HYUNDAI’S 2013 SANTA FE SPORT WINS WINTER VEHICLE AWARD FOR BEST IN CLASS SUV/CROSSOVER UNDER $28,000

The 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport outperformed its competitors to earn the distinction of “Best in Class SUV/Crossover under $28,000” in the New England Motor Press Association (NEMPA) annual Winter Vehicle Awards, which honor the best cars, trucks, crossovers and SUVs for handling New England’s difficult winter driving conditions.

NEMPA will present this year’s Winter Vehicle Awards on May 9, 2013, at MIT in Cambridge, Mass. The winners are selected each year by NEMPA media members, which include automotive journalists in the six-state New England region. NEMPA members test a wide range of vehicles to evaluate winter-specific features along with various qualities that make for safe, enjoyable all-weather driving.
"The Santa Fe Sport is an exceptional vehicle with strong performance from a choice of four-cylinder engines and an all-wheel drive system that meets any challenges thrown at it by New England
weather. Its good fuel economy also makes it a smart choice for consumers, which is why we named it Best in Class SUV/Crossover under $28,000," said Keith Griffin, NEMPA president.

“We are excited to see the all-new Santa Fe Sport earn a Winter Vehicle Award from a group of journalists who know first-hand what it takes to handle challenging weather conditions,” said John Shon, Product Manager, Hyundai Motor America. “Now joined by a longer three-row Santa Fe trim the Santa Fe provides today’s families with premium features and advanced driving dynamics at an incredible value. Whether it’s a quick drive down the block or a family road trip, Santa Fe is equipped to safely and comfortably navigate roads in any season.”

The two-row Santa Fe Sport introduced last year and three-row Santa Fe being launched this spring both offer an optional Active Cornering Control AWD system that continuously analyzes data to supply torque and braking force to the right tires for improved traction. Rather than just react to conditions after they occur, the system can anticipate traction requirements for better performance in winter driving.

Santa Fe Sport offers a choice of a 2.4-liter or 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine. The longer wheelbase Santa Fe comes standard with a 3.3-liter V6 engine and provides a 5,000-pound towing capacity. Both Santa Fe models feature a progressive design and flexible interior.

Santa Fe also comes standard with Hyundai’s Blue Link®, combining safety, service and infotainment features to simplify owners’ lives and reduce distracted driving by seamlessly connecting the driver directly with the vehicle. Technologies such as emergency assistance, POI search and download, turn-by-turn navigation, smartphone remote features (including remote start) and monthly vehicle reporting are available with the system.

Starting May 16, 2013, all Blue Link-equipped new vehicle purchases will come standard with three years of Assurance Connected Care service, providing many of Blue Link’s safety and car care services. For more details on Assurance Connected Care, visit http://www.hyundaibluelink.com/

-Courtesy of Hyundai Media Newsroom

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2013 HYUNDAI SANTA FE SPORT NAMED ONE OF WARD’S 10 BEST INTERIORS

The all-new 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport’s upscale and highly-functional interior was acknowledged by the editors of WardsAuto, which named it to this year’s Ward’s 10 Best Interiors list. This recognition follows the 2012 Accent and 2012 Azera being named to the list last year.

“The latest version of the Hyundai Santa Fe Sport is the essence of a midsize family CUV: well-crafted, tastefully appointed and affordable, despite a decidedly upscale look and feel,” said Tom Murphy, executive editor, WardsAuto. “Hyundai is consistently delivering excellent interiors that reinforce the brand’s ‘Fluidic Sculpture’ design language.”

WardsAuto editors have been studying the vehicles since February, selecting the 10 winners from a field of 46 vehicles with new or significantly refreshed interiors. The selection process mimics that of the Ward’s 10 Best Engines competition, in which editors rate vehicles based on their daily commutes in and around metro Detroit. Unlike 10 Best Engines, the interior competition has no price cap.

“The all-new Santa Fe Sport offers buyers a comfortable, functional and modern-looking interior,” said Christopher Chapman, chief designer, Hyundai Design North America. “Designed with families in mind, the interior features quality materials, intuitive controls and a spacious layout for the diverse needs of today’s active families.”

“The instrument panel is defined by its sculptural center vents from which the flowing form develops,” said Christopher Zarlenga, design manager of Santa Fe’s interior. “Color is also an important differentiator for the interior, emphasizing the wing shape outward from the center stack through the doors.”

During the selection process editors pay close attention to fit-and-finish, checking to see if seams are straight and match up cleanly on armrests and instrument panels. Editors climb in and out of back seats and third rows in larger CUVs and SUVs to check overall comfort levels, headroom and legroom. Another increasingly important category is driver information. Bluetooth® phone links are commonplace, so editors connect their smartphones and experiment with voice-activation systems.

Santa Fe Sport features a flowing interior look, designed for passenger functionality and comfort. From the heated rear seats and available eight-way power driver seat, to a standard 40:20:40 folding-rear seat back, the vehicle boasts flexibility and a comfortable cabin for all passengers. Also standard on all Santa Fe models with cloth seating is a YES Essentials® seat fabric treatment that provides soil-resistant, anti-odor and anti-static properties for added longevity and livability. Special care and attention went into other interior details, such as an optional panoramic sunroof, which allows more natural light into the cabin, and premium window switch trim. Available on 2.4-liter models and standard on Turbo models is a push-button starter with proximity key and an electrochromatic gauge cluster color LCD screen. A heated steering wheel and sliding second row seats are optional first-class touches on Santa Fe Sport.

The 2013 interior winners will be honored during the WardsAuto Interiors Conference on May 22 at The Henry hotel in Dearborn, Mich. An extensive package profiling the winners is available on WardsAuto.com and in the May issue of WardsAuto World magazine.

-Courtesy of Hyundai Media Newsroom

HYUNDAI MOTOR AMERICA SETS ALL-TIME RECORD FIRST QUARTER SALES

Hyundai Motor America announced sales of 68,306 units, down just two percent versus the best volume month Hyundai ever recorded last year, and up more than 30 percent over February levels. The first quarter of 2013 was the best in Hyundai’s history.

"March felt just great,” said Dave Zuchowski, executive vice president of national sales. “We definitely benefited from better inventories of Elantra thanks to the addition of the third shift at our Alabama plant, improved weather conditions in our important Northern markets and more robust retail activity reflecting a steady recovery in consumer confidence. Elantra led the pack with an all-time monthly sales record of 26,153 units, up 33 percent year-over-year. Sonata Hybrid also set a new all-time sales record with 2,006 sales, up 13 percent versus last year.”

Fleet mix was 17 percent for the month and stands at 16 percent for the year, among the lowest in the industry.

“This March was an incredibly strong month for us, the second best sales month in our history, just two percent below our all-time record from last March,” said John Krafcik, president and CEO of Hyundai Motor America. “While our plants continue to stretch to hit our demand levels, we still have one of the tightest inventory levels in the industry. This month, you could see the impact of improved Elantra availability, but our dealers remain constrained on Sonata, which continues as one of the fastest turning mid-size cars in the industry.”

According to data from Cars.com, the traditional five highest volume mid-size sedans (Accord, Camry, Altima, Fusion, and Malibu) have 72 percent more dealer stock than Sonata.

Sales in March of Certified Pre-Owned vehicles totaled 6,715, up eight percent for the first quarter. More than 80 percent of Hyundai’s dealers are now participating in the CPO program, which has been a key component in driving Hyundai residual values to record high levels. Hyundai Elantra, Azera, and Santa Fe Sport are all ALG Residual Value award winners for the 2013 model year.

--Courtesy of Hyundai Media  Newsroom

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