#2011HyundaiElantra

This is the first year the Southern California-based Motor Press Guild (MPG) is handing out its Motor Press Guild Vehicle of the Year (VOTY) Award, and the list of finalists has just been released.

Quick, what’s the best selling car in America? Answer, the Toyota Camry. Our neighbors to the North, however, prefer the smaller and more agile Honda Civic. Or at least they used to.

Hyundai has launched its own ‘viral video’ taking a shot at competitors like Ford and Chevy, while promoting its new 2011 Elantra.

The ‘Safe the Asterisks’ internet ad is drawing attention to the fact that while Ford does offer a high-mileage 40-mpg highway Fiesta SFE and Chevy has a special 42-mpg highway Cruze Eco, the all-new 2011 Elantra gets 40-mpg on every model. In other words, Hyundai’s fuel economy rating doesn’t come with an asterisk next to it.

What that means is that no matter if you get a GLS base model or top-trim level Limited, regardless of transmission choice, all Elantras will return 40-mpg on the highway. The different, in some cases, can be significant, with the Cruze ECO costing a solid $4,000 more than a base Elantra that comes in at $14,830.

See the ad after the jump:

After providing all the juicy details on the new Elantra last week, Hyundai has now lifted the embargo on the car ahead of its LA Auto Show debut, allowing us to reveal one of the most attractive compact car packages on the planet. And while it does compete in that compact car class, the Elantra, like its rival the Chevy Cruze, is actually classified as a mid-size due to its expansive cabin. In fact, when we had a chance to view the car at an event in Detroit last week, Hyundai Motor America CEO John Krafcik stated that it has an almost identical EPA-rated passenger volume as the Nissan Maxima. (In disbelief, we checked. Its true).

Later this week Hyundai will be previewing its new Elantra model ahead of its LA Auto Show reveal, but the clever folks in Hyundai’s PR department have let slip little bit of the car’s sheetmetal before the unveiling. There’s little new here as we’ve already seen the Elantra not once, not twice, not three times, but at least four times before.

The first rolling shots of the Hyundai Elantra have emerged from Korea, where the car is known as the Hyundai Avante. Rumors have it that the Elantra will be a few inches longer than the upcoming 2011 Ford Focus but put out identical power. The Elantra is also expected to return close to 40 mpg depending on the choice of transmission.

Like most Hyundai designs, the Elantra is slick looking but also a derivative pastiche of other elements. For buyers in this category, the cabin seems to matter more, and the Elantra is expected to deliver on that front.

[Source: Autoblog]

Hit the jump to watch the video of the 2011 Hyundai Elantra

We already brought you the design mockups of the all new Hyundai Elantra, so here are some pictures of the real thing, driving on the road. With a direct injection 1.6L 4-cylinder making 138 horsepower, the Elantra’s interesting styling and efficient powerplant should make it a competitive alternative to the usual Civic and Corolla.

Several weeks ago Hyundai gave us a look at the all-new 2011 Elantra when it unveiled the new car in South Korea badges as the Avante sedan. But when it debuted at the Busan Motor Show, we only got a look at the car’s exterior. Now, for the first time, we have a single snap-shot of the Avante’s interior – and we don’t expect much to change when it arrives here.

Along with a the Equus luxury flagship, as well as the Sonata Turbo and Hybrid models, Hyundai is set to refresh its lineup with several small cars in the near future. We’ve already heard plenty about the upcoming CRX-styled Veloster, which is set to get a direct-injection 1.6-liter 4-cylinder that makes roughly 140-hp while getting 40-mpg, but what about the rest of Hyundai’s compact and sub-compact models?

Having just introduced the new Accent/Verna at the Beijing Auto Show last week, Hyundai has now unveiled the 2011 Elantra at the Busan Auto Show in South Korea. Called the Avante in its home-market of Korea, it certainly takes after the styling of the new 2011 Sonata, which works well to give a sporty and sophisticated look to the compact sedan, which in past iterations never was very handsome.

A single spy photo captured in Korea seems to show the next-generation Hyundai Elantra. Some reports have suggested this might be the next Accent, but it simply looks to large and too impressive to be a true economy car.