Photo: Stefan Baldauf/SB-Medien
Hyundai, as you may be already aware, is engaged in a serious SUV offensive. The 2018 Kona is the first in a line of new sport utility vehicles that will help the South Korean manufacturer on not one, but two fronts.
First and foremost, Hyundai wants to grab a bigger piece of the compact and mid-size segments in the United States. Then there’s Europe, a place where the company intends to become the leading Asian automaker by 2021. With its unconventional looks, there’s no denying the Kona is a commercial success in the making. Similarly, it shouldn’t come as a surprise to you that the next Santa Fe will borrow some of its styling cues.
Expected to go on sale in 2018 for the 2019 model year, the Santa Fe caught on film on this occasion appears to be the long wheelbase model offered in the United States. Somewhat surprisingly for a mid-size SUV with no sporting credentials, the prototype vehicle is pictured on the Nurburgring, doing its best not to exhibit body roll during hard cornering.
Up front, we can see through the camouflage what appears to be a Kona-inspired twin-headlight setup and a cascading grille with a honeycomb pattern. Further back, the taillight clusters appear to be of the full-LED variety and they’re slimmer than what the current model has to brag with.
Look closely, and you’ll spot a pair of Recaro racing seats. Those won’t make it into production, for Hyundai intends to give the Santa Fe’s interior a more upmarket feeling. Speaking of which, the longer wheelbase should translate to more space for the rear passenger, plus more trunk capacity.
Under the skin, the consensus is that Hyundai will offer a range of reengineered four- and six-cylinder engines. A naturally aspirated 2.4-liter should be the entry-level plant, followed by a range-topping 3.3-liter V6. Over in Europe, Hyundai’s 2.2-liter turbo diesel is a no-brainer. There’s also talk about a 2.0-liter turbo, as it is a hybrid/plug-in hybrid derivative.
Expected to go on sale in 2018 for the 2019 model year, the Santa Fe caught on film on this occasion appears to be the long wheelbase model offered in the United States. Somewhat surprisingly for a mid-size SUV with no sporting credentials, the prototype vehicle is pictured on the Nurburgring, doing its best not to exhibit body roll during hard cornering.
Up front, we can see through the camouflage what appears to be a Kona-inspired twin-headlight setup and a cascading grille with a honeycomb pattern. Further back, the taillight clusters appear to be of the full-LED variety and they’re slimmer than what the current model has to brag with.
Look closely, and you’ll spot a pair of Recaro racing seats. Those won’t make it into production, for Hyundai intends to give the Santa Fe’s interior a more upmarket feeling. Speaking of which, the longer wheelbase should translate to more space for the rear passenger, plus more trunk capacity.
Under the skin, the consensus is that Hyundai will offer a range of reengineered four- and six-cylinder engines. A naturally aspirated 2.4-liter should be the entry-level plant, followed by a range-topping 3.3-liter V6. Over in Europe, Hyundai’s 2.2-liter turbo diesel is a no-brainer. There’s also talk about a 2.0-liter turbo, as it is a hybrid/plug-in hybrid derivative.
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