I recently reviewed the redesigned 2019 Hyundai Elantra sedan, a car I called the ugly duckling. I still stand by that statement, however, the 2019 Elantra GT (hatchback) has a much better-looking face (I still prefer the 2018 Elantra sedan over both of these vehicles, design wise).
I previously reviewed the Elantra GT in 2018, back then it was called the Elantra GT Sport, a trim that gets a name change for 2019, now called the “N Line”. However, the sedan still uses the “Sport” name. I’m guessing Hyundai will probably start using “N” and “N-line” for their performance-oriented vehicles, like BMW’s “M” and “M Performance” packages. Currently there’s only one “N” product available, the Veloster N, but hopefully Hyundai decides to add N products to their other vehicles too, like the Elantra, Accent, and even Sonata.
Prices
There are only two trims available on the 2019 Hyundai Elantra GT N Line, the base with the manual transmission has a starting price of $27,199 and the Ultimate with the Dual-Clutch Transmission starts at $30,699 plus $1,705 for delivery and destination.
Engine
Like the Elantra GT Sport we reviewed last year, the Elantra GT N Line is equipped with a turbocharged 1.6 liter 4-cylinder engine, with direct injection, producing 201 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 195 pound-feet of torque between 1,500 – 4,500 rpm. Power is sent to the front wheels via a 6-speed manual or a 7-speed DCT.
Our review car was the “Ultimate” trim, which only comes with the 7-speed Dual-Clutch transmission, which is good transmission, but if I were buying this car, I would opt for the 6-speed manual (#savethemanuals).
Driving
Driving the 2019 Elantra GT N Line was quite a fun experience. The engine produces a good amount of power and it helps the car get up to speed very quickly, there’s enough power to make the drive more fun than the regular Elantra. The suspension on the Elantra GT is also on the softer side, especially compared to the VW GTI and Ford Focus ST, it’s a more comfort-oriented car, but it’s not too soft. I think it’s a great everyday use car with this suspension setup, because the two other cars do get tiring sometimes after a long commute.
The steering feel is an area I was disappointed in with the Elantra GT, the steering is very vague and it felt like I was driving a car in a video game, I didn’t feel a connection to the front wheels, especially with the lane keep assist on. I find this to be the case with most/all Hyundai vehicles, I’m hoping Hyundai remedies this, because they have great cars that are just lacking the steering feel.
According to Hyundai, the DCT equipped Elantra GT Sport should consume 9.2/7.4/8.6 L/100 km in city/highway/combined driving. For our weeklong drive, the trip computer showed 9.6 L/100 km in mixed city/highway driving of about 75/25 city/highway, with a lot of short trips and quite a bit of spirited driving.
Styling
Styling on the 2019 Hyundai Elantra GT N Line stays relatively the same as the 2018 Elantra GT Sport, there are minor changes in the front and rear bumpers. The two vents at the bottom of the bumper are more horizontally oriented, as opposed to vertical on the 2018 car, with horizontally mounted turn signals. The rear bumper gets a few extra curves above the twin exhaust pipes and there’s a diffuser looking thing at the bottom of the bumper.
Interior
The interior on the 2019 Elantra GT N Line is quite good looking, it looks very sporty with the red stitching on the heavily bolstered sports seats and red accents on the dashboard, the red seat belts are an added touch of sportiness.
The seats are very comfortable and should keep you well planted in tight corners. The driver seat is power operated and comes with heating and cooling (cooling only on the Ultimate trim). However, I’m surprised this car comes with ventilated seats but doesn’t come with auto up/down windows, other than the driver’s window. I would’ve liked to have all-four windows with the one-touch auto up/down.
The interior is fairly quiet and there’s a good amount of room for the front and rear occupants. It is a comfortable place to be in and the comfortable seats make even long journeys bearable. The trunk has a good amount of space which can be expanded by folding the rear seats.
Technology/Safety/Convenience Features
Hyundai was one of the first mainstream car manufacturers to offer high-end features in their not so expensive cars, the Elantra GT N Line is no exception, it comes with a lot of the features we take for granted now, below is a list of all the available features on the top of the line Ultimate trim.
- Proximity key with push-button start
- Automatic Headlight
- Headlights escort function
- LED daytime running lights, headlights, and taillights
- Panoramic sunroof
- N-Line leather sport seats
- 8-way power adjustable driver’s seat (Ultimate)
- Heated front seats
- Ventilated front seats (Ultimate)
- 7-Speaker sound system (Ultimate)
- 8″ touch-screen navigation system
- Apple CarPlay & Android Auto
- Rear camera
- Bluetooth hands-free phone
- Dual-zone automatic climate control
- Heated steering wheel
- 4.2″ TFT gauge cluster display (Ultimate)
- Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist with Pedestrian Detection (Ultimate)
- Adaptive Cruise Control with stop & go capability (Ultimate)
- Forward Collision Warning (Ultimate)
- Lane Keeping Assist (Ultimate)
- Lane Departure Warning System (Ultimate)
- High Beam Assist (Ultimate)
- Driver Attention Warning (Ultimate)
- Vehicle Stability Management
- Electronic Stability Control with Traction Control
Final Thoughts
The 2019 Hyundai Elantra GT N Line is a fun little car, it’s a practical car for everyday use but thanks to the turbocharged 1.6-liter engine, it can be quite fun. The Volkswagen Golf GTI is currently the only competition it has, there might be others in this class but I can’t think of any right now, the Elantra GT N Line has a bit less powerful than the GTI, but it’s also thousands cheaper too.
For more information on the Hyundai Elantra GT N Line, please visit hyundaicanada.com.
