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Ward's releases 10 Best Interiors list for 2014

While we're still a ways off from the automotive awards season proper, where things like North American Car and Truck of the Year, Motor Trend's Car of the Year and Car and Driver's Ten Best are named, that doesn't mean there aren't trophies being handed out to deserving automakers. Ward's 10 Best Interiors being one of them.
As the name might imply, the magazine focuses on the very best interior treatments in the US market. Whereas some awards purposely exclude extreme, high-dollar offerings, Ward's considers them - the only requirement is that a vehicle has a "new or significantly redesigned interior."
Ward's offered up the list of winners in simple, alphabetical order, and it only seems fair to do the same:

Hyundai looking to add plant in Mexico

Mexico is rapidly becoming the go-to place for North American auto production, and companies including Toyota, General Motors, and Audi are all building new plants, expanding or shifting some production there. Now, Hyundai is investigating joining them in the future. "I'm sure that over the years we'll see production of Hyundai products in Mexico," Pedro Albarran, managing director for the automaker in Mexico, said to Bloomberg. Albarran indicates that a likely location for such a factory might be the state of Nuevo Leon, where Kia also has a forthcoming $1 billion plant. The site would be an ideal location near suppliers. It's probably going to be a while before any of Hyundai's models start coming out of Mexico. According to Bloomberg, the automaker wants to wait to make a final decision until sales there reach around 50,000 annual units, and that benchmark isn't expected until 2018. While Kia's plant is slated to have a capacity around 300,000 vehicles a year when it opens in 2016, Albarran thinks Hyundai might start smaller at just over 100,000 annual examples. Some of those would likely include subcompact models for the Mexican market. The Korean automaker was rumored to be looking into a factory south of the border as far back as 2013.

2017 Hyundai Ioniq triplets electrify New York

If you're an American and want an affordably priced hybrid, plug-in, or full EV from a mainstream brand, get ready to meet the Hyundai Ioniq. The long-awaited rival to the Chevrolet Volt, Ford Focus Electric, Nissan Leaf, and Toyota Prius family heads to the 2016 New York Auto Show. We already know quite a lot about all three flavors of the Ioniq from its international debut in Geneva. You can check out that report here. But there are some changes for the US market car, and the biggest is the US Ioniq's electric range. Our original report indicated that the Ioniq Electric would cover 155 miles per charge, although we weren't sure which range rating standard that was based on. According to Hyundai, the US model won't be quite so impressive, scoring an estimated range of 110 miles. That fits the prediction of Autoblog boss Mike Austin, who suggested the Ioniq Electric would roughly match the 107-mile maximum of the Leaf. The other change focuses on the range of the Ioniq Plug-in. That figure has fallen from 31 miles of all-electric range to 25. Both of these revised ratings aren't necessarily down to changes in the cars themselves – the Electric still uses a 28-kilowatt-hour battery and the Plug-in has an 8.9-kWh unit, just like their European counterparts – but are simply differences in how range is measured. Check back soon for live images of Hyundai's new ultra-efficient triplets. Related Video: 2017 HYUNDAI IONIQ MODEL LINEUP MAKES U.S. DEBUT AT NEW YORK INTERNATIONAL AUTO SHOW World's first dedicated vehicle platform with three electrified low-and zero-emission powertrain choices Ioniq offers latest connectivity and active safety features for a comprehensive eco-lifestyle transportation solution NEW YORK, Mar. 23, 2016 – Hyundai Motor America today unveiled the Ioniq Hybrid, Plug-in Hybrid, and Electric models for the U.S. market at the New York International Auto Show. The Ioniq eco-focused vehicle is the first in the world to offer three distinct electrified powertrains on a single, dedicated vehicle platform. Hyundai's approach for the Ioniq line delivers an uncompromising design and driving experience coupled with the latest in safety and convenience technologies, making it an appealing choice for a wide range of buyers. The Hyundai Ioniq is an important milestone in Hyundai's global sustainability strategy. "Ioniq will attract an entirely new group of eco- and efficiency-oriented buyers in the U.S.