CHICAGO, Feb. 6, 2008 -- Hyundai Motor America took the wraps off its Elantra Touring five-door compact at the 2008 Chicago Auto Show today. Making its United States debut, the all-new 2009 Elantra Touring is a sportier, more functional variant of Hyundai's popular Elantra sedan, and is slated to hit dealerships by the end of the year. Elantra Touring is based on the i30 CW model that was designed for the European market.
"The all-new Elantra Touring is a fun-to-drive, functional five-door," said John Krafcik, vice president, product development and strategic planning, Hyundai Motor America. "Elantra Touring provides buyers a unique offering in the compact segment, raising the bar as Hyundai likes to do in value, safety and quality."
The Elantra Touring, with its modern, sleek styling and fun-to-drive qualities, was developed by Hyundai in response to the growing demand for stylish and functional five-door vehicles, sales of which doubled from 2001 to 2006. Five-door vehicle sales are projected to be strong into the next decade. The Elantra Touring will also be the first five-door compact to offer standard Electronic Stability Control (ESC), in addition to a host of other class-leading safety technologies. As with all Hyundai vehicles, the Elantra Touring was designed and manufactured to meet the most stringent quality standards in the industry, exemplifying Hyundai's quality leadership position worldwide.
Flowing curves and strong character lines highlight the broad stance and long wheelbase of the Elantra Touring. The clearly defined, unbroken, rising beltline unifies the vehicle's functional proportions. Up front, the pronounced dual air intakes flow smoothly into the hood and A-pillar lines. Sharp projection headlamps, fog lights and available 17-inch alloy wheels complete the modern design.
The long wheelbase and generous width of the Elantra Touring, combined with Hyundai's expertise in interior packaging, have produced an interior that delivers class-leading comfort, functionality and practicality. Elantra Touring has the most interior volume (passenger volume plus cargo space) of any five-door in its class at 125.5 cubic feet. Elantra Touring's cargo capacity is 65.3 cubic feet with the rear seats folded down, more cargo space than many larger wagons and crossovers.
The Elantra Touring's exterior dimensions (176.2 inches long, 69.5 inches wide and 59.8 inches high) contribute to outstanding front legroom and front and rear shoulder room. In addition, every Elantra Touring has 60/40 split folding rear seats.
There is 24.3 cubic feet of luggage space with rear seats upright and 65.3 cubic feet with the rear seats folded flat. A stow-and-go removable luggage cover stores conveniently out of site under the trunk area compartment. An optional restraining net is also offered.
The Elantra Touring was conceived from the beginning as a driver's car. Powered by the same fuel-efficient, 2.0-liter, in line four-cylinder found in the Elantra sedan, this sophisticated 16-valve powerplant employs Dual Overhead Camshafts (DOHC) and Continuously Variable Valve Timing (CVVT) for a very broad power band, coupled with high fuel efficiency and low emissions. Elantra Touring is certified as an Ultra Low Emission Vehicle (ULEV).
An ergonomically located gear shift with a SHIFTRONIC(R) manual feature controls the Elantra Touring's four-speed automatic transmission, delivering confident mode selection and quicker, easier, more precise manual overrides. A unique-in-segment B&M Racing sport shifter delivers smooth, short-throw shift control for the standard five-speed manual transmission.
A MacPherson strut front suspension and multi-link rear suspension have been fitted to perfectly complement the body structure's high rigidity. Ventilated 11.8-inch front and solid 10.3-inch rear discs with ABS and ESC provide excellent stopping power with added handling control.
The Elantra Touring is the first compact five-door to offer XM Satellite Radio(R) and USB/iPod(R) auxiliary inputs as standard equipment. When an iPod or flash drive is connected through the USB port, it not only plays music through the vehicle's six-speaker, 172-watt audio system, but it also charges the iPod and allows the driver to access tracks with the steering wheel audio controls.
Other standard interior features include a sunglass holder, two front and two rear cupholders, door bottle holders, dash storage, central console storage, front storage tray, front seatback pockets and a cargo area under-floor storage.
In terms of passive safety, the Elantra Touring features dual front, side and curtain airbags, for a total of six protective airbags in the vehicle. The Elantra Touring also contains active front headrests, seatbelt pretensioners and seatbelt reminders. The Elantra Touring will also be the first five-door compact to offer standard ESC, in addition to a host of other class-leading safety technologies.
Hyundai Motor America, headquartered in Fountain Valley, Calif., is a subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Co. of Korea. Hyundai vehicles are distributed throughout the United States by Hyundai Motor America and are sold and serviced through more than 780 dealerships nationwide.
