2017 Hyundai Elantra SR Turbo arrives in Australia

The grunty Hyundai Elantra SR Turbo is now on sale in Australia, with the Korean automaker’s unassuming small sedan transformed by a new independent rear suspension and turbocharged 1.6 litre turbo engine.

And at $28,990 for the manual-equipped model ($31,290 for the auto) the Elantra SR Turbo is Hyundai Australia’s most affordable performance car, undercutting the quirky Hyundai Veloster SR Turbo three-door coupe by $660.

The Veloster donates its 150kW/265Nm 1.6-litre turbo engine for the Elantra SR Turbo, but unlike the Veloster, the Elantra SR Turbo is gifted with a proper multi-link independent rear suspension instead of the cheaper, simpler torsion beam axle used for regular Elantra models, improving handling.

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Essentially the same rear suspension hardware as used by the next-generation Hyundai i30 small hatch, the Elantra SR Turbo’s back axle has also been fine-tuned by Hyundai Australia’s local engineering team to tailor its ride and handling to local conditions.

Larger front brakes and a faster steering ratio round out mechanical changes for the Elantra SR Turbo, though it’s worth noting that auto-equipped Elantra SR Turbos come with a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. Elantra models fitted with the 122kW/192Nm 2.0-litre non-turbo engine receive a conventional six-speed automatic.

Hyundai doesn’t mention performance numbers, but with the SR Turbo outperforming other “sporty” turbo small sedans like the 132kW Holden Cruze SRi-V and 140kW Nissan Pulsar SSS, Hyundai’s hot Elantra should be one of the quickest in its segment.

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As the flagship model of the Elantra range, the SR Turbo also comes with a long list of standard equipment. Features such as blind spot monitoring, lane change assist and rear cross traffic alert are standard issue on the SR Turbo, as are bi-xenon headlamps, a sporty body kit, alloy pedals, black headliner, a flat-bottomed sports steering wheel and front parking sensors.

Both the SR Turbo’s front seats are heated and feature fatter bolsters, the driver’s seat has 10-way adjustment, there’s a sunroof, an extra USB outlet in the centre console, optional red leather upholstery and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone mirroring.

The only options are a red leather interior (which replaces the standard black cloth) for $295, and metallic paint at $495.

Though its local launch timing has yet to be announced, we can expect Hyundai’s next-generation i30 SR to take a near-identical feature set to the Elantra SR Turbo – 165kW engine and all.

Click here to the full review on the Hyundai Elantra range.