More Aggression Bound for Hyundai Elantra GT

Steph Willems
by Steph Willems

Though it plays second fiddle to more popular hot hatches from Honda and Volkswagen, Hyundai’s Elantra GT is not without a generous list of attributes. Space, inoffensive styling, and value play a large role here, even if the N Line variant (formerly Sport) can’t match the output of its boosted rivals.

For the coming model year, Hyundai aims to ensure the Elantra GT attracts more eyeballs.

A teaser image from Europe shows the front end of the refreshed i30 — the overseas moniker of the Elantra GT. Seen in N Line guise, the i30/Elantra GT dons an aggressive front fascia with LED headlamps, while its revised grille, lower opening, and side scoops all host the same black mesh. A pair of V-shaped LED running lamps lend character.

There’s something Ford-like in its visage, but that can be said for a number of vehicles these days. One could also say there’s Kona elements at work here.

While the compact hatch’s rear remains hidden for now, Hyundai claims the fascia alterations continue near the stern, with new tail lamps being part of the upgraded package. The interior sees the addition of a 10.25-inch infotainment screen.

Changes to the i30 are expected to carry over to the North American version; we’ll get a better look when the car debuts at next month’s Geneva Motor Show.

Appearing in its current form for the 2018 model year, the Elantra GT trailed its revamped sedan cousin by a year. And unlike the sedan, the Elantra GT’s refresh isn’t the hideous makeover foisted on the stock Elantra for 2019. (That model should undergo a full redesign for 2021, bringing its appearance closer to that of the wildly styled midsize Sonata sedan.)

Powertrain changes are unknown at this time. In N-Line guise, which brings a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder (201 hp, 195 lb-ft) and seven-speed dual-clutch automatic to the table, the Elantra GT is a fun little hatchback with plenty of personality. Lower-trimmed models suffer from a slushbox that deadens performance, but the GT’s base 2.0-liter at least outperforms that of the Elantra sedan.

A more athletic appearance for the Elantra’s hatch variant could help stimulate some interest in the model. While Hyundai doesn’t split the two models on its sales ledger, the Elantra nameplate as a whole fell 12.6 percent in 2019.

[Image: Hyundai Europe]

Steph Willems
Steph Willems

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  • Bd2 Bd2 on Feb 13, 2020

    That's what the grille on the Sonata Turbo should have looked like. Oh, well.

  • Superdessucke Superdessucke on Feb 13, 2020

    I would love to see a full N version of the Elantra hatch. It's offered elsewhere in the world. I saw one (i30) on the road in Bratislava, Slovakia and it looked awesome. I know we won't though because it would eat into the Veloster N's sales. But still, that would be a great alternative for those of us who love the N but don't want to have that weird 3 door thing going on with a Veloster

    • Saturnotaku Saturnotaku on Feb 14, 2020

      Would be awesome to see such a vehicle, especially if it could undercut the Civic Type-R by several thousand dollars.

  • CanadaCraig You can just imagine how quickly the tires are going to wear out on a 5,800 lbs AWD 2024 Dodge Charger.
  • Luke42 I tried FSD for a month in December 2022 on my Model Y and wasn’t impressed.The building-blocks were amazing but sum of the all of those amazing parts was about as useful as Honda Sensing in terms of reducing the driver’s workload.I have a list of fixes I need to see in Autopilot before I blow another $200 renting FSD. But I will try it for free for a month.I would love it if FSD v12 lived up to the hype and my mind were changed. But I have no reason to believe I might be wrong at this point, based on the reviews I’ve read so far. [shrug]. I’m sure I’ll have more to say about it once I get to test it.
  • FormerFF We bought three new and one used car last year, so we won't be visiting any showrooms this year unless a meteor hits one of them. Sorry to hear that Mini has terminated the manual transmission, a Mini could be a fun car to drive with a stick.It appears that 2025 is going to see a significant decrease in the number of models that can be had with a stick. The used car we bought is a Mk 7 GTI with a six speed manual, and my younger daughter and I are enjoying it quite a lot. We'll be hanging on to it for many years.
  • Oberkanone Where is the value here? Magna is assembling the vehicles. The IP is not novel. Just buy the IP at bankruptcy stage for next to nothing.
  • Jalop1991 what, no Turbo trim?
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