2009 Hyundai Elantra Touring news, pictures, and information

HYUNDAI ANNOUNCES NAME OF FUTURE FIVE-DOOR

FUEL-EFFICENT 2009 HYUNDAI ELANTRA TOURING ARRIVES IN UNITED STATES

Hyundai Motor America took the wraps off its Elantra Touring five-door compact at the 2008 Chicago Auto Show today. Making its Únited 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 in the winter of 2008. 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 §egmènt, raising the bar as Hyundai likes to do in value, safety and quality.'

The Elantra Touring, wîth 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 wîth all Hyundai vehicles, the Elantra Touring was designed and manufactured to meet the most stringent quality standards in the , exemplifying Hyundai's quality leadership position worldwide.

ASSERTIVE EXTERIOR DESIGNFlowing 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. The effect is an exciting shape that provides a dynamic impression of performance and capability. Elantra Touring has a low coefficient of drag for optimal fuel efficiency at highway speeds and minimal interior noise. Úp 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.

ROOMY AND REFINED INTERIOR

The long wheelbase and generous width of the Elantra Touring, combined wîth 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. In fact, Elantra Touring's cargo capacity is 65.3 cubic feet wîth the rear seats folded down, more cargo space than many larger wagons and crossovers.

The Elantra Touring was conceived from the beginning as a driver's car. The clarity of the instruments, standard B&M Racing sport shifter, tilt and telescopic §teering wheel, and a supportive eight-way adjustable driver's seat all contribute to a superior driving experience. For extra clarity, Hyundai's signature blue LCD lighting technology has been used for the central information display and gauge cluster. Two-tone interior trim, wîth special attention to the upholstery fabrics and materials, delivers a more premium feel. Black and beige are the two interior color choices.
The Elantra Touring is the first compact five-door to offer XM Satellite Radio® and ÚSB/iPod® auxiliary inputs as standard equipment. When an iPod or flash drive is connected through the ÚSB port, which is located in the center storage compartment, not only does it play music through the vehicle's six-speaker audio system, but it also charges the iPod and allows the driver to access tracks wîth the §teering wheel audio controls. This system also allows both driver and passengers to easily view song/artist/title information and control the music from the audio head unit rather than only the iPod itself. The center storage compartment location of the ÚSB assures that iPods can be safely stowed out of sight.

The roomy and functional interior is also a quiet place to be. Based on internal tests, Elantra Touring has four decibels lower road noise levels than Mazda3 five-door.

INTELLIGENT ERGONOMICS

With its leading-edge designs, Hyundai has proven through the years that vehicles do not need to be large to feel spacious, nor carry a premium price when offering intelligently designed interior cabins. The Elantra Touring is just the latest expression of this thoughtful approach, incorporating conveniently located §teering wheel audio/cruise controls and column stalks, easy-to-reach heating and air conditioning knobs, as well as conveniently positioned power windows and mirror controls. Even the positioning and precise feel of the automatic gearshift has been optimized. The integrated 172-watt AM/FM/XM Satellite Radio®/CD/MP3 audio system, map pockets and other storage areas round out the car's conveniently and intelligently designed interior space.

Sporty front seats, designed to complement the athletic driving dynamics of the vehicle, and carefully contoured rear seats, provide long distance comfort and support. Hyundai engineers focused not just on the seats' form and function, but also on the stitching, materials and bolstering. The front driver seat is fully height adjustable and includes lumbar support. The result is seating fit for the spirited driving that Elantra Touring inspires.

IMPRESSIVE PACKAGE EFFICIENCY

The Elantra Touring's exterior dimensions (176.2 inches long, 69.5 inches wide and 59.8 inches high) make it a great fit in the compact five-door §egmènt, while its long wheelbase (106.3 inches) means that Elantra Touring offers class-leading interior volume. Elantra Touring features outstanding front legroom and front and rear shoulder room. In addition, every Elantra Touring has 60/40 split folding rear seats that fold when needed for added storage, functionality and practicality.

The Elantra Touring matches best-in-class passenger volume wîth best-in-class cargo capacity. There is a useful 24.3 cubic feet of luggage space wîth rear seats upright and a cavernous 65.3 cubic feet wîth the rear seats folded flat. As in any Hyundai, the utility and convenience in the Elantra Touring has not been overlooked, wîth a stow-and-go removable luggage cover that stores conveniently out-of-site under the trunk area compartment. An optional restraining net is also offered.

The Elantra Touring includes a number of convenient, standard stowage and storage features, including 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. For tailgaters, the cargo area also has a power-retained 12-volt outlet, where the vehicle does not have to be turned on, for consumers who desire an outlet to plug in their portable electronic devices.

ENGINE PERFORMANCE

	Vital Stats
4-speed Automatic, 5-speed Manual

Elantra Touring is powered by the same fuel-efficient 2.0-liter, in line four-cylinder found in the Elantra sedan. (concept carz) This sophisticated 16-valve powerplant employs Dual Overhead Camshafts (DOHC) and Continuously Variable Valve Timing (CVVT) for a very broad power band, coupled wîth high fuel efficiency and low emissions. Elantra Touring is certified as an Últra Low Emission Vehicle (ÚLEV).

TRANSMITTING THE POWER