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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 sales slump in China over North Korea, standoff with Chinese partner

BEIJING/SEOUL — Hyundai is at loggerheads with its Chinese partner over efforts to cut supplier costs, as they grapple with cutthroat competition and the impact of a standoff between Beijing and Seoul. Hyundai, along with affiliate Kia, has been caught up in a political row over a missile defense system that is being deployed in South Korea, but opposed by China, as tensions grow over North Korean missile tests and last week's test of a nuclear bomb the North claims can be mounted on a missile. Sales of Hyundai cars in China have been falling, part of a backlash against South Korean brands over the missile system that China views as a threat to its own national security. On Tuesday, South Korea asked the United States to lift a limit on the explosive payloads it can use in the missile system. This as a North Korean missile, believed to be an intercontinental ballistic missile, was being tracked by intelligence services being moved on the ground toward North Korea's west coast and a possible launch site. That has come against the backdrop of ever tougher competition from local Chinese automakers. Until last year, Hyundai and Kia ranked third in China by sales. But Hyundai's sales alone have slumped 41 percent from January to July, fraying relations with local partner BAIC Motor Corp and making this the biggest crisis since Hyundai entered the Chinese market in 2002. Last month, Hyundai suspended production at its four China plants for a week after a French supplier refused to provide fuel tanks when its bills went unpaid. On Tuesday, Hyundai suspended production at one of its plants in China after a German firm went unpaid. Hyundai and BAIC — whose Beijing Hyundai joint venture is a 50:50 partnership — are divided over how to solve the issue of suppliers and tougher competition. Hyundai wants to protect its South Korean supply chain, while BAIC favors shifting to cheaper Chinese suppliers to cut costs, the people said. "BAIC wants to solve this aggressively and is ... asking Hyundai to change its sourcing strategy significantly and immediately," said the head of a Hyundai supplier based in Seoul, adding the idea was to source more locally from cheaper suppliers in China. Hyundai wants to solve this more gradually "over perhaps 5-10 years and do so in phases," the person said. BAIC declined to comment.

Hyundai announces pricing for Ioniq Electric subscription service

When we first drove the Hyundai Ioniq Electric, we learned about a unique subscription program that would be available for Hyundai Ioniq Electric buyers in California. Instead of a traditional purchase or lease, it would be a no-haggle program with unlimited mileage and service and wear items covered. At the time, though, Hyundai didn't have pricing set for the program. Now it does. It also has a name. It's called Ioniq Unlimited+. The way it works is that after a consumer has their credit approved, they put down an initial $2,500 payment, and then pay a set monthly fee for the 36-month term. Pricing varies depending on the trim level of Ioniq Electric. The base model has a monthly fee of $275, the Limited goes for $305, and the Limited with the "Ultimate" package costs $365 per month. All of those prices are before tax. The advantages to this program over a typical lease are in all the included goodies. The initial tax, title, license and fees are covered with the down payment, drivers have no mileage caps, and charging, service, and wear items are all covered for 50,000 miles. If you're interested, hopefully you live in California, since that's the only state in which the program is offered. But, if the program is successful, there may be a chance it expands to other models and regions. Related Video: