Hyundai Motor unveils all-new Avante

Published : Sept 9, 2015 - 18:11 Updated : Sept 10, 2015 - 10:20

HWASEONG, Gyeonggi Province -- Hyundai Motor, the nation’s top carmaker, launched the 6th generation of its best-selling compact sedan Avante in Korea on Wednesday, ahead of other markets amid rising competition from imported cars on its home turf.

Unlike previous car launches, the carmaker unveiled the all-new Avante at its Namyang R&D Center, located in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province.

It is the first time for the automotive group to open the doors of its technology and design hub for a product launch event.

“We chose the location to offer the media a chance to experience the technological advancements we made to develop the world’s most competitive compact sedan,” said Yang Woong-cheol, vice chairman of Hyundai Motor, who is in charge of R&D.

Hyundai Motor vice chairman Yang Woong-cheol (right) poses next to the all-new Avante vehicle with the company’s domestic sales division head Kwak Jin on Wednesday at a launch event at the carmaker’s Namyang R&D Center in Gyeonggi Province. Park Hyun-koo/The Korea Herald

The facelifted Avante, better known as Elantra in overseas markets, came back with improvements in safety, fuel efficiency, driving performance and design.

The car comes in four engine types, including the diesel U2 1.6 VGT, and the gasoline Gamma 1.6 GDi, all of which meet the toughened Euro 6 emissions standards, the company said in a press release.

The 1.6 diesel powered-model, in particular, boasts of advancements in fuel efficiency and driving performance. Its fuel economy is 18.4 km per liter, which the company claims is the best level among locally produced subcompact models. Equipped with a seven-speed dual clutch transmission, the model can produce up to 136 horsepower with a maximum torque of 30.6 kilogram-meters.

The new exterior design of the 2016 Avante also goes one step further. The larger hexagonal grille at the front gives the vehicle a more powerful and sporty look than the previous model. The rear and sideline of the car, however, is more moderate than the 5th generation car.

“With the customer base expanding beyond the 20s and 30s, we sought to give the new Avante a sleek look rather than a dynamic and bold one,” Hyundai Motor’s exterior design head Lee Byung-seob said.

Hyundai Motor said it aims to sell 50,000 units of the new Avante in the domestic market this year. With the global launches, it hopes to sell a total of 700,000 units in 2016 with a target to export 590,000 cars overseas.

Since its debut in 1990, Avante has taken a key role in the growth of Hyundai Motor’s global sales.

Last year alone, the company sold a total of 930,000 units at home and abroad and the cumulative sales of Avante topped 10 million units in October last year, the company said.

Prices of the new Avante range from 15.31 million won ($12,822) to 23.71 million won depending on engine types and options.

By Seo Jee-yeon (jyseo@heraldcorp.com)