2018 Hyundai Elantra GT hatchback unveiled at Chicago auto demonstrate
Over the last ten years, the Hyundai Elantra has emerged into the top tier of compact sedans, joining longstanding leaders like the Ford Concentrate, Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla, and Volkswagen Jetta as well as more latest contenders like the Chevrolet Cruze and Subaru Impreza.
The last-generation Elantra sedan launched in two thousand twelve gained a hatchback sibling, known as the Elantra GT, in 2013.
Commensurately, the redesigned two thousand seventeen Elantra sedan is now joined by a two thousand eighteen Elantra GT hatchback model, which debuted yesterday at the Chicago auto display.
The Elantra GT is largely based on the Hyundai i30, its popular five-door car sold in Europe—where hatchbacks are the default choice over sedans for their plasticity and cargo space.
The fresh two thousand eighteen Elantra hatchback offers a cavernous cargo hold, with 55.1 cubic feet of space when the 2nd row of seats is folded down. That strikes hatchback models of the Honda Civic and Chevy Cruze, even the voluminous Volkswagen Golf.
Its standard engine is a Two.0-liter 4-cylinder rated at one hundred sixty two horsepower, or fifteen hp more than the same engine in the sedan.
2018 Hyundai Elantra GT Sport
More aggressive drivers can choose the optional 1.6-liter, turbocharged inline-4, producing two hundred one hp and one hundred ninety five lb-ft of torque, that’s also used in the Elantra Sport sedan model.
The base engine comes with a 6-speed manual gearbox, tho’ far more Elantra GTs are likely to be fitted with the optional 6-speed automatic. If you choose the turbo 1.6-liter engine, the automatic is substituted by a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission that will shift more quickly.
Hyundai didn’t release fuel economy figures or prices for the two thousand eighteen Elantra GT at the Chicago demonstrate, but it’s worth scanning the sedan’s EPA ratings for hints.
The two thousand seventeen Elantra Limited sedan is rated at twenty eight mpg city, thirty seven mpg highway, thirty two mpg combined, with a six-speed automatic transmission and a 147-horsepower Two.0-liter four-cylinder engine.
You can do incrementally better in fuel economy by specifying the low-end Elantra SE sedan, which is rated one mpg higher on all three measurements: twenty nine city, thirty eight highway, thirty three mpg combined.
The Elantra Sport, with its more powerful turbocharged engine, drops to twenty six mpg city, thirty three highway, and twenty nine combined when fitted with the 7-speed DSG.
2018 Hyundai Elantra GT Sport
Manual versions get lower EPA ratings across the board, from twenty nine mpg combined with the Two.0-liter base engine to twenty five mpg combined with the 1.6-liter turbo.
The fuel-efficiency champ among the sedans, however, is the Elantra Eco version, which uses a different 128-horsepower, 1.4-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine paired with a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.
It’s EPA-rated at thirty two city, forty highway, thirty five mpg combined.
There won’t be an Eco version of the Elantra GT hatchback, according to Hyundai.
Given the boxier profile of the hatchback against the longer and more tapered sedan, we’d expect Elantra GT ratings to be the same as or lower than those for the Elantra sedan with the same powertrain.
Fuel economy aside, the fresh Elantra GT is a crisply styled five-door with a broad, low stance and a few details to set it apart, including LED daytime running lights.
2018 Hyundai Elantra GT Sport
Interior materials blend some high-end soft-touch surfaces with some of the inexpensive hard plastic you’ll find in the high-volume Elantra sedan.
The 8-inch infotainment screen on top of the dash looks like a petite tablet tacked onto the surface. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto come standard at all trim levels, with wireless smartphone charging as an option.
Standard or optional active-safety features include adaptive cruise control with automatic emergency braking, lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitors, and rear cross-traffic alerts.
The two thousand eighteen Hyundai Elantra GT will show up in dealerships later this year. Pricing and final specifications will be released closer to the on-sale date.