[car fanatics]

Hyundai
Photo credit: Hyundai
June 13, 2012
By: CF staff

Hyundai Motor America has announced prices for the new 2013 Elantra GT. The fun-to-drive, functional, five-door compact hatchback will have a starting price of $18,395 and be extraordinarily well-equipped. At $18,395 shoppers will discover 39 highway miles per gallon, more interior space than Ford Focus, Mazda3 and Volkswagen Golf and Hyundai’s Driver Selectable Steering Mode. The 2013 Elantra GT will begin arriving in dealerships later this month.

The new Elantra GT represents the evolution of Hyundai’s Fluidic Sculpture design language. Elantra GT’s design gives it a slippery 0.30 coefficient of drag. Up front, Hyundai’s signature hexagonal grille with chrome accents flows into the hood. The bodyside graphic features a chrome beltline molding to keep up with the sleek character lines. Sharp projection headlamps, fog lights and available panoramic sunroof and 17-inch alloy wheels with chrome spears complete the modern design.

Maximizing interior volume and delighting customers with various seating layouts are hallmarks of Hyundai engineering and translate into more cabin room, cargo space and versatility. The Elantra GT features seating layouts that can comfortably seat five people or accommodate four passengers, plus long items like golf clubs or snowboards. Fold all of the back seats to get CUV-sized cargo space. These options allow customers to discover that Elantra GT has more interior volume than Matrix, Mazda3, Ford Focus and VW Golf and even more cargo capacity than the Nissan Juke crossover, thanks to split-fold-down rear seats and rear seat cushions than can flip upward. Like its stablemate the Elantra Coupe, heated front seats are standard.

With gas prices exceeding $4 per gallon in many areas of the U.S., compact car buyers are downsizing for better fuel efficiency, but these buyers expect premium features. The Elantra GT offers the following optional premium features: power driver’s seat including power lumbar support, dual automatic temperature control with clean air ionizer and auto defog system, leather seating surfaces, navigation with hidden rearview camera and proximity key with push button start. Elantra GT comes in three flavors, mirroring the packaging simplicity of the popular Hyundai Veloster: an extremely well-equipped base model, a Style package offering panoramic sunroof, upgraded wheels, and more, and a Tech package offering navigation system and more.

Elantra GT is tuned for added feel, responsiveness and control, while the Elantra sedan is tuned for comfort. Modifications to the GT include higher rear spring rates, a V-Beam rear suspension design with an integrated stabilizer bar and Sachs dampers for improved body motion control. These changes create driving dynamics which are sporty and comfortable. In addition, two suspension packages were developed to optimize tuning for the two different tire sizes. The Elantra GT’s Style package offers a sportier suspension calibration that is optimized for its lower-profile P215/45R17 tire.

Behind the wheel, drivers benefit from Hyundai’s all-new Driver Selectable Steering Mode. With three operating modes to select – Comfort, Normal and Sport – this innovative system allows drivers to adapt Elantra GT steering characteristics to varying driving preferences and road conditions any time they choose. Comfort level offers the greatest ease of steering and is ideal for city and parking environments. Sport is optimized for higher-speed highways or winding roads, while Normal is ideal for a mix of driving conditions. The Driver Selectable Steering Mode not only adjusts power assistance levels in each mode, but also on-center build-up feel and steering build-up curves throughout the steering range, for a very natural, progressive feel.

The 2013 Elantra GT delivers an EPA estimated 39 mpg highway with either a six speed manual or automatic transmission. Under the hood, Elantra GT is powered by a 1.8-liter Nu four-cylinder engine with 148 horsepower and 131 lb-ft of torque, the same as found in the Elantra sedan. The engine is mated to either a 6-speed manual or 6-speed automatic with SHIFTRONIC®. Elantra GT is available as an Ultra Low Emission Vehicle (ULEV) or Partial Zero Emission Vehicles (PZEV). The PZEV Elantra GT is as clean as many hybrid electric vehicles, helping Hyundai meet its environmental commitments.

[jspookss]

Title should read Elantra GT.

[McLovin]

Korean crap.

Just buy American please.
No need not to.

[MOPAR74]

Agreed^^^^^^^^^

[ncguy]

So Hyundai is offering a hatch version on the Elantra...

