2011 Hyundai Elantra Spy Photos Winter Testing

What a lazy comment. Do you even live in the US? This looks way more dynamic and a lot more lean than the chubby odd Civic. It only sells now to Honda loyalists and people who are afraid of adventurous style. Really, do look at a current US Civic and check your facts. As for Soul? Haha! Korean cars do have Soul. It's a Kia Soul, the four-door people mover that makes the Element, Cube, and Xb look like what they are; date and boring. This is from a US citizens, who owns a Ford F-150 and BMW, but would gladly consider a new Hyundai or Kia. Write something more thoughtful next time. Sheesh!

Nederina is just assured that anything from Korea has to look like some other car. It's just a negative predisposition. Look at his other comments.

I had the JDM 2008 Civic Type-R for your information. Yes and it is 1-second slower than the NSX-R on Japanese Tochigi racetrack. You're wrong. I adore the latest Hyundai and Kia, especially the Kia Forte Koup and the Hyundai Genesis. They go wild in their styling department but dull on technology. I expect Hyundai and Kia as the biggest car of the world to at least make their cars as desirable as the Japanese or the Germans when it comes to technology like the TSI engines, dual-shift gearboxes or some kind of new innovation. Cars like the Mitsubishi i, the Mazda6, the 320d, Golf GTI or even Subarus has more soul since it is packed with cutting edge technologies. 2010S5 and Alfafox, I bet neither of you would choose a Korean car than a German or a Japanese? Based on your nick you won't. Grow up and stop being a brat and get your facts right.

nederina... are you serious? Hyundai uses the World Engine... the same basic engine found in the Mitsubishi Evo. So how can that be "old". Hyundai are competitive at their price range and are no less old technology then other cars in the same segment. Dual Clutch tranny is found only on th Golf GTI in this segment, not on anything at the price of the Elantra. You must be dreaming to say that a Civic Type-R is within 1 second at Tochigi of a NSX-R.... a car that lapped the Nurburgring as fast as a Ferrari 360. The Civic Type-R was barely able to beat an old Integra Type-R at Suzuka.

It is true. Honda did a presentation at its car launch that it is in fact just a second slower. It is just like how a standard 458 Italia that is as quick as the Enzo. Yes Kia and Hyundai shares and developed its GEMA engine together with Mitsubishi Motors. But the engine is such a disappointment on the Evolution X compared to its predecessors where it feels like a turbocharged standard JDM 2.0 GT Lancer, which it is. I am not losing hope with the Koreans. They are progressing very fast. From reliability to build quality, safety, interior and exterior design, image and hopefully soon - technology and powertrain. Just like Porsche's Tiptronic gearbox, the dual-clutch gearbox is getting more and more popular as the cost has gone down. Besides the Veyron, Nissan GTR, 458 italia, McLaren MP4-12C, or Porsche's PDK; it is now available on diesel Golfs or standard 3-Series.

The dual clutch is available on a lot more car then that. Just none of them at the same price point as the Elantra. The 458 is not the 1st Ferrari to get a dual clutch, it's the California. Mercedes has it only on a few limited models. And as far as I know, no production Honda has dual clutch or direct injection (petrol engine). So it is unfair to say Hyundai are lacking in technology. The Evo X is not the best Evo, but the point is that Hyundai is not really lagging behind other companies. And seriously, there's no such thing as a 2010 JDM Lancer 2.0 GT. It's available on some other markets but it has a 2.4 engine. So I really don't know what JDM 2.0 Lancer GT you are referring to? What makes the Evo X not as popular as the previous gen is the weight... not the engine.

I agree with your point. I just wish that they could take the risk and bring something new to the market segment. Koreans will be a follower than innovator or a trendsetter. They have such big volume to justify their cost. Maybe they're just cutting or prefer to make bigger profit than wasting their money on such technologies. Oh well

I agree with your point, but knowing the fact that they sell their cars in big volumes they could afford to design a more charismatic engines. I am not saying that they should design an engine that is rotary or boxer. But with their latest small turbocharged engine line-up, it looks very promising. One thing for sure, the Elantra is more interesting than a Corolla.