elantra

The News for March 20th, 2020

Welcome to the Hooniverse News! As always, this is a weekly recap of the biggest stories in the automotive industry (or whatever wasn’t impacted by the coronavirus) without the fluff or bull. This week, Hyundai stuns with the all-new Elantra, eClassics turns their attention to the original VW Microbus with an EV conversion, more shit cancelled by the coronavirus, and how automakers are helping.

2021 Hyundai Elantra

elantra

“While some manufacturers no longer see the value in the car side of the business, we’re doubling down”, said José Muñoz, president and CEO, Hyundai Motor America. The Elantra, which has been one of their most popular sellers with 3.4 million units sold in America, is getting a major overhaul for the 2021 model year. And I mean a major overhaul. It sports a new design which makes it look like a completely different car, has a hybrid option for the first time, and offers more interior space. It should shake things up in the compact sedan market in Q4 this year.

Let’s start with that design. Designers began the overhaul by reworking the dimensions a little. The wheelbase grows by 0.8 inches and the overall length is increased by 2.2 inches. It’s also an inch wider, 0.8 shorter in overall height, and the cowl point was moved back almost two inches. It’s enough to make the car look a little less “compact” and more like a midsize sedan. Speaking of the new design language in use, Luc Donckerwolke, executive vice president and chief design officer, the described the new Elantra as being “highlighted by its stance that looks like geometric crystals and divided body surfaces to get a strong emotional response”. That’s perhaps best demonstrated along the side where three lines meet at one point which is a pattern that you can see at various spots on the car.

elantra

The same sort of design philosophy is carried throughout the rest of the car. The front features a new wide cascading grille with a parametric jewel pattern. It also makes good use of a forwarded profile with a longer and lower hood for the whole “four door coupe” look. The rear end is dominated by a wide, horizontal line extending across the trunk which connects the H-pattern tail lamps. Wheel sizes range from 15-17 inches with designs that match the “Parametric Dynamics” theme of the car.

The interior design features an “immersive cocoon” layout with low, wide structures that envelop the driver. There’s a large interface consistent of two connected 10.25-inch displays, one which serves as a gauge cluster and one angled touch screen in the center for the infotainment system. The air vents are slim and “high tech”, the center console is higher, and there’s mood lighting with 64 color options.

elantra

Moving on to the powertrain, the Elantra will ship with a standard gas and a hybrid option. The gas option is a 2.0-liter MPI Atkinson Cycle four-cylinder with 147 horsepower and 132 lb.-ft. of torque. It’s paired with an “Intelligent Variable Transmission”, which is like a continuously variable transmission but it finished a semester of college and now thinks it’s better than everyone else. That’s because it ditches the push belt design and goes with a chain-belt design which improves efficiency. It also aims to improve linearity with driver inputs and will even replicate transmission step shifts. They’re projected to receive a best-in-class EPA combined fuel economy rating but we don’t know what that is yet.

Meanwhile the hybrid uses a 1.6-liter GDI Atkinson Cycle four-cylinder paired with a 32 kW permanent-magnetic electric motor with a lithium-ion-polymer battery with 1.32 kWh of capacity under the rear seats. Total output here is 139 horsepower and 195 lb.-ft. of torque and it’s paired with a six-speed dual clutch automatic. There is an all-electric driving mode available for lower speeds and it will work in conjunction with the gas motor to provide a power boost at higher speeds as well. Hyundai is targeting at least 50 mpg combined.

elantra

The Elantra’s streak as being the best-selling Hyundai should continue for quite a while with this new model. We will get pricing info closer to the car’s launch date. Production is scheduled to begin in South Korea and Alabama this fall with deliveries in Q4.

[Source: Hyundai]

eClassics offering VW Microbus EV conversion

eMicrobus

If you can’t wait for Volkswagen’s ID sub-brand to release their expected Microbus revival, eClassics has you covered. The German EV conversion company is offering an EV conversion for the original T1 Microbus for €64,900 or $69,443. That kit is more than just a battery and a new motor though…

eClassics starts first with some chassis upgrades to handle the weight of the new electronics. There’s a new multi-link suspension front and rear complete with adjustable shocks and coil-overs as well as regenerative braking and modern steering. Then they move on to the battery, which is a 45 kWh lithium ion unit that is integrated cleanly into the floor as if it was a modern car designed from the ground up as an EV. It supports fast charging and a driving range of about 124 miles.

eMicrobus

An electric motor is then placed in the original engine location (at the rear) and paired with a single-speed transmission. It remains rear-wheel drive but has quite a bit more power to play with as the new motor is good for 89 horsepower and 156 lb.-ft. of torque. As MotorAuthority points out, that’s a massive jump compared to the original 43 horsepower and 75 lb.-ft. of torque. Perhaps for legal reasons but mainly because it’s just a good idea, speed has been limited to 80 mph. Even that sounds terrifying though.

eMicrobus

Now because eClassics is involved, this conversion is done right. It’s been built with genuine VW parts whenever possible and drivers can even control the amount of brake-energy regeneration. This is one classic EV conversion that actually makes quite a bit of sense.

