December 25, 2024

• 

[THE INVESTOR] Hyundai Motor on Feb. 21 launched the all-new Santa Fe sport utility vehicle in the domestic market to capitalize on the growing demand for recreational vehicles.

The fully revamped Santa Fe comes as the Korean carmaker badly needs a new SUV to drive up sales in major markets like the United States, where the demand for crossovers has been on the rise.

The fourth-generation of the midsize vehicle comes with a choice of engines including a 2.0-liter diesel, a 2.2-liter diesel and a 2.0-liter gasoline turbo engine, all mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission, the company said in a statement. The vehicle is equipped with a full-time HTRAC all-wheel drive system, and the company‘s rack-mounted motor-driven power steering is touted for giving very good feedback of the road to drivers as well as precise and well-weighted handling.  

Korea’s No. 1 carmaker began to receive preorders on Feb. 7, with a total of 14,000 Santa Fes ordered so far, ranging in price from 29 million won (US$27,000) to 37 million won.

The upgraded SUV carries advanced technologies and premium options that have already been used in luxury models, the company said. This, it stressed, raises the value proposition of the car to a new level.

Technologies to be incorporated in the vehicle include advanced driver assistance systems and a host of safety features such as safe exit assist, rear occupant alert and rear cross-traffic collision avoidance assist systems, the company said.

By Song Seung-hyun and newswires (ssh@heraldcorp.com)