2016 Hyundai Elantra Review By Steve Purdy

2016 HYUNDAI ELANTRA GT

Review By Steve Purdy
Detroit Editor
The Auto Channel
Michigan Bureau

Even small cars get high-end design treatment these days and here is a great example - Hyundai’s Elantra GT. Outside and inside we find nothing plain or unembellished. This loaded version of the compact, front-wheel drive (AWD not available) Elantra hatchback, in fact, looks and feels more like a near luxury entry than the lower-end car we might have expected from Hyundai a decade ago. Small cars are not necessarily economy cars anymore. We’re reminded that both Hyundai and sister Korean maker Kia have been moving upscale with each redesign of each model in their lineups leaving that image of econo-car well behind.

It was not long ago that U.S. auto buyers seemed uninterested in hatchbacks while that body style was very popular across the pond. That is not the case anymore either. Many compact cars now come in a hatchback version. We’ve finally begun to understand the utility of that configuration with its increased cargo area. By the way, this Elantra GT hatchback is not just a different body on the Elantra sedan platform. It is actually based on a European-designed world car platform that provides more spirited road manners to compliment that utility advantage.

Elantra GT’s exterior design catches one’s eye with swoopy lines, brash front fascia, plenty of character from every angle and flashy 17-inch alloy wheels that look mighty big on this small car. Hyundai’s complex design language made it into their small cars with this current generation of Elantra making it fully modern and, in this reviewers view, very attractive.

The interior is surprisingly roomy for a compact hatch and I did not even bump my head getting in. Leather front seats with cool stitching have a good range of adjustment and fit my oversized backside just fine. The dash design carries through that modern, swoopy theme with many complex shapes and lines curving in every direction, though the instruments and controls remain reasonably simple and easily managed. Analog speedo and tach plus a multi-info screen between them hide under a small brow with subtle stitching. Fit, finish and materials inside make us think we are in a more expensive car. Rear seats accommodate a couple of full-size people or perhaps three small ones. Rear seatbacks fold 60/40 making for a substantial 51 cubic-feet of cargo area. With seatbacks in position we still have a good 23 square-feet.

Under the hood we have a normally aspirated, 2-liter 4-cylinder making 173 horsepower and just 154 lb-ft of torque mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission. This is the only engine offered in the Elantra GT but you can have a manual transmission if you like. Though just a bit buzzy, it makes for a decent powertrain with enough power most of the time. In fact it is one of the more spirited engines in the compact hatch class. The EPA rates this 3,000-pound car at a less-than-impressive 27-mpg combined, 24 in the city and 33 on the highway. Many of Elantra’s competitors approach 40 mpg on the highway. Our experience this week was very close to the promised numbers.

Base price of the Elantra GT is just under 20 grand (a grand less if you choose the standard manual transmission) and comes in just this one trim level. Our test car is loaded with both of the two major option packages: the Style Package for about 2 grand and a Tech Package at about 4 grand. The basic car without options is well equipped - maybe a bit better than some of its compact competitors. Our fully optioned car includes such niceties as the 17-inch alloy wheels, leather wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, power driver’s seat with lumbar support, push-button start, Hyundai’s Blue Link telematics, panoramic sunroof, leather seating, heated and ventilated front seats, navigation with traffic and satellite radio, rear view camera and lots of other stuff. The bottom line on our sticker shows $26,675.

On the road we found the Elantra GT to be quite a pleasure to drive. The 2-liter engine provides plenty of power under normal driving and even better than expected grunt (considering its modest torque number) getting up to speed on our short freeway entrance ramp. I can’t help but wonder what it would be like with a turbo. Suspension is firm enough to feel under control but compliant enough not to shake us up too much on our less well maintained urban roads. Steering feedback and precision left no room for complaint though we did not do any race track-like maneuvers with it this week. And, it is surprisingly quiet inside even at higher speeds on coarse pavement.

Hyundai’s new car warranty covers the Elantra GT for 5 years or 60,000 miles and the powertrain for 10 years or 100,000 miles.

Hyundai is now fully in the mainstream of competent, well-designed automobiles. From small cars to large cars and crossovers the Korean company’s products are as good as any on the market. If you’re in the thinking about a sporty small hatchback you’ll certainly want to put the Elantra GT on your shopping list.

©Steve Purdy, Shunpiker Productions, All Rights Reserved

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