2013 Hyundai Elantra Touring Will Have Hatchback Configuration

While the 2011 Elantra Sedan has received great reviews from the international press, one can agree that it is very much a car for the American Market. The Korean company wants to also introduce a touring hatchback version as soon as possible, in order to capture other segments of the market that a sedan does not cater to.

According to a recent interview give by Hyundai CEO John Krafcik to Autoblog, we can expect to see a Touring Elantra in late 2012 as a 2013 model. While its sister car, the i30, is offered in Europe in such a configuration, the US has not yet received a small touring car from the Korean carmaker. The future five-door is being penned with European customers in mind, so we can expect the same likable fascia and headlight combination.

"We launched the Elantra touring a couple of years after we launched the Elantra and we're going to have the same model cycle for Elantra Touring here. We're going to get the next-generation i30 here in the U.S. market in a couple of years," Krafcik was quoted as saying.

What’s more, the future model will not share that much with the old model of Elantra long-roof version, instead opting for a short wheelbase hatch: "It's a great design. The Elantra Touring design actually came out of our California studio. We're going to go with the shorter five-door hatchback bodystyle instead of the larger wagon style we have now," added Krafcik.

This sounds like a good idea, as the carmaker already has enough big wagons in the range. Our only worry is that the model might take some of sister company Kia’s sales in the sector. When it debuts in 2013, the Elantra Touring can expect substantial competition from the 2012 Ford Focus and Mazda3.