The Hyundai Veracruz, which entered the market in 2006, is about to be replaced by a new Hyundai, Hyundai Santa Fe 2013 model, also known as the IX45 in some markets. Although the Santa Fe has no direct lineage with the Veracruz, the two vehicles are alike in dimensions.
The new vehicle is scheduled to make its debut next month at the 2012 New York Auto Show, and it will start rolling on the floors of showrooms this fall. Hyundai released some teaser images in June, and courtesy of a new round of leaked photos released in the Korean new cars brochure, we have some idea of what to expect.
2013 Santa Fe Design and Styling
The new design looks like that of the Veloster and the recently revamped Genesis Coupe. The wheelbase of the Sport model is still 106.3-inches, but most of the details were changed. The length increased by a half-inch to 184.6 inches, the width and the length were reduced by 0.4 and 1.8 inches to 74.0 and 66.1 inches respectively. Hyundai claims that the rear-seat legroom will increase, and there will still be 35 cubic feet of cargo space in the car.
The headlights are sleek, tapered-back, and there is an inverted trapezoid front grille common among Hyundai line-ups. The new mid-size crossover also has other elements of Hyundai’s design language like LED daytime lights, and the fog-lights in the bumper. The renowned automaker calls this new look “Storm Edge”. It does not just look stronger, it is also more recognizable.
The interior of the 2013 Santa Fe is more modern than that of the Veracruz. There are more sharp angles, and higher quality materials were used. There is a flowing redesigned dashboard, electroluminescent gauges, a centre stack with an eight-inch touchscreen and a Blue Link infotainment system. We also saw what looks like a third-row seating option in the Leaked images.
2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Powertrain
We expect the 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe to carry over the 2.4-liter Theta II four-cylinder and V-6 engines, but with some slight modifications like the introduction of direct injection technology to make the engines better performing and more fuel efficient. The 4-cylinder engine will offer 190 horsepower and 181 lb-ft of torque. Speculations are rife that Hyundai will offer a 2.0-liter turbo engine rated at 274-horsepower with fuel efficiency of 40 mpg to the U.S. market so as to give the car a better chance against its rivals.
New Technology introduced in Santa Fe 2013
Although details about new technology have not been supplied by Hyundai, we know that the 2013 Santa Fe will employ Driver Selectable Steering Mode (DSSM) and Torque Vectoring Cornering Control (TVCC) technologies for better handling and feel behind the wheel. A Downhill Brake Control (DBC) and Hill-Start Assist Control (HAC) will likely come, to offer off-road aids when ascending or descending steep hills.
Safety Features
Several safety features are also expected to come along with the Hyundai Santa Fe 2013. We expect seven airbags (6 front, side and curtain airbags, and one for the driver’s knees), a lane departure warning system, smart parking assist, four-sensor ABS, driver-selectable steering assist and a traction control system,.
Pricing information for the 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe has not been released now, but an insider confided in us that we should expect it to have a base price of about $30,000.
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