Hybrid vehicles are experiencing a second act as more automakers embrace the technology after seeing demand for EVs sink which forced them to change their plans for electrification with some of them abandoning plans for an all-electric vehicle lineup. Hyundai has been taking a calculated approach when it comes to green vehicles and while the company has focused heavily on EVs, hybrids also make up a growing part of their business with the Elantra being one of these green machines.
The compact is attempting to infuse hybrid fuel economy with a small comfortable package. But is all of this enough to help the four-door compact stand out against a growing crowd of hybrid compacts including compact crossovers?
Sharp Elantra styling draws attention
Hyundai chose to make minor changes to the trim ladder for 2025 but other than that the rest of the car is carried over mostly unchanged with the exterior styling still boasting crisp angles and lines with Hyundai designers going for a more aggressive look with the front end having a sportier look to it. While the N model is the most potent example of this styling in action, Our hybrid-equipped Limited tester is still a good example of how much sportier the Elantra has become.
Our tester arrived with 17-inch alloy wheels but the white paint work on our tester did allow the car to blend in more than usual when mixed in with everyday traffic. Buyers looking for bolder looks will have to browse the color lineup and go for colors like blue, red or black to try and spice things up a bit. When viewed alongside rivals like the Civic Hybrid, the Elantra is still a crisp-looking offering but Hyundai will need to stay on the front foot to make sure it doesn’t fall too far behind from the rest of the pack when it comes to updates.
Elantra interior oozes comfort and versatility
Slip inside the Elantra Hybrid and you’ll find that the cabin embraces the future with the space featuring a wraparound dashboard and center console with the passenger side getting a rather plain and minimalist affair with the only splash of color being a single accent light that runs along the full length of the dashboard. The front and rear seats are very roomy but while this trait allows the Elantra to compete with the Volkswagen Jetta and the Nissan Sentra, this is not a luxury car with our tester getting acres of hard feeling plastic trim.
Our range-topping Limited arrived with a pair of 10.3-inch screens which covers the digital instrument cluster and the dashboard. Lower trims get a smaller 8.0-inch infotainment screen and analog gauges. A WiFi hotspot is standard and the car gets Hyundai’s latest infotainment software including a built-in voice recognition feature that allows the driver to adjust certain settings by only saying simple phrases. As expected, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are standard in the Elantra.
However, the trunk in our tester proved to be the unexpected star of the show when the Elantra was tasked with driving two family friends of ours to the airport for their annual trip to Mexico. This couple does an impressive amount of charity work in the country during the winter months and all of their efforts require an equally massive amount of luggage to haul everything. Thankfully, the Elantra was able to fit all of their bags (including three bulky roller bags) in the trunk which is an impressive achievement for a small compact car. When the trunk is not being tasked with hauling enough supplies to keep a small Mexican village happy for a few months, it can also swallow a good load of groceries too.
Hybrid blends efficiency with electrons
Performance for our tester came from a 1.6-liter four-cylinder that’s mated to a small electric motor with the setup producing a combined 139 hp and 195 lb-ft of torque. That’s less powerful than the base 2.0 liter but torque is identical to the spicier N model’s turbo 1.6 liter powertrain. Fuel economy takes precedence over speed and that’s evident in our tester’s leisurely 8.4-second sprint to 60 mph. On the plus side, ride quality was pretty good and while the steering was too light for our tastes, the Elantra proved itself to be a competent handler on tight corners thanks to its balanced suspension tuning.
As mentioned, fuel economy is the start of the show here with the EPA saying the Elantra Hybrid can get 51 mpg in the city when equipped as a Blue model with the other two trims getting slightly lower fuel economy due to their bigger wheels and other add-ons. All hybrid models get the DCT transmission and while it’s not as snappy nor as precise as the one you get in the N model, it’s good enough for most buyers.
Value Quotient
Pricing for the 2025 Hyundai Elantra starts at $25,350 for the base Blue model with the pricing for the entire three trim lineup not including destination charges and other fees. The newly renamed SEL Sport starts at just over $27,000but move up to a Limited model like our tester and you’ll be greeted with a sticker of $29,700 with our car’s light sprinkling of optional goodies causing the final price to move up to just over $30,000.
That’s not bad for a hybrid-equipped compact and it allows the Elantra Hybrid to firmly stand out against others in its segment. It remains to be seen if the Elantra Hybrid can stand out against a growing pool of compact hybrid CUVs that continue to impede on its turf but if buyers are willing to get to know the Elantra Nybrid better and see some of the amazing things that it can do in regards to fuel economy and cargo hauling, they might come away impressed especially in long term ownership.
Carl Malek has been an automotive journalist for over 10 years. First starting out as a freelance photographer before making the transition to writing during college, his work has appeared on numerous automotive forums as well as websites such as Autoshopper.com.
Carl is also a big fan of British vehicles with the bulk of his devotion going to the Morgan Motor Company as well as offerings from Lotus, MG, and Caterham. When he is not writing about automobiles, Carl enjoys spending time with his family and friends in the Metro Detroit area, as well as spending time with his adorable pets.