Super TestCar reviews - Hyundai - Excel - LX sedanHyundai modelsOverview18 Oct 1994 CHEAP? Sure, but cheerful? Early Hyundai Excels were definitely the former but not the latter. The South Korean giant's formula was simple and effective: get an outsider (say, Giugiaro of Italy for the '86 X1 and '90 X2) to style an attractive body, making sure it was slightly larger than the segment norm, and then built it down to a price and flog it off at bargain-basement prices. Like a super-sized meal from a fast-food chain, the results certainly fulfill basic needs but there sure is a deficit of quality. Hyundai didn't really turn the corner until the mid-'90s with the J2 Lantra and its '96 Coupe spin-off, but the Excel lingered until the far-improved Accent arrived in mid-2000. The 2002 Getz, meanwhile, is a good thing, but that's jumping ahead of ourselves. The 1994 X3 Excel, also good looking and well packaged, was pretty woeful regardless in core areas, which makes its huge popularity here all the more disappointing, although the LX sedan is rare because it was just so expensive compared to the spunkier hatch. Durability of all X3s isn't a strong suit, nor is build quality. Flimsy construction and materials and low refinement and comfort levels are everyday Excel traits. At least the Hyundai performs better than any of its predecessors, and handles OK too. Don't be fooled by the vast numbers sold, there are much better used cars out there than this misnomer of a motor car. Model release date: 1 September 1994 to 1 December 1997 All car reviewsAlfa Romeo Abarth Alpine Alpina Audi Aston Martin BMW Bentley Chevrolet Chery Citroen Chrysler Dodge Cupra Ferrari DS Ford Fiat FPV Foton GWM Great Wall Holden Haval HSV Honda Hyundai Hummer Isuzu Infiniti Jeep Jaguar Lamborghini Kia LDV Land Rover Lotus Lexus Maserati Mahindra McLaren Mazda Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-AMG Mini MG Nissan Mitsubishi Peugeot Opel Proton Porsche Renault Ram Rover Rolls-Royce Skoda Saab SsangYong Smart Suzuki Subaru Toyota Tesla Volvo Volkswagen |
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