The Koreans are building some truly competitive cars right now. Their electric offerings are properly world-beating cars, but so too are their combustion or electrified siblings.

The Kona Hybrid is a case in point. And the same can be said for the refreshed Avante. Normal facelift this isn’t; Hyundai has not only updated its styling, but has introduced hybridisation to the car too.

With its competitive price tag, generous list of equipment, and up-to-date styling, it continues to punch above its weight class.

What’s Visually New?

There are quite a few changes visually. The base design remains unchanged – there’s not much you can do to the structure of a car during a mid-cycle refresh anyways. As you’d expect from a facelift, Hyundai has updated the front and rear fascias of the car.

The front grille is smaller than the previous car, and the front end is generally sleeker than its predecessor. Some of the Elantra N’s styling has found its way into the regular car, albeit toned down and softened to fit the variant. 

Round the back, the faux diffuser has now fused with the colour-contrast rear trim panel. This combination now dominates the rear bumper, with Hyundai then adding a W-shaped grey trim panel to break up the vast swathes of black plastic in the back.

An Unchanged Interior

There are no obvious interior enhancements over its predecessor. Though, for the most part, the car doesn’t need a comprehensive suite of overhauls for its cabin. For starters, cabin space is surprisingly generous for a compact saloon, and you’d find a comfortable seating position in any seat.

Material quality is top notch, and the inclusion of ventilated seats for this trim level is a really nice touch. Visibility is surprisingly good too, despite its chunky C-pillars. The general interior design has withstood the test of time very well, and it looks every bit as fresh as it did when the original car was launched in 2020.

The digital cluster still does an excellent job in disseminating information, and still looks fresh and modern. It is also crystal clear, both in resolution and in the way driving data is displayed. What’s not so good in the cabin is its infotainment screen. Whilst it has all the functionality that you’d expect from a car in 2024, the screen is small and fairly dim, and is really the only thing that exposes the true vintage of this Avante platform.

A Fresh Powertrain

If you are looking for that continental feel but with a palatable price tag, then the Avante hybrid is a car that you should seriously consider. All of its controls feel robust, and road holding is great too. 

This new update also introduces a new powertrain, which is the same unit as featured in the Kona Hybrid. The 1.6 litre four banger is paired with a 34kW electric motor, developing a combined system output of 129 bhp and 265 Nm of torque. It now also has a DCT, which further adds to the sense of quality and refinement when on the go.

Despite this being eligible for Category A COE, it certainly doesn’t feel sluggish or slow. There’s sufficient response when you need it, and it seamlessly transitions between electric and combustion modes (or a combination of the two). Hyundai quotes an efficiency figure of 21.3 km/L, which actually is realistically achievable if you don’t have an excessively heavy right foot.

Built on Solid Foundations

It can be an exercise in futility, chasing ever diminishing returns trying to update a base package that is already ultra-competitive. But the Koreans have been building solid cars for many years now, and they know how to avoid rabbit holes when they see them.

They chose to refine the Elantra’s aesthetics, whilst also enhancing its driveability and usability. Whilst this doesn’t sound like a huge deal, what it does is to further improve and build on foundations that are already very solid.

Which is why if you are in the market for a compact saloon, and typically only buy Japanese, you should seriously consider giving the Koreans a shot!

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