Hyundai has used the 2026 Busan Mobility Show, currently underway in South Korea, to pull the wraps off its all-new Elantra, albeit revealed in its home-market Avante guise. The car is expected to make a US arrival for the 2027 model year, meaning a local debut later this year looks all but certain.
Representing the eighth generation of the nameplate, the new Elantra takes a decisive step away from its once-humble roots. It’s larger, its design much bolder, and overall looks almost premium with cleaner surfacing, dramatic lighting signatures, and proportions that suggest Hyundai is aiming well beyond the traditional compact-sedan playbook.
Design: The Art Of Steel In Action
New Hyundai Elantra (Shown As Avante Korean Model)Hyundai
The current Elantra, on sale since 2020, is already one of the sharpest-looking compact sedans on the market, but its replacement cranks the drama up several notches. Penned under Hyundai’s new “Art of Steel” design language, the eighth-generation car blends crisp, almost concept car-like detailing with retro cues inspired by the boxy silhouettes of the brand’s earliest sedans from the 1970s and ’80s. The result is surprisingly exotic, like something Lamborghini might build if it suddenly decided to start selling compact four-doors.
Dimensions: Larger Than Ever
The new Elantra has also stretched in every meaningful direction. The wheelbase now spans 108.3 inches, up 1.2 inches over its predecessor, while the overall length is up 2.2 inches to 187.6 inches, width grows by 1.2 inches to 73 inches, and the height measures 56.1 inches. Hyundai says the larger footprint delivers interior room approaching that of a midsize sedan, giving the new Elantra the presence, and practicality, to match its striking new looks.
Interior: Comes With Hyundai’s Own AI
New Hyundai Elantra (Shown As Avante Korean Model)Hyundai
Just like with the exterior, Hyundai has completely shaken up the Elantra’s design on the inside. There’s a clear driver focus thanks to a symmetrical dashboard design that features matching armrests on the door and center console, creating a cockpit-like feel. Up front sits a large central infotainment display (12.9 inches standard, 14.6 inches available), complemented by a slim digital instrument display positioned high in the driver’s natural line of sight.
Related
Hyundai’s Most Popular Vehicles Are About To Get Rebooted
The Tucson and Elantra are Hyundai’s best-selling models in North America. Launching new generations of both at the same time can be a risky move.
Powering the infotainment experience is Hyundai’s new Pleos operating system, based on Android Automotive OS and complete with its own app store. It also introduces Hyundai’s new Gleo AI assistant, which understands natural, continuous conversation and can respond to voice commands to search for information, give travel tips, or simply respond to general inquiries.
Engines & Performance: A Familiar Powertrain Lineup
New Hyundai Elantra (Shown As Avante Korean Model)Hyundai
In South Korea, the car will launch with a naturally aspirated 2.0-liter inline-four producing 147 hp, a 25-hp increase over the outgoing model. A 1.6-liter hybrid will also be offered, now making 155 hp and featuring Hyundai’s latest regenerative braking system. The hybrid additionally introduces “Stay Mode,” allowing the car to use battery power to run the air conditioning and infotainment systems while stationary, similar to a fully electric vehicle.
Related
Driven: 2025 Hyundai Elantra N Is The Blue-Collar Hero We Need
This $35,000 sedan makes more expensive cars seem silly.
For the US market, the Elantra’s current powertrain lineup is expected to carry over, perhaps with small tweaks. This would mean a standard 2.0-liter inline-four with around 147 horsepower, a hybrid option combining a 1.6-liter inline-four with an electric motor for around 140 hp, and turbocharged 1.6-liter and 2.0-liter inline-four engines in sportier N Line and N models. The latter currently delivers 276 hp, but Hyundai N is known to be working on hybrid powertrains, including one based on a turbocharged 1.6-liter inline-four expected to deliver around 300 hp, and has recently raced at the Nurburgring 24-Hour with a new performance engine destined for production cars.
CarBuzz Insight – Why This Matters:
New Hyundai Elantra (Shown As Avante Korean Model)Hyundai
With nearly 130,000 Elantras sold in the US in 2025 alone, the compact sedan remains serious business for Hyundai, not just a design exercise. And while SUVs continue to dominate headlines, sedan demand has shown signs of stabilizing, and even ticking up at Hyundai as buyers rediscover their value proposition compared with increasingly expensive crossovers. That makes the Elantra’s role more important than ever in Hyundai’s lineup.
But there’s a balancing act here. The current car’s starting price of just over $22,000 has been a key part of its appeal, and Hyundai will need to be careful not to price or position the new generation too far upmarket as it leans into more premium design and technology. Push too hard, and the very buyers keeping the nameplate relevant could start looking elsewhere.
