Hyundai Elantra Coupe

The Hyundai Elantra Coupe is a coupe or sportier version of the Hyundai Elantra. Car and Driver Magazine described it as the sedan version of the Hyundai Elantra without the back two doors.

History

The Hyundai Elantra started production in 1990. However, the Hyundai Elantra Coupe did not come out until 2012. The Hyundai Elantra Coupe was discontinued in 2015.

Design

The Hyundai Elantra Coupe runs off a two liter GDI engine with a six speed transmission. The Elantra Coupe has stiffer suspension than the sedan version. The Hyundai Elantra Coupe was half an inch longer than the sedan model. Car and Driver magazine described the Hyundai Elantra Coupe as the sedan minus two doors; the major changes are in appearance, not performance, except for a few upgrades in options that you pay extra for with the basic sedan model.
All versions of the 2015 Hyundai Elantra, including the coupe, have heated back seats as well as front seats. However, the Hyundai Elantra Coupe has much less room in the back seat than the sedan models. The Hyundai Elantra Coupe has six air bags, versus the five in the standard sedan.
The Hyundai Elantra Coupe is a front wheel drive vehicle. The Hyundai Elantra Coupe have automatic transmissions by default but you can upgrade to a manual transmission for around a thousand dollars.
The Hyundai Elantra Coupe shares the “fluidic design” of the other Elantra models as well as the Hyundai Sonata. The Hyundai Elantra Coupe also shares the hourglass shape for the center rack of controls with the sedan, a feature missing in the GT hatchback.

Performance

The Hyundai Elantra Coupe gets around 25 miles per gallon in the city and 35 miles per gallon on the highway.
The 2015 Hyundai Elantra sedans received a five star rating from the NHTSA and IIHS Top Safety Picks, but the coupe itself did not score that high.


Price

The Hyundai Elantra Coupe started at $20,500 new in 2015. In contrast, the sedan version started at a little over $18,000. Even the hatchback version was cheaper, costing around $19,500. The higher price for the Hyundai Elantra Coupe was why it did not sell as well as the other two models of the Hyundai Elantra, and why it was discontinued.
Many Hyundai Elantra Coupe shoppers simply paid extra and upgraded to the Hyundai Genesis coupe.

Rivals

Rivals to the Hyundai Elantra Coupe include the Ford Focus, Volkswagen Jetta, Honda Civic, Kia Forte, Kia Soul, Volkswagen Golf, and Mazda 3.
For those looking for equivalent coupes, the Mini Cooper hardtop, Kia Forte coupe, Honda Civic coupe, and Mini Cooper convertibles are rivals to the Hyundai Elantra Coupe.

Trivia

There is no 2016 model year version of the Hyundai Elantra Coupe.
There were lawsuits in 2012 due to accusations that Hyundai over-inflated miles per gallon statistics; Hyundai initially said the cars got up to 40 miles per gallon. Hyundai and Kia were fined $360 million for the inflated mpg claims.
The major 2015 Hyundai recall for the electronic power steering control units does not include the Elantra Coupe. That recall was for Hyundai Elantras made between 2008 and 2010.
Likewise, a 2014 recall for stop lamp failures in the Hyundai Genesis, the larger coupe by Hyundai, do not include the Hyundai Elantra Coupe. In 2013, the Genesis vehicles were also recalled due to problems with the brake fluid not protecting the electronic control unit from corrosion.