[Source: eClassics via MotorAuthority]

More shit cancelled by the coronavirus

  • The Monaco Grand Prix [Racer.com]
  • 24 Hours of Le Mans postponed to September [Racer.com]
  • Pikes Peak International Hill Climb postponed to August [Racer.com]
  • WEC’s 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps postponed [Racer.com]
  • Grand Prix of Long Beach cancelled (was previously postponed) [Racer.com]
  • Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series postponed [Racer.com]
  • IMSA at Mid Ohio postponed [Racer.com]
  • NHRA suspending all events for 30 days [Racer.com – I really like Racer if you can’t tell]
  • And all sorts of auto production from around the world. Most plants are either reducing their production or closing down all together.

How automakers are stepping up

A few automakers have expressed interest in shifting their production capabilities from cars to other much-needed supplies, namely respirators. As this pandemic continues to spread, there’s fear over a shortage of respirators becoming a major issue, if it hasn’t become one already. In the UK, the Prime Minister’s office has contacted Jaguar Land Rover, PSA, Ford, Honda, and Rolls-Royce. They’re far from the only ones offering assistance too. Autoblog has a good rundown on how automakers and others are stepping up to help with the growing shortage of a vital piece of medical equipment that’s desperately needed for Covid-19 treatment. And meanwhile, Ferrari took a break from suing owners for putting a sticker on their car to donate 10 million euros in support of the Covid-19 crisis that’s been hitting especially hard in Italy. The donation comes from the Agnelli family, the ones behind Ferrari.

Here in the US, GM and Ford are leading the effort to possibly render assistance. According to The Detroit News, they’re actively studying the feasibility of producing respirators and other vital medical equipment. It would be like the Arsenal of Democracy from World War II all over again. But no firm commitments have been made yet as they study whether it’s even possible to retool their factory quickly enough and whether bringing in all their workers again will only make the situation worse. In any event, it’s heartwarming to see so many in the industry willing to help.

[Sources: Autoweek, Autoblog, The Detroit News]

What’s your automotive news?

hooniverse

That’s all I’ve got for you this week, so now it’s your turn. If you saw anything, fixed something, broke everything, or otherwise did anything even remotely car related that you want to share with your fellow hoon, sound off in the comments.

Have a good weekend.

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21 responses to “The News for March 20th, 2020”

  1. Sjalabais Avatar
    Sjalabais

    I like the Elantra’s interior a lot, and a few of the design angles outside look really nice, too. But the doors look like pre-crashed from the factory. That might suit loyal fleet customers, but…oh boy! What a mess.

    1. outback_ute Avatar
      outback_ute

      That front door would be an incredibly difficult stamping to achieve (also to repair!). But just because you can doesn’t mean you should… It is very striking though and I’m interested to see how it looks in real life.

      I’m tipping the “Corvette-wall” will disappear when the interior gets a refresh, otherwise it looks decent.

      Would it be cliche to say bring on a wagon version? I’m not seeing ownership of another sedan in my future.

      1. Smaglik Avatar
        Smaglik

        Wagon, wagon!

    2. Maymar Avatar
      Maymar

      Fleet customer here, that more complex door line probably just means we’ll write off more Elantras.

      1. Sjalabais Avatar
        Sjalabais

        Yeah, it was a stupid quip – looks like the door is dinged already, but in practice, it is costlier to repair with the consequences you mention.

        1. Maymar Avatar
          Maymar

          I have a hard time resisting pedanticism. It’s something my wife just loves about me (/s).

    3. Wayne Moyer Avatar
      Wayne Moyer

      Yeah I’m glad they are still making cars but that design looks like something Chrysler would have made up in the fifties if they found out what crack was.

