Hyundai Elantra Touring Debuts in Montreal

The last time Hyundai sold an Elantra station wagon in North America was eight years ago, and it was a popular choice for those in the market for an affordable wagon. Now the affordable compact wagon is back, making its North American debut at the Montreal auto show earlier this week.

Although the Elantra Touring shares its name and mechanical components with the Elantra sedan, it looks completely different inside and out as it’s derived from the Elantra’s European sibling, the i30. The Elantra Touring is a classy looking station wagon, sporting European styling that includes vertical mounted taillights, turn signals integrated into the side-view mirrors, wrap-around projector beam headlamps and chrome accents on the bodywork. Hyundai is emphasizing the wagon’s sporty looks and will offer 17-inch alloy wheels as an upgrade, plus the wagon will feature a sport tuned suspension versus the standard comfort-oriented setup of the sedan.

Although the content and features list has not been confirmed, the photos show that the Elantra Touring can be had with a leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio controls, an all-new instrument cluster with a trip computer, heated leather seats and a high-end sound system that includes USB audio integration for a direct link to iPods and other MP3 players, plus an aux-in jack.

The Elantra Touring is powered by a 2.0-liter 141 horsepower inline-four with CVVT variable valve timing, and can be had with a five-speed manual or a four-speed automatic.

As usual, the Elantra Touring will be sold with Hyundai’s strong warranty and deliver high value for the money, which could very well mean that it’ll be the next compact station wagon king.