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Every once in awhile Americans notice some of the European cars that aren’t offered in the United States and get just a bit green with envy. Those drivers can now have the 2013 Hyundai Elantra GT which is inspired by its European only cousin, the i30. The i30 debuted at the Frankfurt Motor Show back in September and I guess Hyundai was listening because they pretty much duplicated it, called it the Elantra GT and debuted it at the Chicago Auto Show a few months ago.
Of course the i30 and Elantra GT do have some differences including different wheel and tire options and slightly refreshed headlamps. The Hyundai Elantra GT is also nine inches shorter than its European cousin, yet rides on a two inch shorter wheelbase. Even with this it is just a bit wider, taller and 100 pounds heavier, which is still 151 pounds lighter than its most heated competitor, the Mazda 3.





This cute little compact from Hyundai, the Elantra GT would be the perfect car for new drivers or people who aren’t in a hurry to get where they want to go. This is because as cute and sporty looking as this car is, the 1.8 liter inline four cylinder four engine only give 148 horsepower. Of course this isn’t bad considering these horses pull such a low amount of weight, but if you are looking for more power, you might end up frustrated.
There are a couple big selling points to this model including the 51 cubic feet of cargo space and 96 cubic feet of interior space. This is the most space you will get in this car segment leaving it feeling less claustrophobic than the Mazda 3 by a long run. The interior is also one of the best for the subcompact category. The Hyundai Elantra GT starts at $18,395 with a $775 destination fee. If you want the automatic, that is another $1,000. A fully loaded model with navigation, sunroof, leather seating and more will cost around $25,270.

 

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2013 Hyundai Elantra Coupe Review

Hatchbacks are coming back in stronger than just about any other 80s fashion, but with the twist of better technology and innovation and this holds true for the 2013 Hyundai Elantra Coupe that Hyundai fans have been standing in line for. From the looks of it, Hyundai did a good job ditching the compact coupe model to add the hatchback feature for this particular version. The Korean automaker is setting its sights on the younger crowd with this updated Elantra which until now wasn’t the most stylish or trendy of the Hyundai lineup.
Along with adding the fifth door to take the view of the 2013 Hyundai Elantra Coupe out of the dumps of its previous image Hyundai refreshed the front fascia to give it a more distinctive angled styling, more pronounced foglamps and blacked out grille giving it a sportier look. The rest of the body is rounded with a finishing touch of chrome trim around the hexagonal grille. Some are calling this piece lipstick, but under any other name, it’s still as attractive.


While the 2013 Hyundai Elantra Coupe has a sporty look and a quick feel to it, it is no sports car. It has a 1.8 liter four cylinder engine. This engine offers 148 horsepower and 131 pound feet of torque. This is the same engine that is in the sedan, but does feel just a bit more powerful in the Coupe with a firmer feel to the driving.
The 2013 Hyundai Elantra Coupe base price starts at $17,445 with an additional $775 destination fee. This gives you a six speed manual transmission. The next version up, the Elantra SE will be $2,300 more, with an additional $1,000 is you want the automatic transmission. Premium amenities including navigation, upgraded audio and a rear view camera are another $2,350 tacked onto the price. This makes it only $23,870 including destination fees for a fully loaded Hyundai, unless you want the Elantra SE with fog lights and 17 inch alloy wheels it could up to around $26,838 which is still competitive for this class.