The pace of change at Hyundai is indeed swift, and the expanding Elantra brand is at the forefront with a new two-door Coupe that’s about to join the compact sedan.
An equally new GT hatchback is also set to arrive (replacing the Elantra Touring), providing a fresh-faced three-model Elantra lineup.
All of this frenetic activity is part of Hyundai’s plan to introduce seven new models throughout the 2012 calendar year.
Two-door designs haven’t been particularly popular and they traditionally represent only a small percentage of total sales for most automakers.
But they do serve as bait to reel in more youthful buyers, even if in the end they often wind up making a more practical sedan purchase. For the Elantra, both are smart choices, but for slightly different reasons.
The Coupe rests on an identical platform to the sedan and offers the same interior volume and trunk room.
That’s good news for back-seat travellers who shouldn’t feel too pinched on longer journeys. And as Hyundai points out, the Elantra Coupe beats both the Civic Coupe and the Kia Koup in the interior space race by a significant margin.
So, what’s the point of a seemingly less functional car? In a word, va-va-voom.
Hyundai has yet to reveal any Coupe pricing details, but to stay well below the $20,500 Veloster hatchback’s base threshold — and to remain competitive with the Honda Civic coupe — you can expect an on-the-road starting point of about $19,000.
That will get you all of the basic styling and fuel-economy goodness inherent in the Elantra sedan, but with a more-tempting let’s-play attitude.
Engine
Both sedan and Coupe converge in the powertrain department. Standard is a 1.8-litre engine that puts out 148 horsepower and 131 pound-feet of torque. It connects to a six-speed manual transmission, or optional six-speed automatic.
Suspension
Where the sedan and Coupe really differ is in the suspension department. A thicker front stabilizer bar, more rigid rear torsion beam, retuned shocks and a quicker electronic power steering ratio are all designed to give the Coupe more agility in the turns.
Nice behind
In back, the addition of an integrated trunk-lid spoiler and a blacked-out lower bumper area with twin exhaust outlets creates at least the impression of the Coupe’s sporty behaviour. The theme carries into the cabin with its more prominent front-seat side bolsters.
2013 Elantra Coupe
• Type. Two-door compact coupe.
• Engine (hp): 1.8-litre DOHC four-cylinder (148).
• Mileage: L/100 km (city/hwy) 6.8/4.9 (MT).
• Base Price (incl. destination): $19,000 (est.).
An equally new GT hatchback is also set to arrive (replacing the Elantra Touring), providing a fresh-faced three-model Elantra lineup.
All of this frenetic activity is part of Hyundai’s plan to introduce seven new models throughout the 2012 calendar year.
Two-door designs haven’t been particularly popular and they traditionally represent only a small percentage of total sales for most automakers.
But they do serve as bait to reel in more youthful buyers, even if in the end they often wind up making a more practical sedan purchase. For the Elantra, both are smart choices, but for slightly different reasons.
The Coupe rests on an identical platform to the sedan and offers the same interior volume and trunk room.
That’s good news for back-seat travellers who shouldn’t feel too pinched on longer journeys. And as Hyundai points out, the Elantra Coupe beats both the Civic Coupe and the Kia Koup in the interior space race by a significant margin.
So, what’s the point of a seemingly less functional car? In a word, va-va-voom.
Hyundai has yet to reveal any Coupe pricing details, but to stay well below the $20,500 Veloster hatchback’s base threshold — and to remain competitive with the Honda Civic coupe — you can expect an on-the-road starting point of about $19,000.
That will get you all of the basic styling and fuel-economy goodness inherent in the Elantra sedan, but with a more-tempting let’s-play attitude.
Engine
Both sedan and Coupe converge in the powertrain department. Standard is a 1.8-litre engine that puts out 148 horsepower and 131 pound-feet of torque. It connects to a six-speed manual transmission, or optional six-speed automatic.
Suspension
Where the sedan and Coupe really differ is in the suspension department. A thicker front stabilizer bar, more rigid rear torsion beam, retuned shocks and a quicker electronic power steering ratio are all designed to give the Coupe more agility in the turns.
Nice behind
In back, the addition of an integrated trunk-lid spoiler and a blacked-out lower bumper area with twin exhaust outlets creates at least the impression of the Coupe’s sporty behaviour. The theme carries into the cabin with its more prominent front-seat side bolsters.
2013 Elantra Coupe
• Type. Two-door compact coupe.
• Engine (hp): 1.8-litre DOHC four-cylinder (148).
• Mileage: L/100 km (city/hwy) 6.8/4.9 (MT).
• Base Price (incl. destination): $19,000 (est.).
