Test Drive: 2016 Hyundai Elantra GT Limited
Updated Elantra GT appeals largely on feature content and usable space
The competition is fierce in the affordable five-door marketplace. A new breed of highly-cultured rides from Mazda, Subaru, Ford, Volkswagen, Hyundai and others all call out vigorously for the hard-earned dollars of Canadian shoppers after a product that’s ready for any activity or lifestyle.
One of those globally-leveraged compacts is the Hyundai Elantra GT. Model-year 2016 sees the German-designed Korean five-door gussied up with a slew of updates to styling, feature content, technology and connectivity, building on a strong offering of high flexibility, upscale driving dynamics, and premium feature content with even more value.
On the technology front, the stand-out feature is Elantra’s new central-command system, which combines navigation, entertainment, communications and other functionalities into a single touch-screen system that works better than the previous generation setup, as well as most other systems in this segment. Using revised menu layouts, a souped-up graphics processor and new programming, the latest top-line interface amounts to one of the best your writer’s ever laid his grubby fingertips on where responsiveness, looks, and intuitive operation are concerned.
Space and versatility are generous, with Elantra GT offering up adequate room in front and back for full-grown adults or an average-sized family of five. Two properly-sized adults can sit behind one another, and rear headroom was more than adequate for your 5”11 writer.
The cargo hold is deep, wide, and accessed via a high-lift hatch for easy loading and unloading. Rear seats fold completely flat with ease, and there’s room galore for a two-person camping trip with plenty of gear, and a canine or two, in back. The rear cargo load height falls at thigh-level, and a shallow but useful under-floor organizer keeps your items in order and out of sight. In all, here’s a five-door mini-wagon that could do double-duty as a small crossover.
Feature content is a big part of the Elantra GT’s appeal. The loaded-grade Limited tester offered up a slew of comfort and convenience features which contribute to a laid back drive, including automatic lights and climate control, keyless access with push-button start, powered and heated leather seats and full steering-wheel mounted controls. Add in the slick navigation system, no fewer than 3 recharging points within reach of front-seat passengers and one more in the cargo hold, and above-average at-hand storage facilities, and you’ve got a car that makes staying organized and recharged on the go easy.
Hyundai figured on making the Elantra GT the sportiest-handling Elantra variant on offer, nodding to its European roots and answering the call of shoppers after a model with an above-average focus on driving dynamics. Beefier stabilizer bars, a stiffened twist-beam, and premium shock absorbers dial up the tautness and agility, setting the stage for added response and feel.
Further, the Driver Selectable Steering Mode (DSSM) system provides button-tap access to Normal, Comfort and Sport steering modes to fit the driver’s tastes. Heavied-up Sport mode steering works with the stiffened-up suspension towards a confident and playful character, should you find occasion to browse a winding road at a good clip.
The ride can be a mixed bag. As it tends to go, a stiffer suspension makes the car feel lively, and compromise to ride quality is minimal on smooth roads and highways. Rough roads can cause ride quality to degrade however, with the suspension becoming noisy and harsh in situations where the standard, comfort-tuned Elantra Sedan maintains a feeling of durability and composure. Shoppers prioritizing handling response over ride quality, travelling mostly on highways, or living in locales with well-maintained roads will take little issue with the suspension calibration. Other shoppers are advised to head to the roughest road available on a test-drive to ensure they’ll be accepting of the trade-off.
Elantra GT’s standard 2-litre four-cylinder GDI engine whips up 173 horsepower, driving the front wheels via a six-speed automatic. Power delivery hits harder than the engine’s displacement suggests, and overall performance that’s adequate, perhaps slightly more, with decent off-the line snap, and plenty of sauce in reserve at higher revs.
The engine doesn’t lead the way for refinement or quietness, though the growl at full throttle has a hard-working quality to it, and the engine works seamlessly with the 6-speed automatic at most times, once the transmission gets in sync with your driving style. Note that a manual transmission is available in low to mid-grade trim levels.
Wind and road noise levels are about average for the segment, and at a good clip, the Elantra GT should prove quieter than a Mazda 3 or Subaru Impreza. Mileage impressed on my watch, too, with a measured-by-hand average of 7.5L/100km overall.
End of the day, the Elantra GT will appeal highly on space, flexibility, and feature content for the price-tag, and especially to a shopper after an efficient five-door that’s’ on the sporty side where ride and handling are concerned. This one’s a solid all-around value with many strengths, and few weaknesses.
