Image : Hyundai

No matter which month, year or state of ruin the world is in, a few things have always seemed constant: at least one cat begging for food in the early hours of the m orning, seasonal allergies and Hyundai offering a manual Elantra in America. Not to shake your faith in reality, but that last one is no more, as Hyundai’s dropping the manual for 2020 and hiking the base price by nearly $2,000.


Hyundai Motor America announced pricing for the 2020 Hyundai Elantra on Tuesday, saying it arrives in dealerships this spring with better fuel economy, more safety features and a new, standard continuously variable transmission. (Spring is almost over, Hyundai, but don’t rush yourself or anything.)

Image : Hyundai


All of that costs money, though: The 2020 Ela ntra now starts at $18,950 before destination fees, up nearly $2,000 from the 2019 starting price of $17,100 before destination. Standard features on the 2020 car, from the base SE to the $23,800 Limited trim, incl ude dual automatic temperature control and safety technology like forward collision-avoidance assist, lane-keep assist and driver-attention warning, which detects drowsy or inattentive driving and alerts the driver of it.



But one of the biggest differences isn’t in safety features, it’s in transmission and trim offerings. Starting in the 2020 model year, the manual isn’t included on American models—upping prices and reducing trim options. Hyundai’s also moving from its six-speed automatic to the CVT on the Elantra, and keeping its seven-speed dual-clutch transmission on the Eco and Sport trims.



Everything considered, the new transmission lineup for the 2020 Elantra looks similar to that of the 2020 Soul from Hyundai’s sister company, Kia:

Graphic : Hyundai


Alas, it seems like all things do come to an end—even the manual Hyundai Elantra. Now, if someone could just do something about these seasonal allergies and hungry cats at 5 a.m., it might make this news a little easier to bear.