"Now why would anyone buy a Honda Civic Coupe instead of that?" a voice over my shoulder said after the 2013 Hyundai Elantra Coupe was unveiled here in Chicago. When it comes to styling, I'm inclined to agree, as this two-door version of Hyundai's popular compact sedan looks excellent. Maybe it's a tad bulky in the rear quarter, but that's normal for coupes (see Mercedes-Benz C-Class) and the Elantra's many creases and character lines hide it reasonably well.
Inside, the dash design is the same as that of the Elantra sedan. However, you'll note that it features an automatic climate control system available for 2013. You would probably expect that the coupe loses backseat room compared to the sedan and you'd be absolutely correct. However, it's not as bad as you think. I set the driver seat for myself (6-foot-3) and there was still usable legroom behind me. Surprisingly, there was even a decent amount of headroom back there as well for a tall guy such as I. Getting the added style of a coupe while still maintaining some functionality is a huge plus.
The sedan's 148-horsepower, 1.8-liter four-cylinder is the only engine presently available, but don't be surprised if a turbocharged mill ends up there eventually.
subytrojan says:
12:38 PM, 02/ 8/12
I'm not digging the chrome on the front grille. I like that strip to be body-colored like on the lower Elantra Coupe trims.
http://www.insideline.com/hyundai/elantra/2012/photos/2012_hyundai_elantra_actf34_12-ch-as_207121.html
titancrew says:
01:01 PM, 02/ 8/12
"Now why would anyone buy a Honda Civic Coupe instead of that?"
Independent rear suspension and smoother engine.
duck87 says:
01:34 PM, 02/ 8/12
The Civic looks dated... but honestly, this is just downright ugly. I just had the same reaction to this car's front end as I did when Acura debuted the "Power Plenum".
billt9 says:
08:35 PM, 02/ 8/12
There is a Genesis and a Veloster.
What is this for?
bassrockerx says:
11:45 PM, 02/ 8/12
interesting i think bmw is the only other car maker with this many coupes (besides porsche) will be interesting to see if there is enough demand for a three coupe linup of hyundai. now i wonder wich version will have a convertable version first? also i wonder if kia will do a coupe version of the optima like toyota did with the camry solara because if they did that would be pretty sweet.
lucien4 says:
03:07 PM, 02/ 9/12
Maybe I'll change my mind when I see it in person but the Civic SI exterior design looks more interesting and slightly less predictable than the coupe that looks almost identical to the sedan.