New Tucson Fills Void Just Below Popular Midsize Santa Fe
Prior to the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Hyundai has unveiled an artist's rendering of a new sport utility vehicle expected to be featured in the January event.
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| The new Tucson will fill the void just below Hyundai's popluar midsize Santa Fe. (Photo: Hyundai) |
Filling a void just below the popular midsize Santa Fe, the new model will compete more directly with the Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V, among others. It will offer front-wheel drive in base trim, with optional all-wheel drive available. Manual and automatic transmissions will be mated to either an entry-level 4-cylinder engine or V6 upgrade.
Following a recent tradition of naming its North American bound vehicles after Southwest U.S. landmarks, company President and CEO Robert "Bob" Cosmai announced that the new model would be called the Tucson.
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| Hyundai's larger Santa Fe SUV has been setting sales records since it was introduced to the North American market in 2000. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press) |
"Clearly what makes a vehicle successful is great quality, performance and features at a great price," stated Cosmai. "However, a great name helps capture all that in a single word and we believe Tucson embodies the sprit of fun and adventure inherent in our latest SUV," he added.
The new compact Tucson, that will become available in the fall of 2004, will seat 5 adults with room for luggage. The rear seat is expected to fold flat in a 60/40 split configuration.