Hyundai Gets Traction With New Elantra GT and Sport Editions

While burnishing its brand with the G80/G90 luxury series, and mixing the Crossover and Pickup truck formats in the soon to be revealed Santa Cruz, the modest and durable Elantra is fundamental to the Hyundai success story.

With global sales of over 5 million units, 2.9 million in the US alone since 1991, the Elantra represents 27 percent of all Hyundai cars sold in America.

While the 2016 update of Elantra sedan yielded a well received, shrunken version of the enormously popular Sonata mid-size sedan, Hyundai leverages fun-to-drive and youth appeal to launch new sporty hatchback GT Sport edition for 2018.

Based on a popular new series launched earlier in Europe, the new Elantra GT Sport is clearly aiming high as it challenges the performance hatchback leading VW Golf GTI.

Hyundai Design Chief Peter Schreyer, a VW veteran, has nailed the hatchback aesthetic with crisp exterior lines, an aggressive new front grill and fascia treatment. Inside the GT Sport follows through with Euro comfort and performance ethic, and detail touches like red stitched leather.

With a turbocharged 201 horsepower 1.6 inline four cylinder engine — 39 horsepower more than the 2.0 liter plant in the standard GT — the Elantra Sport offers plenty of spirit especially with a standard 6-speed manual transmission.

Priced right in the $25,000 range the Hyundai Elantra GT Sport is a compelling driver and a strong value.