Seven automotive trends to watch in 2017

Just how old is that hooptie in your driveway? The average vehicle on American roads is nearly 12 years old, market research shows, as drivers hold on to their old, reliable wheels for longer stretches of time. That has held true even as more people than ever bought new cars last year -- 17.5 million of them. If you're not a consumer who bought new in recent years, the showroom floor and its wares may look different from what you've seen in the past. The most popular vehicles today are getting bigger in size, generating reams of data and, more and more often, pestering you to drive better. The vehicles built for the future -- those that are merely bold concepts today -- will be even more peculiar and provocative.