Elantra Lineup Grows with Coupe, 5-Door GT

[Hyundai NEWS]

Coming off a record sales year and its recent coronation as 2012 North American Car of the Year, the Hyundai Elantra is keeping the pedal to the metal by introducing two new variants—an athletic Coupe and a versatile 5-door hatchback called the GT—at the Chicago Auto Show.
The 2013 Elantra Coupe takes advantage of the sedan’s highly successful “fluidic sculpture” design language to showcase a particularly aggressive wedge-shaped profile that is just as aerodynamic as it looks, boasting a coefficient of drag of just 0.28. That slippery profile, along with a peppy yet efficient 1.8-liter I4 engine, ensure both a satisfying driving experience and EPA ratings of up to 40 mpg highway.
Both six-speed manual and automatic transmissions are available, as are features like:

• A 7-inch touchscreen nav system with rearview camera
• Bluetooth hands-free phone capabilities with voice recognition
• Proximity-key entry and push button start
• Heated seats
• Sport pedals
• Deeply bolstered front seats for extra support in aggressive driving maneuvers
• A sport-tuned suspension with front stabilizer bar
• A standard six-speaker, 172-watt AM/FM/XM/CD/MP3 audio setup with USB port and auxiliary jacks, as well as an available 360-watt premium system with an external amplifier
• Numerous standard safety technologies, including vehicle stability management, electronic stability control, anti-lock brakes with electronic brake-force distribution and six airbags

Compared to its top rival, the Honda Civic Coupe, the Elantra is more fuel-efficient when comparing manual transmission models, with expected EPA marks of 29/40 vs. the Honda’s 28/36; with its automatic transmission, the Elantra is projected to post the exact same ratings—28/39 as the Civic. The Hyundai also is longer and wider, too, and rides on a longer wheelbase, delivering both a smoother ride and increased interior space for both people and cargo.
Of course, to truly optimize carrying capacity, the automaker will offer the 2013 Elantra GT 5-door hatchback. The Elantra GT targets competitors like the Ford Focus, Mazda3 5-door and VW Golf, and it hits the bull’s-eye with more interior volume than that trio, along with expected best-in-class standard fuel efficiency of up to 28 mpg city/39 mpg highway.
Just like the Coupe, the Elantra GT also will be loaded with standard content and boast a similarly long list of optional goodies, and the two will display a similarly enthusiastic approach to driving dynamics. That’s because the GT is based on the next-gen Hyundai i30, previously limited to European drivers, and has typically athletic Euro-style handling traits.
Less typical, but still noteworthy, are Elantra GT features such as:

• A hidden rearview camera that’s concealed behind Hyundai badging when not in use
• A cooled glove box
• Dual-zone climate controls and clean-air ionizer
• Automatic defogging, which can sense interior humidity levels and clear condensation from the front windshield
• Elantra’s first driver’s-knee airbag
• A 12-volt electrical outlet located in the cargo area
• The lowest curb weight in its class
• Six-speed automatic and manual transmissions
• Hyundai’s all-new driver-selectable steering, which allows drivers to dial in the Elantra GT’s steering characteristics to match their driving style

And Hyundai’s Blue Link telematics system, with its agent-assisted advanced voice-recognition capabilities, also is standard on the Elantra GT.
Further information on both the 2013 Hyundai Elantra Coupe and Hyundai Elantra GT will be released closer to their on-sale dates, which are scheduled for later this year.