Chicago Show 2012 Highlights: 2013 Hyundai Elantra Coupe

The 2013 Hyundai Elantra coupe may not need much explanation; it’s basically an Elantra sedan with two fewer doors. On the other hand, it’s hard for us to say why Hyundai has decided to enter the shrinking segment of front-wheel-drive coupes—especially with the Veloster andmore-powerful Genesis coupe already on dealer lots. Perhaps Hyundai’s sleek new two-door will steal a few sales from the Honda Civiccoupe and even the Elantra’s corporate sibling, the Kia Forte Koup.

Take a close look at the pictures, and you’ll notice that the coupe’s front fascia has been tweaked ever so slightly to differentiate it from the sedan’s, with changes to the lower part of the grille and the fog lamps. The Elantra sedan already has a coupe-like shape, and that roofline works well on the two-door version. The big crease, running the length of the doors on the sedan, looks far more stylish on the Elantra coupe, as does the whole wedge-like profile. The lower rear diffuser has been painted black, and we’re relieved to see it hasn’t been executed in as overwrought a manner as Forte Koup’s. Relatively conservative buyers won’t be offended here—even if they opt for the SE model, which adds a modest lip spoiler on the trunklid.

The dual- and quad-doored versions of the Elantra are nearly identical underneath. They have the same 106.3-inch wheelbase, the same overall width of 69.9 inches, and the same height of 56.5 inches. The only major exterior dimensional difference is that the coupe is 0.4 inch longer than the sedan. (Scintillating stuff, we know.) So they’re really, really similar and those sedan-like dimensions should make the Elantra coupe very spacious. The two-door beats the Civic coupe and Forte Koup in both interior volume and cargo space.

Powertrain options are directly carried over from the Elantra sedan. That means buyers get a 148-hp, 1.8-liter inline-four with a less-than-awesome 131 lb-ft of torque. These numbers put the Elantra coupe ahead of the Civic coupe, behind the wimpiest Forte Koup—that car gets a 2.0-liter standard; a 2.4 is optional—and mid-pack for the segment in general. A six-speed manual transmission is available—and necessary if you want to maximize fuel economy—while a six-speed automatic is an option. Self-shifting coupes are estimated at 28 mpg city/39 highway, while Hyundai says the stick version should get 29/40. These fuel-economy ratings are just about identical to those of the sedan.

The Elantra coupe will be as well-equipped as its four-door bro. A touch-screen nav system with a rearview camera is optional, as are leather-trimmed seats, keyless entry and start, a power sunroof, and dual-zone climate control. SE models get a sportier suspension tune.

Thanks to: Car and Driver