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Nine things we learned driving the 2017 Hyundai Elantra [w/video]

You know how there are pretty much no bad cars anymore? Manufacturers have switched their efforts from eradicating badness to improving on good things. If the last Elantra had any real issues, it rode kind of poorly and had a so-so interior. This 2017 model fixes that while quietly improving on just about everything else too. Not a lot of it is noticeable on its own, but it adds up to a better car. Read our full First Drive for the usual impressions, or if you prefer, take them in via this new format we're trying out. Cutting right to the chase, here are nine things we learned from our time in the 2017 Hyundai Elantra. It looks like three or four other cars, but that's a good thing. The old model of derivative styling took a few well-known designs as inputs and spat out a bland object reminiscent of nothing and everything at once. Because there are no new ideas, and since recycling is a thing, designers have thankfully moved on to picking and choosing the pieces that work best and knitting them together into a cohesive design. On this Elantra, that means some Dodge Dart (RIP) in the hood and front fenders, a bit of Jaguar in the headlights, and hints of Mazda in the way the front end comes together. The result is handsomely inoffensive – less character than the last Elantra, maybe, but it all works. And the interior is a big step up in terms of materials, layout, and design. Have a look at our 360-degree VR overview below. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. It will talk to your phone. Every Elantra but the basiest base car comes with a touchscreen head unit. On models with the Popular Equipment Package, that's a seven-inch head unit with normal radio functions plus Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functionality. The Limited with Tech Package swaps that out for an eight-inch display with nav and the same smartphone projection powers. The ride is better than the last Elantra's. The front and rear suspensions have both been tweaked for the 2017 model, and the car is supposed to be much more rigid. It's most noticeable over big bumps; the car doesn't shudder like it used to and the suspension manages body movement well in almost all situations. There's still some body roll, but the front seats have surprisingly large bolsters that keep you in place. The steering is as numb as most other electric systems, although it does feel less artificial than on previous Hyundais.

Hyundai plant one of 100 factories shutting down in wake of Beijing pollution scare

Many factories and chemical plants have suspended production in Beijing in an attempt to curb dangerous pollution, according to the South China Morning Post. The air pollution is some of the worst the city has seen in years, with harmful PM2.5 particle rates hovering between 200 and 400 micrograms per cubic meter. That number is down from as high as 886 on Sunday. For contrast, the US Environmental Protection Agency regulations say PM2.5 concentration at any location be no higher than 65 micrograms per cubic meter, with average maximums not to exceed 15 micrograms per cubic meter.
China blames the pollution on vehicle emissions, industrial production and an increase in domestic coal use to heat homes during cold weather. A total of 48 work sites, including construction zones, metal refineries and chemical plants have suspended production, and 41 factories have cut back production as well. That includes Hyundai Motor Beijing, which suspended production on Sunday.
Even so, the area's children's hospitals are receiving up to 10,000 patients per day with respiratory ailments. The city's government says it is in the midst of an eight-year plan to curb pollution and that levels have dropped between 30 and 70 percent over the past 14 years thanks to its actions.

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.