With a six-speed manual transmission, five doors and a starting MSRP under $19k, there is a lot to love about the 2014 Hyundai Elantra GT. If there is anything the Korean manufacturer has perfected over the years, it’s providing lots of car for not a lot of money. The Elantra->ke1391 GT follows in the same vein by offering items like alloy wheels, heated mirrors and fog lamps fitted as standard.

To make things even better for 2014, the Elantra GT has a new 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with direct injection and a better torque curve than before. Horsepower has also been increased. We all know that more power and more toque is always more better. The result is an Elantra that boasts more horsepower than the Impreza->ke1319, Focus, Mazda3 and the Golf.

As an extra bonus to the increased power output, Hyundai->ke201 is promising that a new “sport-tuned” suspension setup should make the most out that extra go.

Read on to find out what other tricks the Hyundai Elantra GT maybe hiding up its sleeve.

2014 Hyundai Elantra GT

Specifications
  • Make: Array
  • Model: 2014 Hyundai Elantra GT
  • Engine/Motor: inline-4
  • Horsepower: 173 @ 6500
  • Torque: 154 @ 4700
  • Transmission: 6-speed manual
  • [do not use] Vehicle Model: Array
Pros
Cons

Exterior

The outside of the Elantra GT will be pretty instantly recognizable to anyone familiar with the Korean company’s wares. It uses a newer interpretation of the swoopy “Fluidic Sculpture” design language that has graced nearly Every Hyundai for last 5 years or so.

That funky design does have a nice side effect of being very slippery when it comes to wind resistance. Its CoD of .30 manages to beat the 0.32 my slab-sided Volkswagen Golf manages.

2014 Hyundai Elantra GT - Exterior Dimensions

Wheelbase

104.3 in.

Overall length

169.3 in.

Overall width

70.1 in.

Overall height

57.9 in.

Tread Width (front/rear) - 16”

61.0 in. / 61.5 in.

Tread Width (front/rear) - 17”

61.0 in. / 61.5 in.

Overhang

34.6 in. / 30.3 in.

Minimum Ground Clearance

5.5 in.

Coefficient of Drag (Cd)

0.30


2014 Hyundai Elantra GT - Standard Exterior Features

- Front fog lights

- Daytime running lights

- Headlights with escort function and headlight welcome function

- Dual heated body-color power outside mirrors

- Bumpers, body-color

- Grille, chrome accents

- Door handles, body-color

- Windshield shade band

- Tinted glass

- Solar glass

- Front 2-speed intermittent windshield wipers with mist function

- 16-in. alloy wheel and P205/55HR16 tires

Interior

Interior space is one of the huge bonuses gained by going with a hatch over a traditional sedan. Interior space and cargo capacity are hugely increased with the extra space of the rear hatch area without dramatically increasing the overall size of the car.

Aside from the increased space over its sedan siblings, the Elantra comes with a solid collection of standard and available equipment. An air-conditioned glove box, heated seats and a six-speaker stereo are all on the equipment list. You can even get leather seats, a rare option in this price bracket.

2014 Hyundai Elantra GT - Interior Dimensions

Head room

Front

40.1 in

Rear

37.9 in.

Leg room

Front

42.0 in.

Rear

34.6 in.

Shoulder room

Front

55.9 in.

Rear

54.9 in.

Hip room

Front

53.1 in.

Rear

51.0 in.


2014 Hyundai Elantra GT - Standard Interior Features

- Roof trim, high density non-woven

- Door trim, cloth inserts

- Door handles, metal paint

- Door armrest, integrated

- Door map pockets with bottle holders, front

- Door map pockets with bottle holders, rear

- Illuminated vanity mirrors and sunvisor extensions

- Shift knob, urethane

- Parking brake handle, chrome button

- Floor covering, needle punch carpeting

- Door scuff, step plate

- Manual air conditioning

- Heater

- Cabin air filter

- Rear seat heater ducts

- Rear window defroster

- Urethane steering wheel

- Tilt and telescopic steering wheel

- Steering wheel audio controls

- Cruise control

- Bluetooth hands-free phone system with voice recognition

Drivetrain

This is the biggest news for the Elantra GT. The new 2.0-liter Nu engine is a new and advanced design that features technology like direct injection to boost horsepower and fuel economy. This perky little motor manages to produce 173 horsepower and 154 pound-feet of twist. That is a bump of 17 percent for horsepower and 18 percent in torque over last year’s 1.8-liter. Talk about improvement.

Despite the power improvement, the Elantra GT will still hit 34 mpg on the highway. It would be nice to approach the 39 mpg rating of the 2013 car, but the increased power will make you actually enjoy driving this one.

That, my friends, is what we call progress.

Type

DOHC D-CVVT (Dual Continuously Variable Valve Timing)

Materials

Aluminum block and head

Displacement

2.0L / 1,999 cc

Horsepower

173 @ 6,500 rpm (ULEV) / 166 @ 6,500 rpm (PZEV)

Torque

154 lb-ft @ 4,700 rpm (ULEV) / 148 lb-ft @ 4,700 rpm (PZEV)

Valves per cylinder

4

Bore and Stroke

81.0 x 97.0 (mm)

Compression Ratio

11.5:1


Prices

Elantra GT

2.0L 4-cylinder

6-speed Manual Transmission

$18,750

Elantra GT

2.0L 4-cylinder

6-speed Automatic Transmission w/ SHIFTRONIC

$19,750


Elantra GT

Options

GT M/T Style Package

$2,550

GT M/T Technology Package

$3,250

GT A/T Style Package

$2,550

GT A/T Technology Package

$3,250

Cross rails

$295

Auto-dimming mirror with Homelink

$275

Luggage box kit

$145

Carpeted floor mats

$110


Competitors

Volkswagen Golf

The Elantra GT may boast more interior and cargo space than the current Golf, but the Mk VII model that arrives later this year will render many of the claims as false. The Golf is also available in diesel, and AWD bonkers R versions. But the Elantra still holds the crown for value.

Ford Focus

The Ford Focus, like the Golf, is getting a solid refresh later this year making it a much better vehicle than it is currently. Currently the Hyundai may seem like the better car, but the new Focus may change that. We wont know for sure until we can test them both.

Conclusion

The 2014 Hyundai Elantra GT packs all of our favorite small car features into a tidy little hatch. A torquey little four-cylinder engine, five real doors with plenty of interior space, and of course three pedals. With a bargain basement price, it is hard to go wrong with the Hyundai. Yes it could be prettier, and the fuel economy could be better, but as an overall package it is a solid car.