Hyundai Elantra Touring coming soon...

In one of the few bits of true product news to come out of this week's Center of Automotive Research Management Briefing Seminars here, Hyundai announced that its Elantra variant, a tall wagon dubbed "Elantra Touring," will make its debut in spring 2008 as a 2009 model.

The five-door Elantra Touring will be a sister vehicle to the Elantra sedan. The Elantra Touring is expected to be priced under $15,000; the 2007 Elantra GLS starts at $13,995, including a $600 destination charge. The previous-generation Elantra included a five-door model.Hyundai said the Elantra Touring will use the same 2.0-liter inline-4 found in the Elantra sedan. The engine makes 138 horsepower and 136 pound-feet of torque. It is linked to a standard five-speed manual transmission. The Korean automaker said the Elantra Touring will be tweaked with a "unique sport suspension and steering tuned for greater response and handling." It will also offer the company's first USB port, along with a standard auxiliary jack and standard XM Satellite Radio.The key competitors will include the Dodge Caliber, Mazda 3 and Toyota Matrix