Hyundai pondering U.S. Elantra production?

The Hyundai Elantra is currently produced in Ulsan, South Korea, with about 100,000 of those vehicles earmarked for the U.S. each year. But while the Elantra is currently Hyundai's most successful export product, word on the street is that production of the affordable compact could come to the Korean automaker's Montgomery, Alabama plant in April, 2011, with volumes reaching 150,000 units per year.

Wards Automotive reports that Hyundai is considering the move, though Hyundai was quick to tell the auto-focused publication that no decision has been made. To make room for the Elantra, Hyundai could consider moving Santa Fe production to Kia's West Pointe, GA plant. But while Hyundai has the available production capacity here in the U.S., the Elantra's 2.0-liter engine would still likely need to be made in China and exported to the States.

If Hyundai does indeed bring Elantra production to the U.S., it would likely mean more high paying manufacturing jobs at a time when high-paying jobs are very tough to find, and that certainly wouldn't suck.

[Source: Wards Automotive]