The new Hyundai Avante steals its best ideas from the flagship Grandeur
A compact sedan that suddenly looks a class above its price
Hyundai has revealed the new Avante, the compact sedan known in much of the world as the Elantra, and it has clearly been raiding the design department of its bigger brother. The eighth-generation car takes much of its look from the flagship Grandeur, and the result is a small sedan with serious presence.
Grandeur looks on a compact budget
The new Avante adopts Hyundai's Art of Steel design language, and the influence of the larger Grandeur is clear in its greenhouse styling. There are sculpted fenders, ultra-slim LED daytime running lights and an H-shaped rear light signature, plus six new exterior colours and three interior themes. It is a noticeably more grown-up, more premium look than a compact sedan usually gets, the kind of styling that makes the car feel a segment above its actual position.
Bigger in every direction
The eighth-generation car has grown all round. It is now 4,765 mm long, 55 mm more than before, 1,855 mm wide, up 30 mm, and rides on a wheelbase stretched 30 mm to 2,750 mm. That pushes interior space close to midsize-sedan territory, which is a strong pitch in a market where buyers increasingly want more room for their money.
A genuinely modern cabin
Inside, the Avante gets a 14.6-inch or 12.9-inch touchscreen running Hyundai's Pleos Connect software with a Gleo AI generative assistant, and sensibly keeps physical buttons and knobs below the screen. There is Bang and Olufsen audio, dual wireless charging, 100-watt USB ports, ten airbags and a full suite of driver-assistance systems. Hyundai president and CEO Jose Munoz called it "a model that sets a new standard for its class by balancing unrivalled design, interior space, safety, and digital experience."
Engines and timing
Two powertrains lead the range. The 2.0-litre naturally aspirated petrol now makes 147 hp, a 26 hp increase, while a 1.6-litre hybrid combines petrol and electric power for 155 hp, complete with Smart Regenerative Braking 3.0 and a route-prediction efficiency system. The Avante launches in South Korea later in 2026 and reaches North American showrooms as the 2027 Elantra in the coming months. It is not a model sold in most of Europe, but as a global Hyundai it is still a useful barometer of where the brand's mainstream design is heading.
AutoNext Take
Hyundai trickling its flagship design language down to its most affordable sedan is exactly how you make a brand feel cohesive and desirable. Giving an everyday Avante the road presence of the Grandeur is a small thing on paper, but it is the kind of detail that makes a budget buyer feel like they bought something special. Add midsize-rivalling space, a sharp tech package and a frugal hybrid, and this looks like a genuinely strong compact sedan. It is a shame Europe largely misses out on cars like this, because on the evidence here, the humble Hyundai sedan is in very good health.
