This should add another thousand sales to the brands U.S. totals each month. Wayne Gerdes – CleanMPG – Aug. 4, 2017 2018 Hyundai Elantra GT With the tall ships in San Diego Harbor. It was less than 6-months ago when I declared the 2018 Hyundai Elantra GT was the best reveal at the 2017 Chicago Auto Show. 2017 Chicago Auto Show - Best of Show: Hyundai’s All-new 2018 Elantra GT Within we walked its details through from initial reveal to the first drive in San Diego last month. The European i30 known as the all-new 2018 Elantra GT with the 162 hp and 150 lb-ft 2.0L GDI I4 here is a viable alternative to small CUVs and is priced from $19,350 not incl. the $885 D&H. The 201 hp and Elantra GT Sport with the 1.6L GDI-T I4 mated to a 6-speed MT (7-speed DCT is optional) begins at $23,250 not incl. the $885 D&H. 2018 Elantra GT and GT Sport Pricing Detail GT (not incl. $885 D&H.) 23/31 mpg city/highway rated 2.0L I4 and 6-speed MT - $19,350 24/32 mpg city/highway rated 2.0L I4 and 6-speed AT - $20,350 GT Sport (not incl. $885 D&H.) 22/29 mpg city/highway rated 1.6L GDI-T I4 and 6-speed MT - $23,250 26/32 mpg city/highway rated 1.6L GDI-T I4 and 7-speed DCT - $24,350 The 2018 Elantra GT and GT Sport provides the utility of a CUV without being a CUV. Meaning the Elantra GT with the rear seats down has more cargo capacity than the Toyota CH-R, Mazda CX-3, Chevrolet Trax and Jeep Renegade. 2018 Hyundai Elantra GT Cargo volume in pictures: 24.9/55.1 cu. ft. with rear seats up/down. The pair also provides more utility than many compact hatches yet rides and handles like a compact hatch. Looking at the passenger/cargo volume specs, the GT/GT Sport are one of two hatchbacks classified by the EPA as a Large Car due to total interior volume greater than 120 cu. ft. Passenger and Cargo Volume Competitive Comparisons Elantra GT/GT Sport - 96.5 cu. ft. and 24.9/55.1 cu. ft. of cargo volume with rear seats up/down = 120.6 cu. ft. total Civic Hatch - 94.8 cu. ft. and 25.7/46.2 cu. ft. of cargo volume with rear seats up/down = 120.5 cu. ft. total Cruze Hatch - 95.0 cu. ft. and 22.7/47.2 cu. ft. of cargo volume with rear seats up/down = 117.7 cu. ft. total Mazda3 - 96.4 cu. ft. and 20.2/47.1 cu. ft. of cargo volume with rear seats up/down = 116.4 cu. ft. total Volkswagen Golf - 93.5 cu. ft. and 22.8/52.7 cu. ft. of cargo volume with rear seats up/down = 116.3 cu. ft. total Ford Focus - 90.0 cu. ft. and 23.3/43.9 cu. ft. of cargo volume with rear seats up/down = 113.3 cu. ft. total Toyota Corolla iM - 90.4 cu. ft. and 20.8/TBA cu. ft. of cargo volume with rear seats up/down = 111.2 cu. ft. total The large car EPA classification needs to be taken with a grain of salt as the rear seat knee and legroom of all of the compact hatches is tight at best and almost unusable at worst. Like the refreshed 2018 Hyundai Sonata, the Elantra GT and GT Sport feature Hyundai’s new signature cascading grille bookcases by standard LED DRLs. Optional LED headlamps are also available. 17 and 18” alloys on the GT and GT Sport respectively. At the rear, the liftgate features an integrated rear spoiler and optional split dual outlet exhaust with the Elantra GT. All Elantra GTs feature 53 percent advanced high strength steel, which is almost double that of the last generation, and 367 feet of structural adhesives leads to an 18 percent increase in torsional rigidity. The rear suspension in the Elantra GT Sport is a multi-link design which provides flatter body roll while maintaining ride quality. Larger front and rear discs fill out the Sport’s 18-inch alloy wheels with high performance tires. 2018 Hyundai Elantra GT Display Audio System Inside the Elantra GT and GT Sport is a standard floating 8-inch display with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and rearview camera with dynamic guidelines. Other interior highlights include an optional Qi wireless smartphone charger, Electronic Parking Brake with Auto Hold, heated and ventilated front seats, next gen navigation featuring Blue Link with three-years of standard service and a powerful Infinity premium audio system with seven speakers including a subwoofer and Harmon Kardon Clari-Fi Music Restoration Technology. Regarding safety, the Elantra GT Sport can be equipped with Automatic Emergency Braking w/ Pedestrian Detection, Lane Keep Assist, High Beam Assist and Smart Cruise Control with full stop/start capability. A Hyundai-first Driver Attention Alert analyzes driver inputs to determine attention level and provide both a visual and audible warning if it determines the driver’s attention level has become too low. 2018 Hyundai Elantra GT A backlit 15-sec. time lapse in San Diego. A little tight and a lot of fun. And the more powerful and better-looking GT Sport is the more efficient of the two.
I take it the EPA highway ratings are lower than the true capabilities, especially the 1.6T. The profile (and capacity) reminds me of the Niro. I like it, though not the wheel/tire sizes, but I understand that that is the demand of the GT market.
