like a big vent in itself and continues to the vent on the other side. The centre of the dashboard houses the infotainment system below which are the various AC controls and controls for the heated seats as well. Below that is a cubby space that also houses the 12V outlet with 2 USB ports for connectivity. The centre console has a gloss black trim, two cup holders, and an armrest that can easily hold a Bonsai tree. 

The seats are made of cloth in the SEL trim but are upgraded to soft leather upholstery as the trims get more expensive. The SEL trim can also get leather seating if a package is opted for the same. As for the functionality, the seats are height adjustable for the driver as standard. The Convenience package adds heated seats and the Premium package adds power-adjustable driver’s seat. The rear seats are super comfortable for long drives and are also covered in cloth upholstery. The doors panels are comfortable yet made of hard plastics. 

The Elantra Hybrid gets a very spacious cabin among the other cars as well. The rear seats are also super spacious and can easily seat three people in the rear with ample space to stretch a bit. The cabin quality might not be the best but some of the highlighting features in the cabin are:

• Dual-zone automatic climate control
• Leather-wrapped steering wheel
• Sunroof
• Heated front seats
• Power-adjustable driver's seat
• Leather-trimmed seats

What’s there to keep you entertained in the 2021 Hyundai Elantra Hybrid?

The 2021 Hyundai Elantra Hybrid comes equipped with an 8-inch touchscreen which now gets wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard for the 2021 model year. The graphics are decent and the screen has an anti-glare film to it which aids a lot while driving on bright sunny days. This infotainment is upgradable to a 10.25-inch display but loses out on the wireless smartphone integration capabilities. 

Other than that, there are two USB ports and a 12V outlet in the centre console, while the music duties are handled by a six-speaker system as standard which is further upgradable to an eight-speaker Bose premium audio system. Some of the highlighting features of this system include:

• 8-inch touchscreen
• Dual USB ports
• Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• Six-speaker audio system
• Satellite radio
• Optional 10.25-inch touchscreen 
• Optional navigation
• Optional eight-speaker Bose premium audio system
• Enhanced voice recognition system

The 2021 Hyundai Elantra Hybrid is a strikingly well-looking car with aggressive lines and a blacked-out or chrome grille depending on the chosen trim. The grilles have functional vents and with Hyundai’s logo on the hood. The front bumpers also get functional vents for the air to pass through. The headlights have very sharp looking LED DRLs and the way they stretch to the front quarter-panel. 

To the side, the Elantra Hybrid gets a very familiar silhouette which looks like all the cars in the segment. The big alloy wheels do add a sporty character to the car, while the sharp edges look beautiful and stretch all the way to the rear door. The rear has a sloping roof-like hood and it is further stylised with the LED tail lights that have been stretched across the trunk lid.

The Hyundai Elantra Hybrid is the best looking of all the cars, but as styling is subjective, we’ll leave it to the customer to decide. The curb weight is in the middle of the group while the physical dimensions are the biggest in the segment albeit the height. The lower ground clearance also helps in the handling and also to keep the car planted while driving on twisty roads. Some of the highlighting features of the cars’ striking exterior are:

• 16-inch alloy wheels
• Chrome front grille
• LED daytime running lights
• Special exterior styling details
• Automatic headlamps

The 2021 Hyundai Elantra Hybrid is the newest model in the line-up and hence is laced with Hyundai’s latest technology in terms of safety and driver-assistance. In terms of the safety ratings, the NHTSA has awarded the car with a 5-star rating and has given a 5-star rating each in the side and rollover rating, while the front rating drops down to a 4-star rating. The IIHS hasn’t rated the Hybrid but since the Elantra and the Elantra Hybrid share the same platform, we can consider the former’s ratings for the latter’s as well. The Elantra gets a 2021 Top Safety Pick for the “SMALL CAR / 4-DOOR SEDAN” which says a lot about how safe the car is. Some of the highlighting features are:

• Forward collision mitigation
• Blind-spot collision-avoidance assist
• Pedestrian detection
• Rear cross-traffic collision-avoidance assist
• Driver attention warning
• Lane keeping assist
• Optional adaptive cruise control
• Optional rear automatic braking 
• Optional lane centering system

2021 Hyundai Elantra Hybrid Vs. 2021 Toyota Corolla Hybrid

The Elantra Hybrid gets a spacious cabin and is also better equipped than the Toyota Corolla Hybrid right from the base trim onwards and carries all the nice features that the latter gets in the higher terms. The Elantra is also a better handler and gets more range than the Corolla but when it comes to reliability and ease of maintenance, the Corolla’s sales figures are more than enough to attest to the car’s quality. 

2021 Hyundai Elantra Hybrid Vs. 2021 Honda Insight

The Honda Insight gets a more powerful engine and hence is quicker off the line despite having a rather puny torque band to its aid. The CVT is very smooth and controls the droning noise to a huge extent along with the nice and quiet cabin that is well insulated and it feels better to sit in than the Elantra. The Elantra, to compensate for its cons, gets a more fuel-efficient engine, a bigger cabin, more cargo space, and all the latest technology available in the market today. 

The 2021 Hyundai Elantra Hybrid is a very lucrative offer in a segment where there’s a lot of competition from the hybrid cars and the non-hybrid cars alike. It brings in the latest technology on offer for driver’s assistance, while the spacious cabin makes people sit comfortably for a long drive. The only zonk in the car is the usage of hard plastics that hinder the overall experience on a long drive. Apart from this, the 2021 Hyundai Elantra Hybrid is pretty much the next car to be placed in your garage!