NO HITCHES WITH THIS HATCH
European-designed Elantra five-door gets better engine and interior than the sedan
ESTEREL, QUE. Compact utility vehicles and SUVs might be taking over the world, leaving behind the once dominant compact car, but in certain corners of the country, hatchbacks remain as popular as hot poutine in Quebec.
Designed and tuned for the European market, the 2018 Hyundai Elantra GT almost didn’t make it to Canada because the United States wasn’t all that interested in the model until Canadian executives convinced them otherwise. Thankfully, someone had the good sense to know a hatch offers way more utility than a sedan, and hatches are way more fun to drive.
Although it looks similar in front to the smart new Elantra sedan, the GT isn’t just a car with a fifth door slapped on the back.
The GT gets a unique engine, a different wheelbase for a sportier ride and an interior that’s more advanced than the sedan, complete with standard 20-centimetre colour touchscreen.
Now in its fourth generation, the GT’s design gives it a clear identity. With short overhangs in front and rear, an integrated rear spoiler and wraparound rear glass with dual exhaust on sport models, the GT is now as sophisticated as its direct competitors, the Honda Civic, VW Golf, Mazda3 and Ford Focus.
Looks mean nothing, of course, if the chassis, transmission and engine aren’t up to the job, but Hyundai has nothing to worry about here.
The GT comes with a 2.0-litre four-cylinder GDI engine in GL and GLS trims that produces 162 horsepower and 150 poundfeet of torque. That’s slightly more than the base engine in the sedan. As with the sedan, stepping up a sport model brings a turbocharged 1.6-L engine, outputting 201 hp and 195 lb.-ft. of torque. Oh, yeah.
Both engines are willing partners in the GT, the 2.0-L feeling only a smidgen underwhelming when passing and climbing hills. Thankfully, all models except the sport ultimate come with a six-speed manual that can wring the most from each engine.
While the optional six-speed automatic doesn’t come with paddle shifters on base models, the automatic isn’t disagreeable because it has a proper manumatic mode. Unfortunately, sport models have gone to an electronic parking brake instead of a hand brake, and the sport ultimate only comes with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic with paddle shifters.
Steering is gently weighted, if not overly generous with feedback, but it manages to negotiate tight turns with pleasing accuracy. The front-engine, frontwheel-drive architecture can make the rear feel a little light when hitting an apex too fast, but the GT delivers way more punches than it receives.
That interior felt a little dark with a black headliner, but a two-tone liner in lower trims brightens things considerably, as does the full, panoramic sunroof on GLS models and up. The 2018 Elantra GT also debuts Hyundai’s BlueLink Telematics, linking your car to an app on your phone and allowing you to start the car remotely, set the climate, and lock or unlock the vehicle.
Equally satisfying is the ample cargo space in the GT.
The 705 litres with the seats up is more than the Golf and Focus but less than the Civic. With the seats down, there’s enough space to match an Audi Q5. All this explains a lot about the long-running narrative of hatchbacks like the GT.
While everyone is rushing to CUVs for the space they provide, the hatchback soldiers on for those who know what kind of utility they have while still being a hoot to drive.
The 2018 Elantra GT does just this, and does it extraordinarily well, packing in a lot of standard equipment on models between $20,000 and $30,000 — which is a lot like getting gravy and cheese with your fries.