Ah yes, the utility of a CUV without being a CUV. Although, unfortunately, only the mpg of a CUV. Or, for the exact same price you could get: - An HR-V (an actual CUV) with the same utility and slightly better mpg. - or a Civic Hatchback with the same utility and far better mpg. Or - allegedly - for $5k less you could just get an Elantra sedan and stop throwing your money away on hatchbacks and CUVs. ;P
I really like the styling of the Elantra GT. It's so much more elegant than the overwrought Civic hatch. The Elantra GT falls well short of the Civic hatch's fuel economy though, if the EPAs numbers can be trusted. The irony is that the Civic hatch's styling is a huge hit with younger drivers, most of whom consider the Elantra GT boring. The Elantra GT styling appeals to older people, like me, that really care about fuel economy; but doesn't appeal to the youth market that really doesn't care that much about fuel economy. I like the Elantra GT's 7-speed DCT over the Civic's CVT. As for the 6MT, the Elantra GT turns about 2275rpm @ 60mph vs about 2245rpm for the Civic. I agree with Bill's comment about the wheels. I want the turbo but not the ultra-wide low-profile wheels/tires. Honda gives me the choice. Hyundai doesn't.
Hi Jay: In my own line of thinking, the Elantra GT really needs the Ioniq/Niro drivetrain with decent 16" alloys. The efficiency is just too low with the GT's two - 2.0L GDI and 1.6L GDI-T - drivetrains. The 1.4L GDI-T from the Elantra ECO would also have been nice but a little under powered for the segments tastes right now. The upright (Elantra GT/Niro/Fit) or lengthy (Prius, Civic, Cruze) hatch style can go either way. I find the lengthy hatch like the Prius generally a bit more useful but taller items are tough to fit. In the Niro/Elantra GT, the rear seats have to go down to fit anything of any length. Pricing is good for the features and equipment. Ergo is std. Hyundai good as well. R&H are a big improvement over the previous Elantra GT which was fine for general driving but lacked what the enthusiast might have wanted. Wayne
I had a rental Elantra with the (6 spd ?) DCT. I loved it on the highway, hated it in town. It would hold my chosen gear very well on the highway. In town it never felt quite at home or settled. You have to really press the gas to launch from a stop. press, nothing, press harder, nothing, press harder, ZOOOM!
Hi All: It was too cold for a Speed vs FE test while I am in IL but the 22/29 mpg 2018 Hyundai Elantra GT Sport w/ the 6-spd. MT proved itself. I have to give some credit to Hyundai’s drivetrain and MT stick engineers. It is becoming better and better. It still cannot yet match the previous Gen Civic/Accord or Mazda MX-5/3 but close enough that you will not notice. Slight amount of notchiness and light movement through the gates. 2018 Hyundai Elantra GT Sport w/ the 6-speed MT The 24.9/55.1 cu. ft. hatch was reasonable without the security cover but with, the cargo volume with the seats up is more along the lines of 15 cu. ft. It is tall but not deep. Loaded hatch. An area that the 2018 Hyundai Elantra GT really stands out is the infotainment system. The std. 8” floating display is excellent. Fast and the AM/FM/HD Radio/Sirus XM plus Android Auto and Apple Car Play make it a segment leader. I am not even sure why one would want to purchase an embedded NAVI system nowadays with Android Auto available for all Elantra and Elantra GT trims? And what I was really surprised by. Not so much the week-long drive as that included mostly short around town type stuff but the higher speed 90 percent highway drive though Chicago. Although the aFCD is not calibrated, recent 2018 Hyundai/Kia offerings are showing their aFCDs dead on and the odometers still 1 to 1.5 short of actual miles traveled. Highway Drive: 50.7 mpg at 58.1 mph avg. speed over 39.7 mi -- 37.0 mpg at 26.9 mph avg. speed over 275.4 miles. The ride and handling on the 18’s is very predictable although I did not run it even past 50 percent. The 18 Sonata, all-new 18 Elantra GT, and even all-new 18 Accent have very similar steering feel. Meaning on-center feel is not being controlled with a whole lot of caster but with fine tuning of the EPS system. Not bad but not as engaging as some of its competitors. Unlike the Elantra, the Elantra GT is selling without nearly the discounts. Meaning the $24,260 as driven Elantra GT Sport with the 6-speed MT including mats and $885 D&H can be picked up for about $22,000. This is a far better deal with even better utility than the Civic SI and Golf GTI but not quite the same level performance, 2018 Hyundai Elantra GT Sport Saying goodbye from the Chicago Automobile Trade Association (CATA) Building. Wayne
58.1 mph avg means what? --- you were targeting about 65 mph? 50.7 at that speed in 46 deg f --- not too shabby. If that car is *accurately* rated at 29 mpg highway, then you must've been doing a lot of engine off coasting (?) /methinks the epa rating makes no sense //body design looks pretty close to a golf
Hi Carcus: What caught me off guard - to the upside - was this last segment was a drive from my home to a MAMA Meet in West Chicago. 50 mpg from a 22/29/25 mpg rated car cruising down a Chicago Expressway with 10 to 15 percent city/suburban is the news. With all of the short trips and cold starts, 37 for the time I was in the car was decent too. With the new proximity keys and push button starts, you cannot FAS these things as it takes to long to get everything to boot up. Wayne
Yes, I've just seen videos on a rolling shut-down on my civic and decided I wouldn't even try it. I have to wonder if there's not some marketing shenanigans going on for that low of an epa rating. /regardless, it's great news if there's another "real-world" 40+ mpg manual transmission hatch available
