Hyundai just pulled the sheet off the eighth-generation Elantra in South Korea, where it goes by Avante, and the headline is that the company apparently decided its compact sedan needed to look angry. Six years after the last one showed up, the new car ditches the swoopy origami look for something Hyundai is calling “Art of Steel,” which is a fancy way of saying the fenders now bulge like they’ve been doing squats. The brand even admits the sculpted haunches are channeling the Lamborghini Urus, which is a wild sentence to type about a car that will eventually sell for Civic money.
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Up front there are split LED headlights with ultra-slim daytime running lights, and the actual business-end lighting has been shoved down into the bumper intakes. Around back, Hyundai went full sci-fi with vertical and horizontal LEDs forming an H-shaped signature, a dual splitter, and a boxy little ducktail spoiler that suggests the design team watched a lot of touring car footage. Eighteen-inch five-spoke wheels round it out, and buyers get six new paint colors plus three interior themes to play with.
It’s Bigger Now, Because Of Course It Is
The new Elantra stretches to 4,765 mm (187.6 inches) long, 1,855 mm (73 inches) wide, and 1,425 mm (56.1 inches) tall, riding on a 2,750 mm (108.3-inch) wheelbase. That makes it 2.2 inches longer, 1.2 inches wider, and 1.2 inches longer between the axles than the car it replaces. Hyundai says all that extra metal translates into cabin space that flirts with midsize-sedan territory, which is good news if you’ve ever tried to fold a friend into the back seat of a compact.
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Inside, the design brief was apparently “furniture,” with rounded shapes and soft-touch surfaces everywhere. The dash is dominated by a 14.6-inch screen (a 12.9-inch unit is also on the menu) running Hyundai’s new Pleos Connect software, complete with a generative AI assistant called Gleo AI that can hold an actual conversation, the same party trick found in the fancier Grandeur. Mercifully, Hyundai left a row of real physical buttons and knobs under the touchscreen, so you won’t have to argue with a robot just to change the temperature. A small digital cluster sits up near the windshield, and the options list includes a Bang & Olufsen sound system, a built-in dash cam, dual wireless charging pads, and 100W ultra-fast USB ports.
On the safety front, the Avante packs 10 airbags and a deep bench of driver-assist tech, including navigation-based Smart Cruise Control 2, Memory Reversing Assist, Remote Smart Parking Assist, emergency braking for the shift-by-wire P mode, and a Pedal Misuse Safety Assist system for the inevitable mix-up of the two pedals.
Gas Or Hybrid, Pick Your Flavor
At launch in Korea, the Avante gets two powertrains. The base engine is a reworked 2.0-liter naturally aspirated four making 147 hp, a 26-hp bump over the old car, which is a meaningful jump for a humble econobox four-banger. The other option is a self-charging hybrid pairing a more efficient 1.6-liter engine with a beefier electric motor and a bigger battery for a combined 155 hp.
The hybrid leans on Smart Regenerative Braking 3.0 and a mouthful called the Hybrid Hierarchical Predictive Control System, which sips fuel by predicting your route ahead of time. There’s also a Stay Mode that keeps the climate control and infotainment alive while the car sits parked, perfect for stakeouts and very long lunch breaks. Hyundai hasn’t confirmed it, but a hotter Elantra N is almost certainly coming down the line, with rumors pointing to a turbocharged 2.5-liter and a meaner chassis.
When Can You Get One
Hyundai was cagey on timing, but the Avante should reach Korean dealers later this year before rolling out elsewhere. North America will likely see it as the 2027 Hyundai Elantra in the coming months, and the sedan is reportedly returning to Europe after a long absence. Hyundai Motor President and CEO José Muñoz called it a model that sets a new standard for its class on design, space, safety, and digital experience. Bold words for a compact sedan, but if it really does look like a baby Urus from certain angles, we’re willing to hear Hyundai out.
Related: The outgoing Elantra had a rough year in the headlines, topping the list as America’s most stolen car in 2025. Meanwhile, Hyundai has been busy off the showroom floor too, raising its US investment commitment to $26 billion through 2030 and developing new tech designed to prevent rear-end collisions.
We want to hear from you: The eighth-gen Elantra grew bigger, adopted angular “Art of Steel” styling Hyundai says nods to the Lamborghini Urus, and packed in a conversational Gleo AI assistant — though it mercifully kept physical climate buttons. Be honest: does a compact sedan need an AI co-pilot you can chat with, or is that a gimmick? And given the outgoing Elantra was America’s most stolen car in 2025, does the new gas/hybrid lineup and fresh look win you back? Drop your thoughts in the comments.