2014 Hyundai Elantra Limited on 2040-cars

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2014 Hyundai Elantra gets new 2.0L engine, Sport model, tweaked styling

Most of the attention at Hyundai has recently been focused on the next-gen Sonata and Genesis, but before we see either of those sedans, the automaker is giving its small car lineup a significant overhaul.
Just last week, Hyundai unveiled the refreshed 2014 Accent, and today at the LA Auto Show it's take the covers off of its updated 2014 Elantra. All three Elantra models - sedan, coupe and GT - will receive the same changes, but Hyundai has only released pictures for two of the sedan models: Limited (above) and Sport (inset).
The biggest news is that a new, more powerful 2.0-liter, direct-injected inline four-cylinder is now the standard engine in the GT and Coupe, as well as the Elantra sedan's all-new Sport trim level. This engine produces 173 horsepower and 154 pound-feet of torque, and while the 2014 Elantra GT can still be equipped with a six-speed manual or automatic transmission, the 2014 Elantra Coupe drops the option for a manual transmission; it also appears that the Elantra Sport sedan will come solely with the automatic. With the larger engine, fuel economy numbers do drop a little: all models powered by this engine receive EPA estimated ratings of 24 miles per gallon in the city. Highway estimates for this engine include 33 mpg for the GT with automatic, 34 mpg for the GT with manual and Coupe, and 35 for the Sport sedan. Sedan buyers looking for better fuel economy still have the carry over 1.8-liter engine with 145 hp, 130 lb-ft and EPA ratings of 28 mpg city/38 mpg highway.

Hyundai and Kia announce $3.1-billion investment in US facilities

Update: A US spokesperson for Hyundai had no further information, but called the reports about the automaker's investments accurate. Hyundai and Kia announced this morning a plan to invest $3.1 billion into its US facilities over the next five years. According to Automotive News, the new investment is a 50-percent increase over what Korea's two largest automakers have brought to the US in the last five years. The automakers already have several large-scale manufacturing bases in the US, but the new investment could bring another plant into the fold. There is the possibility of producing a Genesis product in the US or building a new plant for a US-specific crossover. The announcement is the latest US investment plan as President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office Friday. Trump has singled out automakers for not building cars in the United States, and Ford, General Motors, and Fiat Chrysler all announced plans to invest in the US since the beginning of January. Skeptics say these moves would have to be years in the making, though Trump has been quick to take credit for them. Not all of the new money will go toward building new plants. Hyundai and Kia could simply expand the already busy plants in Montgomery, AL, and West Point, GA. Beyond that. The automakers could further their research into electric and autonomous vehicles. Like many other automakers, the two Korean giants have backed down from planned expansions into Mexican manufacturing. Although many automakers currently build or were planning to build new vehicles in Mexico, threats of importation fees appear to be causing caused automakers to refocus some of their efforts toward US production. With all this new investment in the US, Kia and Hyundai said there will be no jobs moved to Mexico. Meanwhile, this morning GM announced plans to bring truck axle manufacturing back from Mexico. As with all of the recent announcements, Hyundai and Kia stated that Trump's upcoming presidency played no part in the decision to reinvest in the US. Related Video: News Source: Automotive News Plants/Manufacturing Genesis Hyundai Kia Mexico Trump jobs investment

Hyundai returns to flashier design with 2018 Sonata

Compared to the stylistic achievement of the 2009 Hyundai Sonata, many observers viewed the redesigned 2015 Sonata as a step backward. To right the ship, Hyundai tasked its North American Design Center with restoring some razzle-dazzle to the brand's midsize contender for 2018. The creative team made changes throughout, the biggest development being the "cascading grille" at the front, cribbed from the Elantra. The Sonata Sport 2.0T grille gets a silver mesh treatment and vertical LED DRLs tucked in the triangular bumper vents at the corners. The other models wear chrome bars inside the grille, with vertical and horizontal LED DRLs at the corners. Slimmer headlights stretch around the front edges, with the hood sporting deeper chiseled surfaces to emphasize the injection of style. In back, instead of the hint of a spoiler on the current sedan, the 2018 Sonata's deck lid ends in a pronounced flick above a sharp taper into the rear valance. The license-plate holder moves down to the reshaped bumper so that the larger, flatter trunk face can fit much larger badging. The trunk release button hides inside the Flying H emblem, and wedge-shaped taillights glow with the same alien-script pattern familiar from the Elantra. Down below, non-Sport models get a single, trapezoidal exhaust tip, but the Sport 2.0T gets two such exhaust tips, paired with new Michelin tires and a flat-bottomed steering wheel. Engines don't change, but buyers who choose the 2.0-liter four-cylinder get an eight-speed automatic transmission that adds a cog at the low end and another at the high end. The rest of the lineup sticks with the present six-speed auto. Handling upgrades include 12-percent thicker torsion bars in the steering system and new steering calibration for better on-center feel and responsiveness, plus 21-percent thicker trailing arms and new bushings in the suspension for faster response and more compliance. Inside, a reworked center console holds steady with a seven-inch touchscreen. Interior designers gave the new HVAC and audio controls a silkier finish and contrasting "piano key" buttons. A second-row USB port serves back-seaters, and the options list will include a Qi wireless charging pad for those in front. The 2018 Sonata introduces a navigation bird's-eye view, free traffic data, standard blind-spot detection and rear cross-traffic alert, and a new lane departure warning system as some of the convenience and safety highlights.