2013 Hyundai Elantra GT; Hatchback Gets a Stylish New Look: 2012 Chicago Auto Show
Replacing the dull-looking Elantra Touring for 2013 is an all new five-door Hyundai, which along with sporty Euro-hatch looks gets a marketing-friendly “Elantra GT” name.
The GT is powered by the same 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine found in the other Elantras, though it fails to make Hyundai’s hallowed 40-mpg mark. Instead, estimated fuel mileage is 28/39 city/highway, or 32 mpg average – still a solid number.
It also misses out on standard heated seats, which suggests that the company really is courting younger buyers when you realize the new coupe version gets that feature across the board. Despite that, there is some catchy standard equipment like a chilled glove box and three 12-volt outlets to keep the kids happy on long trips.
The competition ultimately becomes the defining factor for practical cars, and this is where Hyundai often shines. The Elantra offers significantly more passenger and cargo capacity than those it stacks up next to like the Volkswagen Golf, Mazda 3 and Toyota Matrix. Space behind the rear seat is a substantial 23 cu-ft, with a total of 51 cu-ft when you fold the seats flat. Those numbers are essentially on par with the new Subaru Impreza hatch, although if you don’t need all-wheel drive and do want a few extra miles per gallon, the front-drive Elantra stands out.
Safety ratings are obviously unavailable for the 2013 model, but if it’s anything like the predecessor, which the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration gave four of five stars, it will be a reasonably safe ride. So far it seems like Hyundai is doing a good job of offering the stuff that sells cars to customers in their segment. You won’t be riding in the lap of luxury, but the savings can buy quite a few steak dinners.
GALLERY: 2013 Hyundai Elantra GT
GALLERY: 2013 Hyundai Elantra GT Reveal
Watch video of the Elantra GT below:
Luke is an energetic automotive journalist who spends his time covering industry news and crawling the internet for the latest breaking story. When he isn't in the office, Luke can be found obsessively browsing used car listings, drinking scotch at his favorite bar and dreaming of what to drive next, though the list grows a lot faster than his bank account. He's always on <A title="@lukevandezande on Twitter" href="http://twitter.com/lukevandezande">Twitter</A> looking for a good car conversation. Find Luke on <A title="@lukevandezande on Twitter" href="http://twitter.com/lukevandezande">Twitter</A> and <A title="Luke on Google+" href="http://plus.google.com/112531385961538774338?rel=author">Google+</A>.
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Volestor (actually I think it's Veloster) is a 3 door hatch, so sort of like the Accent. This is 5 doors..
Those comparing the space with the Elantra Touring should also compare the 28/39 mpg of the GT with the 23/31 or the Touring. If the Touring ha' 28/39, I might already have one: it does have lots of room. But meanwhile, the GT still has a lot more space than the other small hatchbacks with the exception of the Honda Fit, which has a little less space with the seats up, a little more down, but only gets 26/33 mpg - but the 2012 automatic's priced less than $16K MSRP. The Elantra GT is expected to come in around $17K (and with a 10-yr warranty) and with average driving should save at least $150/year in gasoline. It's also 3.5" wider and 6.5" longer. At 6'3", at the last (2011) auto show I attended, the Honda Fit and the Elantra Sedan were among the few sub $20K cars where tall heads didn't rub the ceiling and where legs didn't cramp up trying to get in and out. I'm expecting to do at least one cross country vacation drive per year (I'm comfortably retired) and the GT would probably be the way to go for me. I expect to get a new car the summer of 2013 when the prices drop before the new 2014 models come out and that gives the Elantra GT a year of reviews before I decide.