Hyundai has revealed the 2018 Hyundai Elantra GT in the US. Like the previous North American Elantra GT, this one is based on the European Hyundai i30. The sedan that we know is simply called the Elantra. The third-generation i30 made its debut at the Paris Motor Show in September last year.
The new Elantra GT is 40 mm longer (4,340 mm) and 15 mm wider (1,795 mm) than before. Also contributing to the “aggressive stance” that Hyundai touts is the overall height, which is up 20 mm lower than before. Wheelbase length remains unchanged at 2,650 mm.
Hyundai Motor America points out that while the Elantra GT’s exterior dimensions match that of most compact hatchbacks, the interior is roomy enough that it expects the US EPA to classify the five-door hatch as a “large” car, a unique point in the segment.
The handsome new i30 boasts clean proportions and lines (and a passing resemblance to the Peugeot 308), fronted by a new cascading grille design. Not just skin deep, over half the structure (53%) comprises of advanced high-strength steel, nearly double the outgoing car for 22% better rigidity. The body-in-white weighs 27.6 kg less the drag coefficient is Cd 0.30.
The Elantra GT comes with two powertrain options. There’s a direct injection 2.0 litre with 162 hp mated to either a six-speed manual or automatic transmission. The GT Sport model comes with a 201 hp/264 Nm 1.6 litre T-GDi engine, paired to either the 6MT or a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox. No diesels for the US, of course.
Hyundai is rather proud of the Elantra GT’s ride and handling, which the company says has been tested and developed over hundreds of laps on the Nurburgring. This resulted in a suspension tune that feels taut yet comfortable, minimising unwanted body roll yet maximising wheel impact absorption, Hyundai claims. The GT Sport swaps the rear torsion beam suspension for an independent multi-link setup, and comes with standard 18-inch alloy wheels and larger front/rear brake rotors.
Inside, the Elantra GT gets an Infinity Premium Audio with Clari-Fi, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and wireless smartphone charging. That’s on top of an eight-inch display audio and 17-inch alloys. Safety wise, Smart Cruise Control with stop/start capability, Automatic Emergency Braking with Pedestrian Detection, Lane Keep Assist, Attention Assist, High-Beam Assist, and Blind Spot Detection with Rear Cross-traffic Alert are all onboard, just like in our Ioniq Hybrid.
Hyundai says that its Blue Link customers have performed more than 25 million remote starts since its debut in 2011. Although Remote Start with Climate Control is a great feature when it’s hot, it’s three times more popular in the winter. The mobile app function now includes control of the rear defroster and heated side mirrors. The enhancement debuts here and will be available for other Hyundai models in the future.
The 2018 Elantra GT also debuts Hyundai next-gen AVN 5.0 infotainment system, which features an upgraded processor as well as an eight-inch screen (an inch up). Using presets is a snap because AM, FM and SiriusXM channels are now combined on one screen. A bird’s eye view has also been added to navigation maps and drivers can now get traffic flow and incident data without ever paying for a subscription via HD Radio.
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Such a beautiful car. The normal i30 now is also the Top selling car in Australia.
Amazing how Proton started 10 years later than Hyundai and yet, Proton can only sell 70,000 cars per annum (most bought by gomen for gomen departments as sedekah)
Hyundai started 10 years earlier, now sells 10 million cars globally.
Even better Geely. Started in 1998. Proton started in 1985. Before that Geely is just a fridge maker.
now Geely is so rich, they can even buy Volvo up.
Proton needs to learn how to run a business.
Is that amber colour daytime running lights? Other car use white and Hyundai use amber? Hmmm..
Slicing away Golf GTi sales soon
Looks like testing & developing hundreds of laps on the Nurburgring is the benchmark for most top car manufacturers. Maybe P1 & P2 should also do the same in-order to gain some recognition. What say U john ?!