- Highs: Handsome all over, capacious cargo storage, frugal highway fuel economy.
- Lows: Base engine has feeble acceleration, limited fun factor, popular features require priciest model.
- Verdict: Enough style to be good, not enough substance to be great.
Overview
The
2020 Hyundai Elantra GT is a tidy and efficient package with clean,
elegant design, but the GT suffix promises a bit more sportiness than it
can deliver. It is not a particularly quick car. Instead, the base car
with its mandatory six-speed automatic transmission is more in the mold
of the highly lauded Volkswagen Golf—which, in my opinion, is one of the best hatchbacks you can buy.
The base GT offers excellent fuel economy, class-leading cargo space,
and a high level of standard equipment for the money. Its interior is
sensibly designed and incorporates one of the most intuitive
infotainment systems on the market—all Elantra GTs come standard with
Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capability. Step up to the Elantra GT N
Line, though, and things get a little saucier. The N Line, so named to
align with the company's new performance offerings, gets a more powerful
turbocharged engine, summer tires, and a choice of either a six-speed
manual transmission or a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic.
2020 Hyundai Elantra GT
What's New for 2020?
Unlike the Elantra four-door sedan, the 2020 Elantra GT hatchback is unchanged for the model year.
Hyundai Elantra GT Pricing and Suggestion
- Elantra GT: $22,000 (est.)
- Elantra GT N Line: $24,500 (est.)
The
base Elantra GT competes with some of the best hatchbacks on the
market, including the Volkswagen Golf, the Honda Civic, and the Mazda 3.
The Hyundai can't quite match the level of responsiveness or solidity
of those industry stalwarts. The N Line is a more desirable proposition.
It is quicker and more powerful than the standard versions of the Golf,
Civic, and 3, but less expensive than most of the higher-performance
versions of those competitors including the GTI and the Civic Si. If you
want a panoramic sunroof, adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, a
premium audio system, and ventilated seats, you'll need to first pony up
for the optional dual-clutch automatic transmission. Those items—along
with additional niceties—are part of a technology package that is not
offered on N Lines with the manual transmission. And those safety
systems aren't available at all on base GTs.
Engine, Transmission, and Performance
Pros: Engine is responsive at low revs, pleasant ride quality.
Cons: Too slow to raise your heart rate, base engine doesn't offer a manual transmission.
The
Elantra GT is a front-wheel-drive hatchback, motivated by either a
161-hp four-cylinder engine or a 201-hp turbocharged four-cylinder. The
base engine pairs exclusively with a six-speed automatic transmission,
while the zestier version receives a standard six-speed manual or a
seven-speed automatic. The regular GT won't offend laid-back drivers,
but its nonturbocharged engine is less compelling than those of most
competitors. The version that was tested
had the slowest acceleration times among similar rivals. We did like
its lively throttle response at low revs, and the automatic transmission
operated smoothly and inconspicuously. However, its responsiveness tops
out at higher engine speeds, where coarse engine noise also plagues the
cabin. While we haven't driven the recently renamed Elantra GT N Line, we have tested the previously named GT Sport.
It went from zero to 60 mph in a class-competitive 6.6 seconds with the
manual transmission, but the similarly equipped Volkswagen Golf GTI did
it in 5.9 seconds. Still, the Hyundai's shifter was easy to manipulate,
and the clutch pedal worked in a smooth and linear fashion.
Every
GT we drove exhibited a remarkable ride as we drove it over the wide
variety of road surfaces that canvas southeast Michigan. It never felt
unsettled on bumpy sections, passengers were well-isolated from harsh
impacts, and the lack of shakes and rattles bode well for build quality.
The GT had competent handling below the absolute limit and a balanced
chassis that avoided feeling lifeless. Its light steering was accurate
but lacked the feedback of rivals such as the Mazda 3 and the Volkswagen Golf.
The Hyundai's brake pedal was oddly inconsistent in its response to our
inputs, with a firmer feel in stop-and-go city traffic and less bite on
the highway.
Fuel Economy and Real-World MPG
Despite
underwhelming EPA estimates, the regular Elantra GT demonstrated
impressive real-world fuel economy in our testing. The government
numbers estimate it earns 25 mpg city and 32 highway. The turbocharged
Elantra GT N Line has the same ratings with the optional automatic
transmission, but the standard manual gearbox drops both ratings by 2
mpg each. The regular GT exceeded its government estimate by 5 mpg on
our 200-mile highway test route, a margin few cars are able to achieve.
Likewise, this observed 37 mpg tied with top competitors such as the Chevrolet Cruze and the Honda Civic.
The Hyundai's turbocharged engine exceeded its EPA estimate by 1 mpg in
our highway fuel-economy test, but its 31 mpg is 5 mpg less than both the Honda Civic Si and the Volkswagen Golf GTI.
Interior, Infotainment, and Cargo
Pros: Attractive and well-built cabin, responsive standard touchscreen, generous cargo volume.
Cons: Tight rear-seat legroom, heated seats included in expensive options package, no mobile hotspot.
Inside, the Elantra GT has sophisticated
styling that is highlighted by tight panel fits and nice-quality
materials. The standard version has cloth surfaces that are available in
black or beige. The interior's soft-touch plastics and silver trim
pieces offset the lower parts of the cabin, which are sheathed in the
sorts of hard plastic that are unavoidable at this price point. While a
high-quality cabin is standard, any and all luxury items cost
considerably more because they're combined into a pricey package.
Unfortunately, the back seat is tighter than competitors and several
notable features are absent.
Every GT has a
responsive 8.0-inch touchscreen that includes Apple CarPlay and Android
Auto. While the system's glossy-black bezel disrupts the otherwise clean
interior design, it has user-friendly controls.
The
Elantra GT does what hatchbacks do best—carry more stuff than similarly
sized sedans. It held five carry-on suitcases behind the back seat in
our tests, and it has the biggest cargo-area volume among similar
competitors. The Hyundai also has competitive interior cubby storage,
including useful front-door pockets and a large center-console bin.
Safety and Driver-Assistance Features
The
Elantra GT was named a Top Safety Pick by the Insurance Institute for
Highway Safety (its second-best rating), but it only earned a four-star
rating (out of five possible) from the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration. Unfortunately, the regular GT is only available with
blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert. The sportier Elantra
GT N Line is available with more advanced driver-assistance
technologies, but they require a pricey package along with the optional
automatic transmission. They are:
- Available lane-departure warning and lane-keeping assist
- Available automatic high-beam headlights
- Available adaptive cruise control
Warranty and Maintenance Coverage
Every
Hyundai has 10 years or 100,000 miles of powertrain protection, which
is among the best plans in the country. However, the Volkswagen Golf has
the longest limited warranty, and the Chevrolet Cruze is one of the few
alternatives that offers complimentary scheduled maintenance.
- Limited warranty covers 5 years or 60,000 miles
- Powertrain warranty covers 10 years or 100,000 miles
- No complimentary scheduled maintenance
