[GTSport]

Well, From Hyundai, they've tested this Elantra GT Sport on the Ring' and have been getting it to that hot hatch level. But it still does look like it falls short.

With it producing 201hp from it's 1.6L I4 engine, looking at the 220hp Golf GTI and the 252hp Focus ST, you may start to lose a little hope in that area.

BUT it still can compete a bit closer with the Honda Civic Sport that produces 180hp and the Mazda 3 Sport GT that produces 184hp

That being said, HP on it's own shouldn't be the only deciding factor and it obviously isn't. We'll really have to wait and see how weight, torque, power delivery and what not tie in and if they create a beautiful harmony of great performance.

 

[AlfaDog]

I wouldn't put too much stock in power numbers yet. My Fiesta ST was quite a bit faster and more powerful than my Fiat 500 Abarth, but I find the Abarth a ton more fun to drive because it has more character. If the GT Sport has some character with a decent amount of punch, it might just be a hot-enough hatch.

I want a hatch that seems to be content being driven normally, but is more than up to the challenge of dialing up some performance when called upon. Some of these hot hatches seem depressing to me if they're not being driven hard. In particular, the Fiesta ST was always a capable car for a daily driver, but it seemed dull unless you were darting through traffic and had the engine revved up. The Abarth is similar but not quite as bad. The best hatch I've driven so far has been the VW GTI, which drives very composed under normal conditions but has a ton of performance if needed, and the car doesn't seem to mind doing either scenario. If the Elantra GT Sport can approximate that type of feel from the driving experience, even if it's a second slower getting to 60mph, that'll be good for me.