A car with autonomous braking for $23,999?

I had to read the feature sheet twice. Hyundai created a new model in the 2017 Hyundai Elantra sedan, the SE. Squinting at the fine print, it looked like this car included technology usually reserved for luxury vehicles: autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane departure warning system with lane-keep assist, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot detection, and rear-cross traffic alert.

The price? Only $23,999 plus delivery and destination -- only $1,300 more than the model below it. This extra technology, for the small price difference, made me think it was a misprint. It was not. Immediately, I ordered one for inventory at Castlegar Hyundai. 

If you aren't familiar with the capability and benefit of these features, here's a quick recap.

Autonomous emergency braking: Using radar technology, this system activates the brakes when it detects dangerous, sudden braking by the car ahead.

Lane departure warning with lane-keep assist: The vehicle will recognize the markings on the lane you’re driving in and if it detects that the vehicle is drifting out of the lane without signaling, it alerts the driver. To go one step further, this system will even apply corrective steering to keep the car within its lane.

Adaptive cruise control: This features allows you to set the desired distance between your car and the vehicle in front of you. Then, this system will operate the gas and brakes to keep that pre-set distance.

The inclusion of this technology again shows how Hyundai is putting more content into its vehicles, for the price, than any other manufacturer. Hyundai operates one of the most efficient and advanced manufacturing facilities, so it is able to achieve a lower price point while including unexpectedly extensive features.

Beyond the technology, the 2017 Hyundai Elantra SE includes leather seating, heated seats in the front and rear, and even a heated steering wheel. Hyundai has even added value where you can't see it. It added more strength to the steel used in the frame of this vehicle and even added a special adhesive to all panel joints to add even more rigidity and longevity.

The Hyundai Elantra was already a special car with solid value but the SE version is a step above. Visit us at Castlegar Hyundai to learn more.