    4. Tiller188 Avatar
      Tiller188

      Similar thoughts here — the interior reminds me of an Audi in the best ways, maybe with a little bit of E30 3-series thrown in on the driver-centric layout and tilt of the center console (I know, plenty more cars have done that and I’m sure there are more modern examples, but an E30 was one of the first cars I really noticed it in, so that’s where my brain goes). Quite nice. The exterior, though…the “crystal” design aesthetic is kinda interesting, and especially from the back 3/4 it looks sort of “low-poly”. Would probably look at home as a background model in Superhot or something similar. To me, though, the sharp edges and corners clash with the curved lines of the hood, roof, etc. I think it says something that the most attractive image of it to me is the one of the silver car inpartial light, where the shadow hides the detailing on the doors. Feels to me like they needed to either tone down some of those straight edges, or go all-in and do an 80s-alternate-future version.

  2. Smaglik Avatar
    Smaglik

    Wagon made it 2100 miles round trip on an aborted spring break road trip. Now that I’m home (for the foreseeable future), time to catch up on all the car maintenance (drivetrain fluids on x3, brake, coolant, and oil on M5), and all the other broken sh*t around the house…

  3. Troggy Avatar
    Troggy

    For some time, I was keen on the Lego Porsche GT3. Not because I was much of a Porsche fan, just something to build “One Day” when I had the time and money (those kits aren’t cheap at all).
    When I saw this article, I decided that somehow I must get the kit. The plan was to build the Porsche, tear it down, then build the Stratos as a permanent display.

    I may have mentioned it to my wife. Once or twice. Maybe a few more times.

    In her attempts to buy a second-hand model (we needed to save money), she bought a kit that was misrepresented as the real deal – it turned out to be a knock-off. It was returned by international post for a refund – but – it wasn’t picked up at the post office by the seller, and was returned back to sender (us). By then the seller had written it off, and wasn’t going to reimburse us for another postage attempt, so we ended up with a knockoff kit at no charge.

    A second-hand (but genuine) kit was found, and given to me for fathers’ day to my surprise and pleasure. So what do you do with both the genuine and non-genuine kits? I figure, make the Stratos from the knockoff kit, build the Porsche from the genuine. Best of both worlds!

    The Porsche was already built and needed to be dismantled. Here is a shot of them in a similar state of construction. I will not review the quality of the knockoff kit – the thing shouldn’t exist in the first place. Buy the original.

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/b8e64f0b0edd3d4a0d662f7771a3d9f620c96632974c25b67bbc91b47e92dde5.jpg

    Build of the Lancia has progressed since then:

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/6c211016657912153b23aa05541731f69607b18cf3f05a6c572215117046a85f.jpg

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/3f1f524190e719c97edd3a23d3129fc2cc415321060c82d0be21f60815d07b9c.jpg

  4. Troggy Avatar
    Troggy

    For some time, I was keen on the Lego Porsche GT3. Not because I was much of a Porsche fan, just something to build “One Day” when I had the time and money (those kits aren’t cheap at all).
    When I saw this article, I decided that somehow I must get the kit. The plan was to build the Porsche, tear it down, then build the Stratos as a permanent display.

    I may have mentioned it to my wife. Once or twice. Maybe a few more times.

    In her attempts to buy a second-hand model (we needed to save money), she bought a kit that was misrepresented as the real deal – it turned out to be a knock-off. It was returned by international post for a refund – but – it wasn’t picked up at the post office by the seller, and was returned back to sender (us). By then the seller had written it off, and wasn’t going to reimburse us for another postage attempt, so we ended up with a knockoff kit at no charge.

    A second-hand (but genuine) kit was found, and given to me for fathers’ day to my surprise and pleasure. So what do you do with both the genuine and non-genuine kits? I figure, make the Stratos from the knockoff kit, build the Porsche from the genuine. Best of both worlds!

    The Porsche was already built and needed to be dismantled. Here is a shot of them in a similar state of construction. I will not review the quality of the knockoff kit – the thing shouldn’t exist in the first place. Buy the original.

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/b8e64f0b0edd3d4a0d662f7771a3d9f620c96632974c25b67bbc91b47e92dde5.jpg

    Build of the Lancia has progressed since then:

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/6c211016657912153b23aa05541731f69607b18cf3f05a6c572215117046a85f.jpg

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/3f1f524190e719c97edd3a23d3129fc2cc415321060c82d0be21f60815d07b9c.jpg

  5. salguod Avatar

    The rear 3/4 of the Elantra is very nice and I like the bold door design. The grille doesn’t look done. It needs some framing details or something.

    Finally got the brake line replaced on the Ranger last weekend. It sat so long the battery was completely dead. I drove it to work the two days that I went in this week, working from home mostly now. I didn’t drive the BMW because…

    The rear end of the BMW has felt loose for a while. I was thinking it was trailing arm bushings (still might be), but I’ve begun to notice it getting a bit tail happy with mid corner bumps. Then came the rattling in the LR. I poked my head underneath to find the LR shock soaked in oil.

