2000 Hyundai Santa Fe
DETROIT - When you come to the party late, you better be ready to dance. To continue this metaphor, Hyundai has studied the music and is now ready to show off some moves of its own. Hyundai has revealed yet another entry into the suddenly crowded mini-sport-utility market by pulling the wraps off the Santa Fe, a concept vehicle that is practically ready for production. The Santa Fe will compete with vehicles such as the Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4, Suzuki Grand Vitara and Kia Sportage.Hyundai recently acquired rival Korean carmaker Kia, builder of the Sportage mini-ute, but the company has also invested time and money into its very own hybrid. Based on the redesigned Sonata, the Santa Fe gives Hyundai two vehicles from the same platform, thus reducing development costs for future redesigns. Expect the next-generation Sportage to look an awful lot like a Santa Fe, save for some sheetmetal.
The Santa Fe will come with a four-cylinder engine for the base model -- but an all-aluminum 2.7-liter 24-valve DOHC V6, derived from the Sonata's Delta engine, will also be available. Billed as an all-weather SUV, the Santa Fe comes with all-wheel drive. Side-impact airbags are also standard, and all of Hyundai's airbags have been depowered to reduce the risk of injury. The show car featured 17-inch wheels, but expect those to be downsized before production.
In an auto show plagued by new hybrid vehicle concepts, however, the Santa Fe is as cutting edge as eight-track tapes. And as for originality, well, the Santa Fe does not offer any groundbreaking design. Even the gimmicks are borrowed, including a pull-out picnic table that debuted on the class-leading Honda CR-V.
The Santa Fe goes on sale in the late spring of 2000, and Hyundai hopes to sell 25,000 units per year. The most attractive feature offered by the Santa Fe is Hyundai's 10-year powertrain warranty, which will lure buyers who are nervous about the reliability of a new set of wheels that costs less than $20,000.
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