Hyundai Elantra Extended Wheelbase to Enter Chinese Market
Extended wheelbase models are becoming a necessity for any automaker’s lineup if they wish to succeed in the growing Chinese auto industry.
Hyundai has been focusing a lot of its efforts to make progress in China, becoming the fourth-best selling brand in China this year behind Volkswagen, Nissan, and Toyota. This month, the Korean automaker will open a new plant in Beijing where its popular Elantra model will be built with a slightly longer and taller variant.
Called the Langdong, the extended Elantra will be 1.6 inches longer and about 0.4-inches taller than the standard Elantra seen in other markets. To give it a more luxurious appearance, Hyundai swapped out its hexagonal front grille for a chrome, wing-shaped piece.
Generally we have seen luxury cars such as BMW’s and Audi’s outfitted with long wheelbases, so it will be interesting to see how a Hyundai Elantra long wheelbase is received in China.
[Source: Bloomberg]
Jason Siu began his career in automotive journalism in 2003 with Modified Magazine, a property previously held by VerticalScope. As the West Coast Editor, he played a pivotal role while also extending his expertise to Modified Luxury & Exotics and Modified Mustangs. Beyond his editorial work, Jason authored two notable Cartech books. His tenure at AutoGuide.com saw him immersed in the daily news cycle, yet his passion for hands-on evaluation led him to focus on testing and product reviews, offering well-rounded recommendations to AutoGuide readers. Currently, as the Content Director for VerticalScope, Jason spearheads the content strategy for an array of online publications, a role that has him at the helm of ensuring quality and consistency across the board.
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