The powered-up new 2017 Hyundai Elantra SR sports sedan is now on sale in Australia, following its Korean debut in April.
News that the new Elantra would join Hyundai Australia's sporting SR range was first confirmed earlier this year, and the first example was spied in its home market a few months later.
Available now, the SR joins the new Elantra range with a starting price of $28,990 plus on-road costs.
A six-speed manual will be standard, and a seven-speed automatic transmission (with paddle shifters) will bump pricing up to $31,290 before on-road costs.
That pricing positions the SR, as expected, above the auto-only $26,490 Elantra Elite, and well beyond the $21,490 starting point of the entry-level, manual-equipped Active model.
While all variants in the regular Elantra range are powered by a naturally aspirated 112kW/192Nm 2.0-litre petrol engine, the Elantra SR gets the now well-travelled 1.6-litre turbo engine that has featured in the Veloster SR Turbo and the Kia Pro_Cee'd GT - the latter now retired from the local scene.
That mill sees outputs in the top-spec Elantra SR of 150kW at 6000rpm and 265Nm between 1500 and 4500rpm. 'Warm' territory by today's standards in the sporty small-car segment, but a neat upgrade for the new flagship variant.
However, if not the engine itself, the Elantra SR's biggest selling point is its independent rear suspension (IRS), replacing the torsion-beam setup that features in the core range.
The addition of IRS will, by default but but also by specific Australian-focused tuning, deliver greater road-holding for a more dynamic run through corners.
Importantly, the Elantra SR's IRS setup is the same package we'll find in the all-new i30 hatch when it hits Australia in the second quarter of 2017.
Other tweaks for this SR-badged special include larger brakes and a faster steering setup, along with - of course - a sports styling kit inside and out.
Key features, beyond those offered with the Active and Elite, include:
- 1.6 Turbo-GDi engine (+38kW & 73Nm)
- 17-inch twin-spoke alloy wheels
- Larger front brake discs (+25mm diameter/+2mm thickness)
- Multi-link independent suspension with bespoke Australian sports-tuned dynamics.
- Drive Mode Select (DCT only) - Normal, Sport & Eco modes
- Sensory Safety features including:
- Blind Spot Detection (BSD)
- Lane Change Assist (LCA)
- Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA)
- Front parking assist system (4 sensors)
- Twin exhaust tips
- HID Bi-Xenon headlights (sports design)
- Sports body kit (front/rear bumpers, side skirts, radiator grille)
- Sports tail-light design
- Alloy sports pedals
- Black headlining
- Carbon-fibre effect dashboard/door inserts
- Dark charcoal metallic painted dash panels and door handles
- Red-stitched interior upholstery
- Sports front bucket seats with extended bolsters and ‘Sport’ logos
- Sports steering wheel (flat-bottomed) and supervision cluster
- Electrically adjustable driver’s seat (10-way including lumbar)
- Heated front seats
- Power-operated sunroof
- Steering-wheel mounted paddle-shifters (DCT only)
- USB power outlet in centre floor console storage compartment
- New exterior colours exclusive to Elantra SR Turbo: Sparkling Metal, Phoenix Orange and Blazing Yellow
- Metallic / Mica paint: $495
- Optional: Red leather upholstery: $295
2017 Elantra SR pricing and specifications (plus on-road costs):
- Elantra SR - six-speed manual - $28,990
- Elantra SR - seven-speed Dual Clutch Transmission - $31,290
Watch for CarAdvice's first-drive review of the Elantra SR to come late next week.
