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2017 Hyundai Elantra priced from $17,985

The 2017 Hyundai Elantra arrives at dealers in January with a new design and expanded range of tech for a starting price of $17,985 (including $835 destination), which gives buyers access to the latest vehicle's improvements for $100 less than the MSRP of the 2016 model. It also means the Hyundai comes in about $1,500 less than a base 2016 Honda Civic that just won the 2016 North American Car of the Year. The Elantra SE and Limited trims both use a 2.0-liter four-cylinder running on the Atkinson cycle that makes 147 horsepower and 132 pound-feet of torque. The company offers the base SE with a six-speed manual, but the six-speed automatic takes the model's price to $18,985. The SE doesn't come with too many frills, but the $800 Popular Equipment Package on the automatic adds features like a 7-inch Display Audio system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support, a rearview camera, and cruise control. For another $1,300, the Tech Package provides LED running lights, blind spot detection, dual-zone climate control, heated front seats, and more. The Limited trim only comes with the six-speed automatic and starts $23,185. It gets expanded standard features like leather seats and LED taillights. A $2,500 Tech Package adds things like an 8-inch infotainment system with navigation, upgraded stereo, and sunroof. The $1,900 Ultimate Package then bundles HID headlights, memory seats, automatic emergency braking, lane-keeping assist, and smart cruise control. Hyundai will announce pricing and details for the Eco trim closer to the launch this spring. The model will use a turbocharged 1.4-liter four-cylinder and seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox to get an estimated 35 miles per gallon combined fuel economy. There will also be a Sport model later in the year, but the automaker hasn't announced any further details of that model yet. Related Video: X ALL-NEW 2017 HYUNDAI ELANTRA PRICED AT $100 LESS THAN THE AWARD-WINNING MODEL IT REPLACES - STARTS AT $17,150 Value-Packed Elantra Offers Leading Technology and Generous Amenities Including Automatic Emergency Braking with Pedestrian Detection, Smart Cruise Control and Dynamic Bending Light FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif. Jan. 15, 2016 – Hyundai Motor America today announced pricing for the all-new 2017 Elantra starting at $17,150.

Hyundai Motorsport tests its performance at the WRC Rally Finland

Autoblog joined Hyundai to check out the Neste Oil Rally Finland, where thousands of kilometers of lightly traveled, rolling gravel roads have turned out decades of astonishing racing and cold-blooded drivers. Even though the World Rally Championship is well tamed from its feral Group B days, Rally Finland is still the drivers' favorite, with the fastest speeds and the biggest jumps.
It's the rookie year for the Hyundai Shell World Rally Team, run by Hyundai Motorsport out of Alzenau, Germany. The squad entered the season aiming for podiums in the second half and looking to get its three cars to the finish at every race for maximum development data. It's already outdone itself, Thierry Neuville scoring third places in Mexico - where he used a bottle of Corona to fill his radiator - and Poland.
Denis Giraudet told us that the rally's sternest challenge is not one of heart, though. Giraudet isn't part of Hyundai Motorsport, he was our guide and he's been in the sport as a co-driver for more than 30 years; he won Rally Finland with Juha Kankunnen in 1993 in a Toyota Celica Turbo 4WD. Giraudet said the race tests that particular confidence that comes from about 18 inches below the heart: "Here, you have to go all out. If there's a problem, it's usually between the steering wheel and the seat."

Hyundai's Genesis luxury brand not going to Europe this decade

After dipping into the premium market with the Genesis and Equus sedans, Hyundai made headlines with the planned launch of a separate premium brand, Genesis. It starts with the renamed G80 (nee Genesis) and redesigned G90 (Equus) sedans here in the US, but European consumers will have to wait. "To launch a premium brand in Europe is a challenge and it's an even bigger challenge if you don't have the products you need for the market," Hyundai Europe Chief Operating Officer Thomas Schmid told Automotive News Europe. "Europe won't see it before 2019. The main reason is we need different powertrains." Powertrains aren't the brand's only shortcoming. With the G70 – a 3 Series competitor – coming as the third showroom product, the brand also won't have a competitor in the increasingly important crossover ranks. As Schmid told ANE, "we don't yet see the right moment to do it because at the end, we want to be successful, and successful also means profitable." Initially, Genesis will launch in North America, the Middle East, China, and South Korea. Pushing back the European launch to 2019 or 2020 should give Genesis some breathing room, ANE reports. By that point, the company will offer six different vehicles, including two CUVs. According to Schmid, the brand would launch in Europe with just five vehicles. At halfway through 2016 and nothing but the G70 on the radar, expect an aggressive product launch schedule in the coming years if Genesis is going to stick to that timeline. Related Video: Featured Gallery Genesis Hybrid Sport Sedan Concept View 10 Photos News Source: Automotive News EuropeImage Credit: Genesis Genesis Hyundai Crossover Luxury