ELANTRA J1

About the Elantra J1

The J1 Elantra was Hyundais first attempt at a world car, launched in 1990 with the ambition of competing globally against the Civic and Corolla. The 1.6 Alpha engine was basic but functional, and the styling was conservative to a fault. Build quality was inconsistent — some markets got better-assembled cars than others. What the J1 lacked in polish it made up for in value, offering more standard equipment than rivals at a lower price. It was a rough first draft, but every great story starts somewhere.