2021 Hyundai Elantra Limited

Why take pictures of Hyundai's new Elantra in front of million-dollar homes?

Well…from the right angle it kinda' looks like it fits right in, don'tcha' think?

Yes…always eager to stay current, Hyundai has re-styled their compact Elantra again…and upped its content while they were at it, too.

In addition to the almost edgy exterior, you'll get reasonable room for five plus 14.2 cu. ft. of trunk space for all five of you to hit the road. And once on the road, the new Elantra's 147 HP four and CV transmission lived right up to its EPA rated 41 Highway MPG rating.

Remember not so long ago when vehicles struggled to get 30 MPG…and only hybrids could get 40? Today's Elantra gets you to that mark without even breaking a sweat….and gets you away from stop rights rather briskly, too.

But styling and mileage are not all that the new '21 Elantra delivers.

You'll also get technology that only luxury vehicles offered not all that long ago.

There's a lot that you might expect. Things like voice recognition, wireless charging, Bose premium audio, automatic high-beam assist, parking alerts, a 10.25 inch touch screen, hands-free trunk etc.

But did you really expect to find Dynamic voice recognition, or a digital key that can pair up with Android and remotely start your car…heat it or warm it remotely…and adjust the radio to your favorite pre-sets? Heck…it'll even find your preferred instrument panel settings and have 'em waiting for you….as well as suggest restaurants and other points of interest along your way.

And then the "Limited" brings on luxury touches like heated perforated leather, 16" alloys and sunroof….all for less than 27 thousand.

Want to pay even less? Knock off a few of the extras and you can still get a stylish new 40+ MPG 5-passenger Elantra for just over 20 thousand. That's a whole lot of value and capability for not a lot of money.

Perhaps those are just some of the reasons that Hyundai's new Elantra was named the 2021 North American Car of the Year.