The new 2013 Hyundai Elantra Coupe with the already wildly popular Elantra sedan.
What do you do when you’re already short of cars to sell – as is the enviable problem faced by Hyundai with the compact Elantra model? How about adding a couple new variants likely to stimulate even more demand.
The Korean carmaker is clearly on a roll, with sales setting yet another new record for 2011, largely driven by demand for the Elantra, the original version of the sedan winning the North American Car of the Year trophy just last month.
Now, the maker is offering potential buyers even more options, adding both a new Elantra Coupe and a sporty 5-door Elantra GT model for 2013. That will have Hyundai offering more distinct variants of the popular Elantra line than any competitor in the compact segment.
Hyundai claims the new Elantra GT will be the lightest car in its segment.
The 2-door is aimed at a “young buyers (who) wants a car that doesn’t shout family like a sedan does,” suggested Hyundai’s U.S. product and corporate planning chief Mike O’Brien.
The coupe boasts a bolder take on the “Fluidic Design” language that Hyundai has been using as it updates new products like the Sonata and, more recently, the Elantra. A distinctive accent line running from the front of the doors all the way back to the rear spoiler helps distinguish the new Coupe.
The offering also features sportier suspension tuning and quicker steering than the original sedan. But they share the same 1.8-liter inline-four-cylinder engine. With the 6-speed stick, the Hyundai Elantra Coupe is rated at 40 mpg on the Highway.
During a Chicago Auto Show preview, O’Brien dubbed the Elantra GT “decidedly European,” and with good reason. It is all but identical to the Hyundai i30 hatchback that the maker is selling on the Continent, John Krafcik, CEO of Hyundai Motor America, confirmed.
Compared to the conventional 4-door, Hyundai has made some major changes, however, putting an emphasis on cutting weight – and improving stiffness – through the use of ultra-high strength steel. Compared to competing compacts, the Elantra GT is 151 pounds lighter than the Mazda3 and 222 pounds lighter than the Volkswagen Golf, officials noted.
The Elantra GT also features a number of aerodynamic improvements.
The 5-door offers a number of creature comfort features, including fold-down rear seats, a cooled glovebox, heated seats, foglamps and Bluetooth. Hyundai also developed a trick rearview camera that normally remains concealed behind the rear “H” badge.”
Appealing to enthusiasts, Hyundai has also added a new selectable steering system that can be adjusted according to a motorist’s tastes and driving conditions.
Also equipped with the 1.8-liter I-4, the Hyundai Elantra GT gets 39 mpg on the Highway.
The new Elantra Coupe will reach showrooms first, Hyundai officials noted, going on sale this coming spring. The Elantra GT will follow in early summer. The maker hasn’t yet disclosed prices.
The good news for Hyundai is that demand for the Elantra has exceeded expectations by a wide margin. The bad news is that the maker is launching two new models that might normally build demand even more.
“We’re trying to find ways to boost production,” lamented O’Brien, “even if it’s just to maintain (Elantra’s) market share as the overall U.S. auto industry continues to recover. As a result, he is hoping the maker’s production gurus will be able to increase output by at least 8 to 10% in 2012.
One thing that should help is the decision to produce the new Elantra GT and Elantra Coupe models in Ulsan, Korea, rather than cutting into existing capacity at Hyundai’s Alabama assembly plant, where Elantra sedan is now built.