Second-Generation Santa Fe Goes Head-to-Head with Toyota's All-New RAV4 and Aging HighlanderÂ
If you like what Hyundai did with its new 2006 Sonata, refining everything from styling to perceived quality and driving dynamics,
while pumping up performance to near premium levels, you'll probably appreciate the new 2007 Santa Fe even more. It debuted yesterday at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, to a chorus of very impressed oohs and ahs.
And just one look makes it easy to understand why everyone was impressed. he new crossover, an ever growing market segment that has now adopted the acronym CUV, for crossover utility vehicle, despite being a sportier genre than sport utility vehicles, receives similar styling updates to the Sonata, especially noticeable up front where the sculpted hood lines flow effortlessly into the larger, three strake ovoid grille opening. An athletic looking front fascia integrates twin circular fog lamps and a racy bumper extension protruding out of the lower air intake, a very stylish addition. Flush, softly shaped headlamp clusters meld in with the front fenders, which rise slightly before being pulled rearward over
broad shoulders, bisected by elegant chrome embellished body-colour door handles.
A secondary waistline, more sharply cut, blends the CUV's rear quarter panels into the tailgate, meeting up directly with its taillights, which are shaped and angled downward in unison with the rear window outline as they meet up with the license plate cutout, much like the headlamps are shaped and angle down toward the grille. The only reminder of the old Santa Fe, at least all that's immediately noticeable, is the seemingly reincarnated hinge-like tube that previously stretched from the outer liftgate panel to the license plate recess, but now it has a purpose beyond styling, it's the door handle, and, like the side door handles, is highlighted with chrome and painted body-colour.
If you like what Hyundai did with its new 2006 Sonata, refining everything from styling to perceived quality and driving dynamics,
 |
| Hyundai unveiled its new 2007 Santa Fe at the Detroit auto show yesterday, to a chorus of oohs and ahs. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press) |
And just one look makes it easy to understand why everyone was impressed. he new crossover, an ever growing market segment that has now adopted the acronym CUV, for crossover utility vehicle, despite being a sportier genre than sport utility vehicles, receives similar styling updates to the Sonata, especially noticeable up front where the sculpted hood lines flow effortlessly into the larger, three strake ovoid grille opening. An athletic looking front fascia integrates twin circular fog lamps and a racy bumper extension protruding out of the lower air intake, a very stylish addition. Flush, softly shaped headlamp clusters meld in with the front fenders, which rise slightly before being pulled rearward over
 |
| The new Santa Fe features styling that should be more appealing to a broader audience than its predecessor. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press) |
A secondary waistline, more sharply cut, blends the CUV's rear quarter panels into the tailgate, meeting up directly with its taillights, which are shaped and angled downward in unison with the rear window outline as they meet up with the license plate cutout, much like the headlamps are shaped and angle down toward the grille. The only reminder of the old Santa Fe, at least all that's immediately noticeable, is the seemingly reincarnated hinge-like tube that previously stretched from the outer liftgate panel to the license plate recess, but now it has a purpose beyond styling, it's the door handle, and, like the side door handles, is highlighted with chrome and painted body-colour.