Hyundai planning new Elantra Touring based on 2011 Elantra sedan

During Hyundai's product briefing on the 2011 Elantra last week, the automaker confirmed that a new version of the five-door Elantra Touring will be coming our way, based heavily on the swoopy new sedan that will debut at this year's LA Auto Show.

In its current form, the Touring's styling is quite different from that of the milquetoast sedan, though equipment levels and interior fittings are relatively similar between the two models. Hyundai Motor America President and CEO, John Krafcik, says that the automaker is still committed to offering the Elantra Touring here in the United States, but since that car is based on the i30 sold in other markets, we won't see an updated version until a short time after the sedan's launch. Krafcik confirmed that the new Touring will share the vast majority of its styling elements with that of the sedan, and that the two models will be better recognized as part of the same Elantra family.

No official time frame was given as to when we'll see the new Elantra Touring, but since the i30 is due for a refresh in the near term, we'd expect to see the production model crop up sometime during the 2011 calendar year.