DRIVEN: Hyundai Drops The 2013 Elantra Coupe And GT, Now WHO Should Be Running SCARED?

In the plethora of econo car options, there's one car the Agents prefer over the rest of the pack. That, my friends, is the Hyundai Elantra. Packaged in a stylish body, the Elantra can be optioned with luxury car-like features, has a nicer drive than some entry-level luxury vehicles, can achieve up to 40 mpg on the highway and is backed by an industry leading warranty. All at a reasonable price, most importantly.

Now Hyundai is expanding the Elantra lineup to include two new variants: A coupe and a GT -- hatchback.

That has me wondering two things:

1) WHO should be a bit concerned by the introduction of a competitive, Hyundai coupe and a hatchback?

AND

2) What's it REALLY like?

These are two new variations on Hyundai's nicely selling Elantra. They are practical, reasonably priced alternatives to compact competitors. You already know the Elantra sedan; Hyundai has sold more than 250,000 since the car's U.S. debut. Now we get the Elantra coupe and the GT. The GT is a hatchback version of the platform. Elsewhere you will read about the Hyundai Veloster, the crazy, wildly styled three-and-half-door very sporty cousin that also shares the Elantra platform. The coupe and GT versions, though sporty, put more emphasis on practicality than the wacky Veloster.

Do I want one?

Sporty hatch drivers might choose the Mazda 3 or the Volkswagen Golf over the Elantra GT. Coupe thrill seekers might like the Honda Civic Si. Of course, you can juggle options and payment plans all over the place, but cash-conscious buyers could find that the Hyundais wind up being your bargain choice. Pricing ranges from $18,220 for the base coupe to $22,920 for a nicely optioned GT.

Read Article

HughJass - 7/1/2012 5:06:38 PM

+2 Boost

KIA? I jest but seriously, its the same car as the Forte but rounded and nothing about them surprise anyone, they're what you'd expect.

Boils down to incentives and pricing.

skytop - 7/1/2012 7:35:22 PM

+5 Boost

The Hyundai cars look good but...
I rented a Hyundai and was dismayed at the terrible seats. I developed a serious back pain from the crummy seat. Also, the switchgear is low quality and the interior is just plain cheap looking. I could not see ever owning one of these Korean cars.

cidflekken - 7/1/2012 7:54:21 PM

+5 Boost

Not sure why we need to go through these "running scared" threads every time Hyundai or Kia introduce a new model. Granted, they have better products. Granted, they have good/great styling. But their overall impact on market share, as compared to their primary targets, has been nominal at best. The greatest impacts have been with the Sonata and Elantra sedans, but even still, they are not coming close to the sales of Camry/Accord and Corolla/Civic. Consumer feedback and critical reviews clearly show that these cars don't truly offer anything above and beyond the leaders besides subjectively more interesting styling.

MBguy - 7/2/2012 10:27:09 PM

+1 Boost

What's a Hyundai "Elanta" (see headline).