2014 Hyundai Elantra Limited on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Coronavirus blues, and the 2021 Hyundai Elantra debuts | Autoblog Podcast #619

In this week's Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Senior Editor, Green, John Beltz Snyder and News Editor Joel Stocksdale. Get a behind-the-scenes look at life for Autobloggers during the coronavirus outbreak, as they talk about how it's not only affecting the automotive industry at large, but the people who cover it as well. Amidst the chaos, Hyundai unveiled the 2021 Elantra, and out editors opine about the new small sedan. They briefly discuss what cars they'd want to drive cross-country if they had a flight that had been canceled, before talking about the cars they've actually been driving, including the Mercedes-Benz GLS 580, Jeep Renegade and Lincoln Corsair. Finally, they reach into the mailbag and help a listener pick a new car. Autoblog Podcast #619 Get The Podcast iTunes – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Rundown The coronavirus is affecting the auto industry, and those who obsessively cover it 2021 Hyundai Elantra has been revealed Poll: Your flight's canceled. What car do you drive cross-country? 2020 Chevy Corvette orders end Cars we're driving: 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLS 580 2020 Jeep Renegade 2020 Lincoln Corsair Spend My Money Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on iTunes Related Video:

2017 Hyundai Elantra First Drive [w/video]

Here's the thing: It's tough to get excited about a mainstream compact car. We tried. Hyundai's latest Elantra is better than the last Elantra, a car that got few people excited. Not a ton has changed, but there's fresh sheetmetal, improved efficiency, and more options than before, all on top of a revised chassis. That's kind of the trend in new cars these days. The last one was fine, this one is more fine. The Elantra engineers at least resisted the urge to make the car larger. Its interior and cargo volume figures are within tenths of last year's figures, which means they once again put the Elantra into the EPA's midsize bracket. With that comes a midsize feature set, including a few items no other "compact" car offers. For now, Hyundai is offering the 2017 Elantra in base SE and top-of-the-line Limited trims. Both come with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder (more on that below). The SE offers a Popular Equipment Package that most people will want and many will choose (hence the name). It includes a seven-inch touchscreen head unit with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay functionality, as well as a rearview camera, automatic headlamps, audio controls on the steering wheel, Bluetooth, cruise control, heated side mirrors, 16-inch wheels, and a hood insulator to keep some engine noise from making it to your ears. An SE tech package adds things like blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert. For now, Hyundai is offering the 2017 Elantra in base SE and top-of-the-line Limited trims. Step up to a Limited, and you get leather, a power driver's seat, 17s, and a bunch of other stuff. The Limited also unlocks option packages: one that revolves around an eight-inch nav touchscreen and another that adds safety items like radar cruise control and auto braking with pedestrian detection. That last one is a segment exclusive, if you're keeping score at home. To get all of the stuff you can't in any other car in this class, you'd be shopping in the next segment's price range anyway. And speaking of segment firsts, cars with the proximity key (SE with Tech Package and above) come with a hands-free trunk release. It lets you pop the trunk lid by just standing near it with the key, but it only releases it and doesn't fully open wide like on some cars with power trunk open and close. So it sort of solves a problem. The engine and available transmissions are nothing groundbreaking. In contrast to the features, the engine and available transmissions are nothing groundbreaking.

Recharge Wrap-up: Chevy Volt's new, improved powertrain; Inabikari wants to build Tesla Model X fighter

We knew the 2016 Chevrolet Volt's new powertrain would provide more range, but we didn't know how much. According to GM's Executive Director Larry Nitz, it is about 12 percent more, overall. "I can't think of a powertrain we've re-engineered more extensively within a five-year period than this one," he said. The battery, electric drive system and gasoline generator have all been reworked to allow for an overall driving range of up to 425 miles, with electric range speculated to reach 42 miles or more. The new Volt will also benefit from 20 percent quicker low-end acceleration, weight reductions and improvements in NVH. Read more at Hybrid Cars and at the SAE website. Hyundai's FCEV research and development boss, Dr. Sae-Hoon Kim, is optimistic about the future of hydrogen mobility in Japan. With the Tucson Fuel Cell already in production ahead of Toyota's FCV, Hyundai has a foothold in the hydrogen car scene. Kim believes that since the Fukushima disaster, Japan's attitudes toward energy make it friendly to a growing hydrogen economy. He also says that hydrogen won't be limited to Hyundai, with Kia getting all the battery EVs. "Both types are for both companies," Kim says. "For the moment, volumes are small and it is not wise to have Hyundai and Kia competing." Read more at Just Auto. The Latvian/German startup Inabikari is using crowdfunding to build an electric crossover for Europe. The Rev.01 EV hopes to compete with Tesla's upcoming Model X with a range of over 400 miles and a five-second 0-60 time. The group currently is trying to raise initial funds through an Indiegogo campaign, with hopes of more investment in the future and sales beginning in 2017. See the video below, and read more at Hybrid Cars and at the Inabikari website. Fuel economy and emissions regulations could lead to some interesting design changes to automobiles. The World Light Duty Test Procedure, set to replace the New European Driving Cycle in 2017, will push automakers to find new ways to reduce drag on their vehicles. For better aerodynamics, we could see traditional side-view mirrors replaced by cameras that display what they see on screens inside the vehicle. Another likely change will be the introduction of smaller, narrower wheels. Improving the average drag coefficient from 0.32 to 0.20 could reduce CO2 emissions by as much as 20 percent. Read more at Automotive News Europe.