Following the recent debut of the new Tucson, Hyundai is now turning its attention to the Santa Fe. Revisions to the exterior styling have been kept somewhat subtle, with some areas being sharpened up to bring it more into line with the styling seen on the Tucson. Hyundai has made some changes to the interior design and added new materials in order to keep the look and feel of the Santa Fe fresh in light of some newer competition from the likes of the Kia Sorento.
Santa Fe buyers will also now be able to choose from a variety of new safety systems such as Autonomous Emergency Braking and Rear-Cross Traffic Alert, while driver assistance systems such as Smart Cruise Control, Blind Spot Detection, Lane Change Assist and High Beam Assist have been added to the available equipment list.
Adding to the crossover range will be the new i20 Active, which sees the five-door hatchback gain some extra ruggedness in the styling department. Suspension is raised by 20mm to give some extra ground clearance while the front and bumpers have been restyled to incorporate some skid plates. The sills and wheel arches also get some chunky black plastic cladding to help complete the look and the roof features some contrasting silver rails.
The i20 Active along with the rest of the Hyundai i20 range will be available with a new 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine that will come in two power outputs; 100- and 120hp with the latter said to be capable of facilitating more spirited driving without sacrificing efficiency.
Also due to make its European debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show is the spectacular Vision G coupe concept. Although we don't expect to see a production version arriving in the very near future there are some design elements that may make it into future models. "In line with our Modern premium strategic direction, we are upgrading the Hyundai brand and creating new possibilities for our customers," said Jochen Sengpiehl, Vice President Marketing at Hyundai Motor Europe. He added: "Vision G shows the inspiration for future Hyundai design and premium products, while Hyundai N adds further emotion to our brand."
The Hyundai N mentioned is a new performance-orientated sub-brand that is also due to showcase some concept and prototype models at the Frankfurt Motor Show this month.
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Hyundai is also gearing up to introduce Android Auto to the i40 from November onwards. This system enables Android smartphone users to link their devices directly to the car and use many of its apps and controls via the car's infotainment screen.