Ever value-conscious, Hyundai is looking to save money on badges for its latest five-door Elantra. Why else change the name from Elantra Touring to the revived Elantra GT moniker? The new hatchback makes its debut at the 2012 Chicago auto show alongside a two-door Elantra
Bigger and Smaller at the Same Time
Name change aside, the second-generation Elantra five-door is again an Americanized Hyundai i30. Hyundai points out that the Elantra GT will have more passenger and cargo room than all of its five-door competitors, save for the recently enlarged Subaru Impreza. It fails to mention, however, that those numbers are down from the last car. That’s partly because the new i30—and, as a result, this GT—loses its upright, wagon-style rear end; it’s shorter in length and height, rides on a shorter wheelbase, and is slightly wider than the car it replaces. Seats-folded cargo capacity is down by 14.3 cubic feet to a still-competitive 51. All told, it’s a lot more attractive than the outgoing car and fits in well with the rest of the Elantra lineup.
The current generation Elantra can seat up to five and has very accommodating trunk space. Two trim levels are offered: GLS and Limited. Both use a 148-hp 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine. A six-speed manual transmission is standard on the GLS trim, while a six-speed automatic with SHIFTRONIC is standard on the Limited trim and available on the GLS. Standard safety features include four-wheel anti-lock disc brakes, electronic stability control with traction control and six airbags. Available features include a power sunroof, turn signal indicators on exterior mirrors, 17-inch aluminum wheels, heated leather seating surfaces and Bluetooth.
The Elantra receives several changes for 2013. The GLS trim now sports 16-inch wheels and tires, cruise control, air-conditioning and a telescoping steering wheel. The Limited trim gains a power driver seat with lumbar.
Visually, the Elantra Coupe looks much like the sedan. Looking head-on, the only way to tell one apart from the other are the fog lamps -- the Coupe's are considerably bigger and extend closer to the center of the car. From the side, the elongated front door and small rear window conspire to make the Elantra Coupe seem smaller than it really is. It's from the rear (or at least the rear three-quarter) where the Elantra Coupe looks the best and sportiest -- thanks in no small part to the visible exhaust tips.
It remains to be seen how much of an impact the Elantra Coupe will have on total Elantra sales, but a properly executed variant never hurt anybody. If this two-door gamble pays off -- given that the selection of compact coupes currently on the market consists of Honda's much-derided-though-not-that-bad Civic and Korean-sister-come-archrival Kia's Forte Koup, it doesn't seem that risky -- the Elantra, with additional help from the also-new GT hatchback variant, could take the sales crown in the compact segment.source:autos.aol.com,caranddriver.com,motortrend.com
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