Hyundai Motor Co., South Korea's biggest carmaker by sales, said Monday it will launch the all-new Santa Fe SUV in the domestic market this week, with the goal of selling 28,000 units this year.
The fifth-generation Santa Fe, set to go on sale on Wednesday, will be available with a 2.5-liter turbocharged gasoline engine or a 1.6 turbocharged gasoline hybrid engine, the company said in a statement.
The 1.6 gasoline hybrid model sells at 40 million-48 million won ($30,000-$36,000) depending on options, with the 2.5 gasoline model priced at 35 million-44 million won.
The new Santa Fe is a full-change model from the fourth-generation one released in 2018. It comes with a maximized rear cargo capacity in line with the latest outdoor lifestyle trends.
"Big data indicated that the outdoor lifestyle was going to become mainstream culture, and during Covid this lifestyle change was even further amplified. And we needed to respond to that change," Hyundai's styling chief Simon Loasby said in the new SUV's unveiling event last week.
H-shaped headlamps harmonize with the H-motif front bumper design and H-shaped taillights. The H-shaped elements reinterpret Hyundai's "H" emblem, the statement said.
The interior design underlines horizontal and vertical lines, with an H-motif design also applied to the dashboard and air vents to create a unique sensibility. The fully foldable second- and third-row seats provide "class-leading" interior space.
Hyundai is targeting to sell 70,000 units of the new Santa Fe in the domestic market next year.
And the company said it will launch the new model in the United States and Europe in the first quarter of 2024 with an aim to sell 16,000 units in Europe and 135,000 autos in the US next year.
Santa Fes assembled in Korea are for domestic sales and exports, while Santa Fes for US sales are to be produced at Hyundai's Alabama plant. (Yonhap)