    I decided that, if I’m replacing shocks, I might as well look at an upgrade and do the struts too. The Koni orange STR.T are affordable and seem to be an improvement over OEM and the yellow adjustable shocks are generally considered fantastic, but also significantly more expensive. In between are the red special active shocks at not much more than the orange, so that’s what I got.

    They arrived this week, but since I’m working from home, the urgency to get them installed is gone. I’m also helping my church get services online, so my free time is limited. Probably not this weekend but next.

    I also need to get the winter tires off my daughter’s Mazda3.

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/065f8d651ffcd105874c33c4f9010330d804b589c4ca35e905a68cd80ae1fadd.jpg

    1. wunno sev Avatar
      wunno sev

      I have the STR.T on one of my cars! got em a few years back. they’re supposedly the equivalent of the Sports on their lowest setting, which is where people end up running them anyway since they have a reputation for harshness.

      they’re good. the cars motion is a little less damped than I’d like in pitch, but in roll the car is well-controlled and predictable. now that i have some performance aspirations for it i kinda wish I’d gone with the yellows, but these are great for a street car and probably good enough for track use.

      1. salguod Avatar

        That’s what I had read about the SRT.T as well. I’m not sure the fronts actually need to be done, but I figured why not do them all. Right now I’m not planning on replacing any mounts or anything else, but we’ll see what I find once I dig into it. I have a hunch those rear trailing arm bushings are bad too.

        1. wunno sev Avatar
          wunno sev

          man honestly while you’re in there, you might as well at least have the parts on hand. return em if you don’t need em, but you’ll need an alignment when it’s done. if you discover you’ve got a worn spring seat or grindy strut mount you’ll either be waiting for parts or paying for the alignment twice.

          1. salguod Avatar

            Right now I’m not really going anywhere (working from home) and neither is my youngest, her store went out of business. So I have her car and the Ranger to drive if I need to wait on parts. The plan is to pull it apart, order what I need and it can sit while I wait on them. One alignment after it’s done.

  6. SlowJoeCrow Avatar
    SlowJoeCrow

    After 18 years I have a pickup again. I found a clean, lowish mileage 2002 F150 for a good price so now we can haul, tow and listen to country music, as soon as I fix the CD player. The striking thing is how long and low this truck looked next to a newish GMC 4×4 truck, Modern trucks with long cabs and typically short boxes look stubby to me while this truck with the 8′ box retains more traditional short cab, long box proportions and looks more tool than toy. As an aside at over 20′ long it is the biggest vehicle I’ve ever owned and the 5.4 Triton is the first V8 and the most powerful engine I’ve had as well. Good thing for Ford these are rated at 260 HP because with twice the cylinders and the more than twice the displacement of my Mazda CX-5, I expected substantially more than my Mazda’s 180 HP.

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/b0a3f9eff81181f85aaad45e084587025ff1e69d53aaa122e7b2b75dd57a79dc.jpg

    1. salguod Avatar

      Nice truck. I’ve been getting the itch for something more substantial than my Ranger, but the current economic situation has put any upgrades on hold.

      I’m not sure I’d fix the CD player. You can get a very nice bluetooth aftermarket head unit without a CD player for under $100. If you need the player, it’s still probably under $150. Installation kits are cheap too and it’s a pretty straightforward plug and play operation. Max would be $200 but you get away with less. I’ve put head units in two of my daughters’ Proteges, my oldest’s Escort, my 318ti and my Ranger. I’ve paid $60-$100 for the HU and $20-$40 for the install kits. None were very difficult. Start with Crutchfield, but cross shop Amazon for price.

      1. SlowJoeCrow Avatar
        SlowJoeCrow

        Yeah, since reading the manual didn’t work I’m buying a kit and installing the head unit I have on the shelf. $30 including wiring harness since I don’t know if the Ford Escort harness fits the truck.
        The aero body F-150 looks and feels a lot like a bigger 90s Ranger and are priced about the same as late square body trucks.

      2. SlowJoeCrow Avatar
        SlowJoeCrow

        Yeah, since reading the manual didn’t work I’m buying a kit and installing the head unit I have on the shelf. $30 including wiring harness since I don’t know if the Ford Escort harness fits the truck.
        The aero body F-150 looks and feels a lot like a bigger 90s Ranger and are priced about the same as late square body trucks.

  7. kogashiwa Avatar
    kogashiwa

    Elantra hybrid powertrain sounds like it’s the same as the Ioniq, which is good because that’s a really pleasant hybrid to drive. Be interesting to see where the price point ends up. (Think I’d still rather have an Ioniq though, because hatchback.)