The 2008 Elantra is powered by a 2.0L, 138 hp, 16-valve, DOHC, 4-cylinder engine with Continuously Variable Valve Timing (CVVT).
Elantra L, GL, GLS Sport come equipped with a 5-speed manual transmission, while the GLS and GLS Limited models come with a standard 4-speed automatic transmission. The 4-speed automatic transmission is optional on all other models.
Elantra GLS, GLS Sport and GLS Limited models come with an Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS) with Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD). During abrupt and hard breaking, the brakes are automatically applied and released several times per second to prevent tires from slipping due to wheel locking.