Hyundai showcases new Lafesta

At the Beijing motor show, Hyundai has showcased the Lafesta, which is a model it will only sell in China, for now. It is built on the same platform as the Elantra but features a different suspension set-up. It also borrows a lot of styling cues from the radical-looking Le Fil Rouge concept shown at Geneva. The Lafesta is a four-door sedan that is expected to go on sale in China by the end of this year.

The car is larger than the Elantra but smaller than the Sonata and will be positioned between the two in Hyundai’s China range. There are two engines on sale – a 1.4-litre turbo-petrol and a 1.6-litre turbo-petrol – in varying states of tune from 130hp to 240hp.

Both engines come mated to a seven-speed automatic transmission that sends power to the front wheels. For now, there is no word on whether this car will come here, but it is a car that has potential to do well in India.