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Hyundai to Show Elantra Coupe at LA Auto Show

Announced for some time now, the fall 2011 debut of the Hyundai Elantra coupe will take place, according to Inside Line, at the Los Angeles Auto Show. The new Elantra, a model which is hoped to continue to build on the rising success of the South Korean brand in the US, will be targeted directly at Honda's new Civic.

Although it will be presented in a slightly different body style, required by the “coupe,” the new Elantra will be, mechanically, speaking, about the same as the sedan version of the model, currently selling in big numbers on the American market.

On the sedan version, the South Koreans have fitted a single engine, a 1.8l unit that delivers 148 horsepower and a peak torque of 131 lb-ft (177 Nm). The engine is paired to a six-speed automatic transmission. Together, the two have managed to bring the consumption levels of the model down to a figure that Hyundai can be proud of: 28 mpg urban 40 mpg highway.

For the more power-oriented customers, the coupe version of the Elantra will get an R-Spec version as well, sometime next year. This one will be powered, says Inside Line, by the turbocharged engine in the works for the top version of the Veloster.

Pricing for the coupe model is not yet known, but given Hyundai's attempt to capture the American market, expect it to be affordable. The sedan version of the Elantra retails starting at $14,830, a bit more expensive than the previous model but still under the $15k mark.
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About the author: Daniel Patrascu
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Daniel loves writing (or so he claims), and he uses this skill to offer readers a "behind the scenes" look at the automotive industry. He also enjoys talking about space exploration and robots, because in his view the only way forward for humanity is away from this planet, in metal bodies.
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