2013 Hyundai Elantra Coupe and GT Video

The Elantra's popularity is skyrocketing. Strong sales, rave reviews and big awards are keeping us talking about Hyundai's compact sedan. New coupe and hatchback versions only add to its buzz factor. Building off the sedan's new-for-2011 fluid design language, the coupe offers a sportier take on Elantra, and the GT's hatchback adds a measure of functionality. Cars.com editor Mike Hanley applauds Hyundai for widening the Elantra’s appeal with two new body styles. 

2013 Hyundai Elantra Coupe: Photo Gallery

By summer's end, there will be three versions of the Hyundai Elantra compact on the market. The recently introduced coupe and hatchback models will join the popular sedan later this year.

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The coupe retains the Elantra sedan's styling, but gains sportier cues like additional side sculpting, dual chrome-tipped exhaust pipes and five-spoke 17-inch alloy wheels with dark spoke inserts.

2013 Hyundai Elantra Coupe: Up Close

The Hyundai Elantra coupe is a big small coupe. What does that mean? Well, even though there are two fewer doors than the sedan, not much interior room is lost and it feels that way when sitting in the new model.

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Up front, the seats have more pronounced side bolstering than the sedan. It ain't no Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution with optional Recaro-brand seats, but these seats also aren't intrusive and give the coupe's interior a sportier look than the sedan. Underneath, the coupe has a new suspension tuned toward the sporty side, so the bolsters that hold the driver in place during cornering aren’t superfluous compared to the comfort-tuned sedan.

2013 Hyundai Elantra GT: Up Close

Hyundai's Elantra GT hatchback is a needed replacement for the Elantra Touring that suffered in the mileage and styling departments compared to the sleek, 40 mpg Elantra sedan, which was redesigned for 2011. The GT's short nose and tail, along with its swooping body lines, give the four-door hatchback a trim, athletic look.

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While the GT's interior dimensions are on par with the segment's roomiest hatches, after my first look at the Chicago Auto Show, the rear hatch and folding seats – two important hatchback parts -- have room for improvement.

2013 Hyundai Elantra GT at the 2012 Chicago Auto Show

• Competes with: Mazda3, Ford Focus and Subaru Impreza hatchbacks
• Looks like: A real hatchback instead of the wagon-like Elantra Touring
• Drivetrain: 148-hp, 1.8-liter four-cylinder and six-speed manual or automatic transmission 
• Hits dealerships: Early this summer

The Hyundai Elantra gains another body style for 2013: the four-door hatchback Elantra GT. It joins the hot-selling sedan and the new 2013 Elantra coupe. It replaces the Elantra Touring, which was skipped over for a redesign in 2011 when the sedan was all new.

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The GT looks much more like a hatchback compared with the outgoing Touring, and it gains some European hatchback flair, which is no coincidence as the GT is based on a European-market hatchback called the i30. One trim level is offered, though the number of features can vary with the Style and Technology packages.

2013 Hyundai Elantra Coupe at the 2012 Chicago Auto Show

• Competes with: Honda Civic coupe and corporate cousin Kia Forte Koup
• Looks like: It expands on the Elantra sedan’s new-for-2011 fluid design
• Drivetrain: 148-hp, 1.8-liter four-cylinder and six-speed manual or automatic transmission
• Hits dealerships: Spring 2012

This year's North American Car of the Year gets a sibling for 2013. Hyundai's Elantra coupe will join the sedan and Touring hatchback when it goes on sale this spring.

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The sole powertrain across the three body styles remains the 148-horsepower, 1.8-liter four-cylinder. Six-speed manual or automatic transmissions are available. Hyundai estimates the Elantra coupe should get 29/40 mpg city/highway with the manual and 28/40 mpg with the automatic. 

Hyundai Elantra Electric Concept at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show

• Looks like: The gas-only Elantra, with a big helping of EV stickers
• Defining characteristics: All-electric drivetrain, 124-mile range, 27-kilowatt-hour lithium-polymer battery pack, 90 mph top speed
• Ridiculous features: In the past, maybe the electric drivetrain, but no more
• Chance of being mass-produced: Hyundai says this is just a concept for now

Not to be left out of the electric-vehicle frenzy, Hyundai showed an all-electric version of its Elantra compact sedan at the 2012 Detroit auto show. It's purely a concept car at the moment, but it's yet more evidence of the weight automakers are giving to electric cars.

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If it weren't for the elaborate graphics the Elantra Electric wouldn't have trouble blending in with its gas-only counterpart. The concept also gets a few extra badges, slightly different wheels and a unique Hyundai badge on the grille.

2012 Hyundai Elantra, Accent Earn Four-Star NHTSA Ratings

The 2012 Hyundai Elantra and Accent received an overall rating of four out of five stars in the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's crash-test rating system.

The Elantra's composite score is composed of a three-star frontal, four-star rollover and a five-star rating for the combined side pole and barrier tests. The side barrier test is an area where other vehicles have shown weakness with the safety agency's testing format. The side pole test simulates a 20-mph side-impact crash into a 10-inch-diameter pole or tree at a 75-degree angle just behind the A-pillar on the driver's side.

The Accent received four stars in frontal, rollover and combined side-impact tests, though NHTSA highlighted a particular safety concern with the Accent. During the side-impact barrier test, the left rear door intruded. The intrusion wasn't factored into the side-impact rating, however.

In crash tests by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, the 2012 Elantra received a Top Safety Pick award, meaning the vehicle received a Good rating (the agency's highest rating) in front, side, rear and roof-strength crash tests. The 2012 Accent had a Good rating in the roof-strength and the frontal crash tests, but an Acceptable rating in the side-impact test.

Most Popular Car Seat Checks

Parents, grandparents and caretakers know what a pain it can be to install child-safety seats into a car. Imagine doing it over and over and over again. That's what our Car Seat Check team does nearly every week as it tests new cars to find out how easy it is to use the Latch system.

Car Seat Checks are performed by Cars.com editor Kelsey Mays, Cars.com photographer Ian Merritt and Cars.com editor and certified car-seat technician Jennifer Newman.

Best Cars for Black Friday Shopping

A successful Black Friday shopping trip is all in the planning. Bargain hunters study store ads and websites as though they're cramming for a test, and now they have less time to do so as several major chains — Target, Best Buy, Macy's and Kohl's — will open their doors at midnight instead of 4 or 5 a.m. the Friday after Thanksgiving.

There's one thing that Black Friday shoppers can plan for before the deal-laden store circulars arrive: which car to take.

Black Friday shoppers might think bigger is better — big SUVs, minivans — when it comes to picking a car for hauling all their bargains. They're not wrong, especially if they're hoping to bag a gigantic flat-screen TV at a low price. But nimble small cars in busy parking lots shouldn't be left out of the Black Friday fun. Here are our top picks for Black Friday haulers: