500,000th Hyundai Elantra sold in Canada

• Initially launched in 1991, the Elantra has risen to become Canada's second-best selling passenger car since 2013
• Milestone comes in the midst of the all-new 6^th generation 2017 Elantra launch

TORONTO, March 22, 2016 /CNW/ - Hot on the heels of the February launch of the all-new 2017 Elantra compact sedan, Hyundai Auto Canada Corp. announced it has reached a sales milestone with the Elantra nameplate, achieving 500,000 cumulative sales since June, 1991. The milestone sale, a 2017 Elantra GL, was delivered to a customer in Montreal, Quebec.

With the arrival of the 2017 model, six generations of Elantra models have been proudly displayed in Hyundai dealership showrooms coast-to-coast. For company executives, the all-new Elantra has some big shoes to fill.

"The fifth generation Elantra won both North American and Canadian Car of the Year awards in 2012 and has been Canada's second-best selling passenger car since 2013, so we have high expectations for this all-new vehicle," said Don Romano, President and CEO for Hyundai Auto Canada. "The Elantra, in all of its versions, is our most successful nameplate, by far. It's the first Hyundai vehicle to reach 500,000 sales and is an important player in the country's compact car market."

The Elantra epitomizes Hyundai's approach to bringing the latest features and technology and making them accessible to buyers. The 2011 Elantra, for example, was the first compact car to offer heated rear seats. For the 2017 model, Hyundai elevated the benchmark, becoming the first to make heated front seats standard in the compact segment. The 2017 model also offers a host of advanced safety systems, including Autonomous Emergency Braking with Pedestrian Detection, Lane Keep Assist, and adaptive cruise control, among others.

While features and equipment are sometimes the most obvious areas where Hyundai works to improve access to technology, the story behind the frame of the 2017 Elantra is perhaps less well-known. To wit: Hyundai is the only major global automaker that makes its own steel. With Hyundai Steel metallurgists and Hyundai vehicle engineers working side-by-side, the company developed its own Advanced High Strength Steel (AHSS) to achieve its vehicle performance objectives rather than adapt or compromise priorities to the existing steel available on the market.

No less than 53% of the SuperStructure frame in the all-new 2017 Elantra is AHSS, which delivers a number of benefits over regular steel. Chief among those is rigidity without excess weight. A rigid frame contributes to a sporty, responsive ride, a refined, quiet cabin environment, and improved collision energy management for crash safety.

For a demonstration of AHSS and Hyundai Steel, click here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RON213wkIOc

About Hyundai Auto Canada Corp.
Hyundai Auto Canada, established in 1983 and headquartered in Markham, Ontario, is a subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Company of Korea. Hyundai vehicles are distributed throughout Canada by Hyundai Auto Canada and are sold and serviced through more than 210 dealerships nationwide. Hyundai is also the first to offer its zero-emissions Tucson Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle to Canadian customers. More information about Hyundai and its vehicles can be found at www.HyundaiCanada.com.

SOURCE Hyundai Auto Canada Corp.

Image with caption: "On March 22, 2016, the 500,000th Hyundai Elantra vehicle was sold in Canada. It was a 2017 Elantra GL and delivered to a customer in Montreal, Quebec. (CNW Group/Hyundai Auto Canada Corp.)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20160322_C3385_PHOTO_EN_648492.jpg

Image with caption: "On March 22, 2016, the 500,000th Hyundai Elantra vehicle was sold in Canada. It was a 2017 Elantra GL and delivered to a customer in Montreal, Quebec. (CNW Group/Hyundai Auto Canada Corp.)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20160322_C3385_PHOTO_EN_648494.jpg

For more information about Hyundai and its products, please contact: Chad Heard, Senior Manager of Public Relations, Hyundai Auto Canada Corp., Office: [phone], Mobile: [phone], Email: [email protected]; Laurence Myre Leroux, Public Relations Specialist, Hyundai Auto Canada Corp., Office: [phone], Mobile: [phone], Email: [email protected]