The Hyundai Elantra has offered consumers a vehicle packed with value, performance, and style, since it first arrived on the scene in 1990. Nearly twenty years later, a lot has changed in the Elantra’s six generations including the expansion of the Elantra lineup. From its beginning as a humble compact sedan, to the four models on offer today, Hyundai has almost turned the Elantra nameplate into its own franchise. Today, we’ll look at the two most popular models, the Elantra and Elantra GT, to determine the differences between them.
The 2020 Hyundai Elantra
While some people find thrills in the extreme, others are inspired by dependability—and you’d be hard-pressed to find a vehicle more consistent or dependant than the 2020 Hyundai Elantra. From its exceptional fuel economy to its shrewd safety features, the 2020 Elantra is a compact car in name, not capability. Throw in a subversive style, thanks to its new grille and available LED head and tail lights, as well as its expertly-crafted interior, and the latest Elantra makes short work of the competition—while providing impressive comfort for your everyday driving needs. While it’s not the flashier of the two, the Elantra sedan is a smart and restrained, yet refined and luxurious bearer of the Elantra name.
The 2020 Hyundai Elantra GT
While it doesn’t lack the dependability the original Elantra brings to the table, the 2020 Hyundai Elantra GT offers a more confident and, dare we say, brash element to this classic Hyundai nameplate. The Elantra GT is a hot-hatch, emphasis on hot, thanks to its shorter wheelbase and racing-inspired features. Though only a few inches shorter than the Elantra, the Elantra GT offers thrilling handling, finely-tuned on Germany’s famous Nurburgring track. Add in the functional front wheel air curtains, which pull in cool air while reducing drag from the wheels, and the Elantra GT gains a bit more muscle from the fuel-efficient 2.0L Direct Injection engine found standard in both versions of Hyundai’s Elantra. The Elantra GT’s hatchback also offers a slightly different level of convenience, compared to the Elantra’s more traditional trunk.
While the main difference between the Elantra and Elantra GT is the move from sedan to hatchback, there’s an almost philosophical shift when it comes to deciding between these two vehicles. Both offer exceptionally-peppy performance, practicality, style, as well as equally smart safety and tech features. Of course, one brings a more steady approach to the road, while the other offers more in the way of enthusiastic performance. The only way to really tell which one is right for you, is to call either Northstar Hyundai or Southtown Hyundai, and book a test-drive in both!