GM are you fucking listening? We need a fucking Cruze hatch ASAP!

[The 'Burg]

You all know how I feel about Hyundai, so I'm going to try to be objective here - this is probably Hyundai's best all-around car. If they offer it with the 2.0 turbo and a decent suspension it'll be a true GT and a direct competitor to the VW GTI.

Gotta watch this one closely. And I agree with NCGuy, GM needs to offer the Cruze hatch asap.

[iDream Theater]

Hyundai... Lol

[jspookss]

Laugh all u want, but Hyundai has been doing a lot of things right these past few years.

[Brown_Pride]

McLovin;212435 Wrote:Korean crap.

Just buy American please.
No need not to.

Only people who live in SE Michigan say crap like this. Arrogance bliss.

[ncguy]

Brown_Pride;212622 Wrote:

McLovin;212435 Wrote:Korean crap.

Just buy American please.
No need not to.

Only people who live in SE Michigan say crap like this. Arrogance bliss.

Uh no... Put NC into this mix as well

[Scout]

jspookss;212607 Wrote:Laugh all u want, but Hyundai has been doing a lot of things right these past few years.

Someone abducted Spook and is posting under his name!

[jspookss]

No. I actually have varying opinions on different subjects. :ohmy:

Everyone wants to belittle or even completely overlook the 800 pound gorilla in the room but Hyundai is a strong competitor with increasingly compelling product.

Now.. with that said.. they have been leveraging their lower wage workers and import strategies to their advantage for the past two decades. Essentially flooding our market with cheap priced, "high content" vehicles. AKA crap.

But now that they are stronger they have revamped their entire portfolio and leveraged their market advanteges to bring stellar product. I've said it before that Honda and Nissan better watch their backs.

[Scout]

jspookss;212656 Wrote:No. I actually have varying opinions on different subjects. :ohmy:

Everyone wants to belittle or even completely overlook the 800 pound gorilla in the room but Hyundai is a strong competitor with increasingly compelling product.

Now.. with that said.. they have been leveraging their lower wage workers and import strategies to their advantage for the past two decades. Essentially flooding our market with cheap priced, "high content" vehicles. AKA crap.

But now that they are stronger they have revamped their entire portfolio and leveraged their market advanteges to bring stellar product. I've said it before that Honda and Nissan better watch their backs.

:2thumbsup: :2thumbsup: :2thumbsup:

That's so much better to read than F Hyundai, or some other troll post. I agree, Hyundai has been crap for a long time. But what they are doing now,,, well, what you said.

[The 'Burg]

Scout;212659 Wrote:

jspookss;212656 Wrote:No. I actually have varying opinions on different subjects. :ohmy:

Everyone wants to belittle or even completely overlook the 800 pound gorilla in the room but Hyundai is a strong competitor with increasingly compelling product.

Now.. with that said.. they have been leveraging their lower wage workers and import strategies to their advantage for the past two decades. Essentially flooding our market with cheap priced, "high content" vehicles. AKA crap.

But now that they are stronger they have revamped their entire portfolio and leveraged their market advanteges to bring stellar product. I've said it before that Honda and Nissan better watch their backs.

:2thumbsup: :2thumbsup: :2thumbsup:

That's so much better to read than F Hyundai, or some other troll post. I agree, Hyundai has been crap for a long time. But what they are doing now,,, well, what you said.

With each new generation of product Hyundai makes incredible advances. They still have work to do on the overall quality of materials, fit & finish, and suspension tuning. BUT their low prices guarantee that many consumers are willing to overlook these issues.

I noted in my comparo of the 2013 Altima vs. Sonata & Camry that the Sonata offers a compelling blend of style an panache, combined with decent if unrefined performance from the Turbo - but again, the car is priced so low compared to its competitors that I understand why it sells.

Hyundai does its best work in the C-segment and below where overall refinement is not a priority as much as style, equipment, and fuel economy. This Elantra GT seems to offer the best Hyundai can muster up in this segment. A panoramic roof? Who else offers this in this segment?

Imagine this car with leather, that roof, nav, and all the other "stuff" Hyundai does so well at offering for under $25K out-the-door. It WILL find a lot of takers.

And if they offer that combo with a turbo?