Quickies: 2025 Hyundai Elantra Hybrid
There are a few models that have not appeared on these pages in a few years. The Hyundai Elantra was one of them.
This year, we had a chance to work with practically every compact sedan available in North America. The key word being almost.
There are a few models that have not appeared on these pages in a few years. The Hyundai Elantra was one of them.
Was.
A recent visit to a dealership yielded a short run with a 2025 Elantra Hybrid Limited. It would be the first of Hyundai’s compact sedan we worked with powered by a gasoline-electric driveline.
It would also be the first example of the model’s mid-cycle refresh – introduced a year ago for 2024. A refresh that further align its overall design with most of the brand.
You can see it in the front clip. The grille height appears lower, along with narrower profile LED headlamps. I prefer this than the pre-refresh look. It also flows better rearward with its sleek profile and angular rear end.
With the Elantra, there are various details that are either embraced or questioned. The rear end is a positive, with its extended spoiler-like trunk lid, combined with an LED taillight arrangement. The C-pillar plastic applique should’ve been a pane of glass – sorry, I’m nitpicking here. Add a set of two-tone 17-inch alloy wheels to this Hybrid Limited test vehicle and you have quite a handsome devil.
The interior has not changed much, which is a good thing. The dual 10.25-inch screens dominate the dashboard, but each are placed in its own housing – not on a single thin board. They did not change the four-spoke steering wheel or the T-bar shifter. You still get a set of tactile and logical controls throughout the cockpit.
Bose supplies the sound, while you can connect your smartphone device wirelessly. The wireless charger sits in the cubby off of the center console.
The Hybrid Limited comes with H-Tex leatherette upholstery that is good to the touch and comfortable. The front seats offer plenty of support for all sorts of drives and bodies, while you do get plenty of rear seat room for your legs. The trunk has 14.7 cubic feet of space to fit luggage and goodies. The rear seats fold down in a 60/40 split for longer items.
Every Elantra Hybrid model is powered by a combination of a 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine, an electric motor and a six-speed automatic transmission – all powering the front wheels. The result is a net combined 139 horsepower and 195 pound-feet of torque.
It is a competent cruiser that works extremely well around town. It is quiet and unbothered. Passing is fine, when necessary. For fuel consumption, the EPA states that it would achieve an estimated 49 MPG in the city and 52 MPG on the highway.
As far as the driving experience is concerned, the Elantra Hybrid rides very smoothly. It manages bumps and rougher tarmac without any problem. Handling-wise, it does so very well with quick reflexes with response. It yields minimal lean and roll in the turns.
The steering system’s response is quite good down to the wheels, yielding a tight turn radius. On-center feel is solid and can be adjusted through the drive mode button. Sports gives it a heavier feel, perhaps more than you want in an efficient hybrid. Brake pedal feel is solid and responsive down to the calipers and rotors. Stops were equally good in various situations.
There is a total of nine Elantra models for 2025, with pricing starting from $22,125. The lineup also includes three Hybrid trim levels, starting from $25,450. This Hybrid Limited test vehicle came with a sticker price of $31,585.
Getting some wheel time in the latest Hyundai Elantra is always a treat. The Hybrid driveline was an added bonus. It is a solid system that matches well with its competitors and can yield great fuel efficiency along the way.
Add a sleeker front end to the mix and the 2025 Elantra Hybrid becomes an even better proposition to the consumers. It is a compact sedan that works well in every type of driving. With that said, the 2025 Elantra Hybrid will do no wrong.
DISCLAIMER: Vehicle provided by Walser Hyundai Coon Rapids, Coon Rapids, MN – our opinions are of our own.
All photos by Randy Stern