Hyundai: Why Have an Elantra GT When You Can Have a CUV?

This one’s a bit of a bummer, though it’s not surprising. The 2021 model year will bring a Hyundai model lineup bursting at the seams with crossovers, but there’s apparently no room for a lowly compact hatchback.

The sun in that photo is setting, not rising.

Offered since the early 2000s, the five-door version of the Elantra sedan (actually a wholly different car underneath) has met its end in the North American market.

Once offered as the Elantra Touring, the model regained its Elantra GT moniker for the 2013 model year, then gained a new body for 2018. Overseas, the model is known as the i30. Offering usable interior volume and an arguably attractive outward appearance, the last-generation GT was nothing more than a competent commuter in base guise, but things perked up when outfitted with the 1.6-liter turbo four found in the Elantra Sport.

That top-rung model gained an N Line designation for 2020 (which the new-generation Elantra sedan adopts for 2021). Now, the sedan version will have to satisfy buyers’ desire for a fun compact.

It seems only Honda’s enthusiastic about hatchbacks these days.

In outlining its upcoming crop of vehicles, Hyundai said the Elantra GT was “discontinued from the lineup due to expanded SUV lineup that includes Venue and Kona.”

At least the Venue carries an entry price below that of the Elantra GT. For 2020, the Venue starts at $17,350 before destination, compared to the Elantra GT’s $20,650 sticker. Still, compared to the Venue, the GT was a muscle car. The Venue’s super-efficient 1.6-liter four-cylinder generates a meager 121 hp and 113 lb-ft of torque (and is good for 32 mpg combined in base form) versus the GT’s healthy 161 hp and 150 lb-ft.

Oh well, at least the Venue offers an extra 0.8 inches of ground clearance. It’s an SUV, you know.

[Images: Hyundai, Steph Willems/TTAC]