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W z VHEE.LS o SUPLEMNTTO THE CANADIAN CHAMPION FRIDAY, MARCH 6, 2009 Hyundaiî adds an ll th vehilcle to the Iineup. By JIM ROBINSON Metroland Media Group VICTORIA: Aeeording to Hyundai Canada president and CEO, Steve Kelleher, "we see 2009 as the year of opportunity for us." Speaking ai the press launcb of the new Elanîra Touring in Vietoria, be noîed 2008 saw ihe bighesî sales ever in the 25-year bisiory of operations in ibis coun- tr. Fl>uidai solcl 80,632 etcs for an eigbî per cent increase. lnteresîingly, tbe second best year ever was 1985 wben tbey sold 79,071 cars, mosîly Pontes. Kelleber says ibat increase in a down market augers well for ibis year. Sounds optimistîr but be believes Hyundai bas now buili a îrack record for qualiîy, reliabiliîy and fuel efficiency ibat iv paying off in consumer confidence. 1 sec ibis as like back in tbe '70s and '80s wben peopl e wcre ready to give Toyota and Honda a sbot," be saîd. -Now 1 îbink uts ocir tomn." Wiib ibeir culp brimming over wîîb awards like tbe recent Nortb American Car of tbe Year Award for tbe Genesis luxury car, the 2009 Elantra Touring iv Hyundai's 11 Ith nameplate. ht is but in Europe and was designed in Germatiy 10 suit Euro tastes and drîving babits. Sold ibere as tbe Hyundai 130, ibere are several versions and engines, but in Nortb Anierica, we will gel tbe longer wheel base version. This is a new platformn and shares noîbing witb the current Elanîra sedan. Designed to compete againsi other five-door batcbbacks; (Dodgc Caliber, Toyota MatrixPontiac Vibe and Mazda3 Sportback), tbe Touring iv tbe same widtb as tbe Matrix but visually longer. Witb segments now blurred bcyond ni> comprebension, the Flantra Touring iv offtcialfy a compact batchb but its iîzc ancd beigbî m.îkec t more lîke a mid-sîze station wagon. There iv one engine for Nortb Aincrica, a 2.0-litre, twincain four- cylinder producing 138 bp and 136 lb/fi of torque driving tbe front wbeels. A five-speed manual trans- mission is standard and a four- spced automatie iv a $1,200 option. Fuel edînsumpiion iv rated ai 8.9/6.4UI100 km eiiy/bigbway for tbe manual and 8.7/6.51I100 km ciîy/bigbway for tbe automatie. Wbilc ibere are several exterior c olouît-, thie intvrior is tvpiçallv ,criani înflcnccd in blacls oit black. But, the days of rock-bard plastic trim are long-gone ai Hyundai. Soft touch materials are in as is tbe blue instrument illumi- nation first seen on the Santa Fe and now a Hyundai signature design element. The seats are wide and long for we larger North Americans. In fact, there is 12 inches more front legroom than the Maîrix/Vibe 1 did not drive the manual, but the automnatic is vicc-fre The engin(, ai jusi li ite as, its work cut oui for it ai our higbway speeds, but tbe 138 horses were ail LEFI: The 2009 Efantra Tourîng fîve-dloor expands Hyundaî's f ineup to 1l models. fi was desîgned in Europe for driv- îng conditions there and that translates in crîsp handfing. TOP RIGHT: The interior shows its Euro design influences beîng fînîshîng in charcoal. Gauges (now wîth Hyundai Sig- nature bfue iflumination) are, however, large and easy to use, as are the secondary controf s. BO1TOM RIGHT: The 2009 Elantra Touring boasts 1,848 flitres (65.3 cu ft) of cargo space. Wîth the rear 60-40 seat fofd- ed flat, there was enough for a load of construction materiafs shown here destined for a Habitat for Humanity build- ing site in Victoria there when merging onto Vancouver Islands Malahat Highway which snakes around the foot of mounitains and is loaded with dump îrunks that make no effort to slow down and let any- body in. The Touring had no trouble in ibis regard, but I was driving alone and not weigbîed dlown by a car- load of passengers. But with 136 lb/fi f torque, ibercs plcntx of ti action for fliosi situations. Que tbîng tbe Touring bas is passenger and cargo space. Witb the front seat ail tbe way back, gel- ting in the back did not require any con tortions wiîb adequaîc lcgroom witb seating for fixe being more fact iban sales brocbure fiction. Wiîb tbc 60/40 splîî fold vîprigbt tbere is 68() litres of cargo spaic' Fcîllsocfd ibis balloons to 1,848 litres or 65.3 cu fi xvbicb Hiyundai dlaims cxceeds ibat of vebicles like tbe Mazda7, Jeep Patriot and Nissan Murano. Bcit lu gise ibai a rcal ssorîld per- Victoria, mnade a donation to H abitat for Humanity. As paît of ibeir comilimeni, Hyundai invit- cd journalists te, load cip a Tbuning witb building miaterials ancd ferry îbem to a site in 'Victoria. Tbe Tocirings iook two, large bales of insulation and boxes of fasteners and wood irim in stride and proved just bow commodious the cargo area was. esee THEY on page A34 _-N 'IRUST*i CHECKý1