Amping up power

Hyundai has been in spring-cleaning mode, amping up power and certainly specifications in a number of vehicles.

It started with the Accent and swept up the Elantra and i40 wagon, which have undergone changes for the 2014 year.

The Accent Elite gets the more powerful 1.6-litre GDI engine, which lifts output to 103kW, an extra 12kW compared to the conventional 1.6-litre engine powering the other Accent models.

That GDI - for gasoline direct injection - petrol engine links to a six-speed automatic which also offers sequential shifting.

Hyundai says the new unit has a combined fuel use figure of 6.6 litres per 100km.

The other noticeable engineering difference comes in the attention paid to the car's suspension.

The Accent copies the suspension seen on the Velostar. They have changed to rear dampers to help improve handling by opting for high-performance Mando units.

Other enhancements include 16-inch machined-face sports alloy rims, projector-beam headlights with LED positioning lamps and auto function. There's a a new rear spoiler and cruise control.

Standard safety gear includes vehicle stability management (VSM), electronic stability control (ESC), traction control (TCS), ABS, electronic brakeforce distribution (EBD) and six airbags.

And they have added new colour swatches to the exterior as well, including the new Sunflower and Crystal White, metallic Sleek Silver and Veloster Red.

Pricing for the Accent range is $30,490 for the Accent 1.6 six-speed manual, $31,990 for the 1.6 four-speed auto, with the 1.6 Elite six-speed auto sitting at $36,990.

And there have been visual changes to the Elantra and i40 wagon. The Elantra features extensions to front and rear bumpers, new headlights, fog lights and grille. It also gets new 16 and 17-inch alloy wheels for the standard and Elite models respectively.

Flex-steer, which lets the driver choose from normal, comfort and sport settings, has been added to Elantra for next year.

A new audio system and modifications to the air-conditioning system sign off the changes.

Hyundai is offering new body colours; Stone Blue, Dazzling Blue, Tropical Sea Blue, Satin Amber and Brilliant Red.

Satellite navigation has been added to the Elite Limited model in the i40 wagon range and it also gets Smart Park Assist system and lane-change warning.

Prices for the Elantra range start at $35,990 for the 1.8 A6, with the 1.8 Elite A6 at $39,990 and the 1.8 Elite Limited A6 at $41,990.

The i40 sedan prices include $46,990 for the 1.7 CRDi A6 and $51,990 for the 1.7 CRDi Elite A6. The i40 wagons prices cover off the 2.0 GDi A6 at $44,990, the 2.0 GDi Elite A6 ($49,990), 1.7 CRDi A6 ($48,990), 1.7 CRDi Elite A6 ($53,990) and the 1.7 CRDi Elite Limited A6 ($59,990).