The Hyundai Elantra continues to grow and change, challenging its competitors in every corner of the subcompact market. The car’s surprisingly fashionable looks and high quality have caught many of its competitors by surprise, and are attracting a wide range of new buyers into Hyundai showrooms. With a coupe and sedan in the lineup, the only things missing from the Hyundai Elantra family are a convertible and a five-door. The incongruously-named Elantra GT arrives to address the latter issue.
The five-door Elantra GT brings additional versatility to Hyundai’s lineup, offering almost twice the cargo space of the sedan.
The Elantra GT stands out with a surprisingly expressive design. The grille is similar to the rest of the Elantra family, but that’s where the similarity ends. The wheelbase is two inches shorter than that of the sedan, giving the Elantra GT a more compact look to go with its wedgy, one-box design. Adding to the sleekness factor, the projector headlights wrap into the body. Standard equipment includes seventeen-inch wheels and a rear spoiler and wiper. LED taillights are new for 2014.
It’s clear from the first glance inside that the Elantra GT is intended to be a multi-purpose vehicle, but it’s also well-equipped, setting it a bit above the Elantra sedan in the lineup. Hyundai’s soft-touch dash and a choice of black, blue and beige interior accents provide a comfortable interior environment. In blue-hued cars, the interior metallic accents are blue-tinted as well. The rear seats fold flat, giving the Elantra GT up to 51 cubic feet of cargo space. The compact dimensions hide an interior that’s long enough to easily swallow golf clubs or snowboards. The glovebox is air-conditioned to keep drinks cold, and a keyless entry is standard. The available backup camera is clever too, hiding behind the Hyundai badge in the decklid to keep it clear of dust. Safety’s enhanced by Hyundai’s first use of knee airbags. Other options include a panoramic sunroof, dual-zone climate control and a leather interior. Satellite radio is available, as is a navigation system. Hyundai’s BlueLink infotainment system is standard.
To compensate for the changes in the wheelbase and body, the Elantra GT features unique rear springs shocks by Sachs. With the upgraded suspension and a 2800-pound curb weight, it’s a bit more responsive than the base car, though it stops short of being an actual sports car. MacPherson struts are used up front, with a torsion beam at the rear. The Driver Selectable Steering Mode offers variable steering effort and response through three settings. Braking is comparable to the rest of the Elantra lineup.
Power’s provided by a new 2.0 liter direct-injection four-cylinder. The smooth new engine puts out 25 more horsepower than before, bringing the total to 173. Torque is up to 154 pound-feet. Variable valve timing and a variable induction system help to smooth power delivery. With the Elantra GT’s low curb weight, that translates to brisk acceleration, as well as improved fuel economy. A choice of six-speed manual or automatic transmissions is offered.
The versatile Elantra GT is clever, sporty and efficient enough to meet most of the needs of buyers in this class all by itself. As a part of Hyundai’s subcompact lineup, with two- and four-door models to back it up, the Elantra GT makes the Elantra range a pretty serious contender in the market–a fact that’s driving Honda and Toyota to upgrade their competitive products as quickly as they can. Pricing for the Elantra GT ranges from $18,395 to $24,495.
