Posted Nov 22nd 2005 3:30PM
Little information other than what we can glean from the pictures, but what we can see shows that the new Santa Fe
is a huge improvement over the current version. Hyundai's Santa Fe-dedicated website is
here (warning - lots of Flash). Autoblog reader
Source1 reports that a Hyundai dealer told him that we can expect two engines, a 3.3-liter putting out 240-250 hp, and
a 3.8-liter with 275-285 hp.
Much more after the jump!
I heard the new Rav4 is very nice. A lot bigger. Will Hyundai be able to compete if the price is too high ? Right now a Honda Pilot can be had for $26K.
January 02 2006 at 9:56 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply....oh, hate to be parted w/ my santefe '01... definitely my next car after my santafe'01! :-) wooot!!!
December 12 2005 at 8:20 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyI can see your point Jeff, but many other foreign companies have been able to use American labor to build quality cars. The accord and camry are just a few examples of cars that are built here in the U.S. and I hear that the camry hybrid is being built in Kentucky. I haven't heard any gripes of the new sonata which is built in the Alabama plant. GM and Ford's financial woes stem from incompetence at the management level. I know many GM employees who are competent and proud of the vehicles they produce. The problem with GM and Ford is the inability to create designs and technology that most Americans want. They missed out on the hybrids (by about ten years) and they redesign their models using the same old technology. Hyundai, Toyota, and Honda seem to have a management system that's working here in the U.S. They ensure quality control is at its highest level and are probably quick to fire the employees who lack professionalism and incompetence that you speak of. I wouldn't worry about quality issues of American built cars from these companies. I honestly believe that GM and Ford can really build some great cars if the management was concerned with the company's future and not theirs (CEO Wagoner ensured a nice pension- over 4 million for himself). What's wrong with the American car industry and other companies is management, not American labor. We have intelligent and competent people here who can do the job as well as anyone. On a side note, I'm hoping Kia motors builds their plant in the Mississippi or Louisiana area since they have been economically devastated by the hurricanes. Those people need jobs and I welcome the Koreans any day. I have to give the Koreans my greatest admiration and respect for what they have done with Hyundai/Kia. The quick turnaround took GREAT EFFORT and planning.
December 01 2005 at 1:25 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyWell, I am excited about the opportunity to own another Hyundai. I am really pleased with my '03 Elantra. I was shopping for the new '06 Rav4 and was very impressed with the specs. After going through the new Sante Fe website, I was really thinking about going in that direction. Here is the problem as I see it... When Mercedes started building the ML series in their Alabama plant, it created the single worst reliability vehicle in the company's history. As impressed as I am with Hyundai as a company and with the quality of their vehicles lately, I can't picture myself buying one that was built by American labor in an american plant. Given the increases in expenses of labor and the lack of professionalism, training and commitment in the US compared to Korea, I can't imagine buying one until several model years have gone by (if even then). I'm sure I'll catch flak from the rest of Americans here, but that's how I see it.
November 30 2005 at 4:02 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyWell, I am excited about the opportunity to own another Hyundai. I am really pleased with my '03 Elantra. I was shopping for the new '06 Rav4 and was very impressed with the specs. After going through the new Sante Fe website, I was really thinking about going in that direction. Here is the problem as I see it... When Mercedes started building the ML series in their Alabama plant, it created the single worst reliability vehicle in the company's history. As impressed as I am with Hyundai as a company and with the quality of their vehicles lately, I can't picture myself buying one that was built by American labor in an american plant. Given the increases in expenses of labor and the lack of professionalism, training and commitment in the US compared to Korea, I can't imagine buying one until several model years have gone by (if even then). I'm sure I'll catch flak from the rest of Americans here, but that's how I see it.
November 30 2005 at 3:59 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyOh my word, I thought I would never say this... Do you think it's possible for the 2007 Santa Fe to surpass 2007 Rav4 sales? If you read the favorable comments about the Santa Fe and then the not so favorable comments about the looks of the Rav4, it looks like Hyundai might be onto something very big. As long as QC and reliability is imitated as their design is imitated, there's really no stopping them.
November 23 2005 at 10:50 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyMy first words when seeing this vehicle: DAMN! I never thought that I would be syaing this about a Hyundai, but DUDE! this thing is awesome. If it drives as good as it looks and if we are able to get the NAV system, this is definitely a winner. I'd love to see a street version of this vehicle with 22" chrome rims and a bangin' audio system...SWEET!
November 23 2005 at 9:18 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyI own a Hyundai Tucson and I love it! I'm sure that this car will have the same great quality I enjoy in my tucson. But I think the Price will go up considering how much better this car really is, although it will still be an amazing value. wow, hyundai is really getting good at building great cars that you can fall in love with at an amazing price.
November 23 2005 at 2:22 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyNow I know what the replacement for my 2004 Santa Fe will be in 2007... OMG, I'm currently salivating for it like a kid waiting for an ice cream. I can't wait.... please Hyundai, hurry up....
November 23 2005 at 12:59 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyLook at that interior!!! Looks better than any Toyota/Honda SUV interior. Way to go Hyundai! These bad boys will sell like hot cakes! One of the posters remarked why they would release this car in Korea a year before the US release date. To answer your question, I believe the strategy is to eliminate glitches that weren't caught in the road testing. Reported problems by Korean consumers will be identified and fixed before US arrival, giving the American consumers a better quality product when it arrives here. All Korean and Japanese electronic companies practice this strategy, this is why you see cool gadgets/technologies in Korea/Japan way before they make it to the US market (ie. Samsung, Sony, LG, Panasonic, etc.).
November 23 2005 at 12:44 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply
