Hyundai At The New York Auto Show
Journalists and the general public usually do not see the same car show. Manufacturers present only their new products on media days and more than half the floor space allotted to them is often set aside for the stage where the unveilings will take place, the small booth where the press kits are distributed and a coffee and croissants bar or other gimmicks aimed at attracting journalists. Once the presentation is over the stages, booths, bars and gimmicks are taken down and the complete line-up is rolled out.
During the media days at the New York Auto Show, Hyundai exhibited four models, although the only real unveiling was the new Tucson. And since we were in the United States, obviously the American models were on display.
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First, there was the Santa Fe – the equivalent of our Santa Fe XL – with its six- or seven-seat configuration and 3.3-litre V6. The mechanics of these two vehicles are absolutely identical, regardless of what side of the border you're on. The basic versions have front-wheel drive while the others come with all-wheel drive. With gas prices very low in the United States, compact SUV (Hyundai Tucson, Honda CR-V, etc.) owners are upgrading to mid-size SUVs (Hyundai Santa Fe, Toyota Highlander, etc.), while mid-size owners are opting for full-size SUVs (GMC Yukon, Ford Expedition). People just never learn. With that in mind, the presence of the Santa Fe was completely justified.
There was also the Santa Fe Sport, a name that we find in Canada as well. This SUV bridges the gap between the Santa Fe (XL) and the new Tucson, two vehicles that share many design similarities. The Santa Fe Sport can be equipped with one of two four-cylinder engines: a 2.4-litre producing 190 horsepower and 181 lbs.-ft. of torque or a 2.0-litre turbo developing 265 horsepower and 269 lbs.-ft. of torque.
The Sonata Plug-In Hybrid (PHEV) was also on hand even though it won’t be available in either the United States or Canada before the very end of 2015. Its 2.0-litre internal combustion engine produces 154 horsepower and 140 lbs.-ft. of torque. It’s paired with a 50 kW electric motor (which is 32% more powerful than the one in the regular Sonata Hybrid). Thanks to the 9.8 kW lithium polymer battery, the Sonata PHEV can travel up to 35 km in electric mode.
Finally, there was a Tucson Fuel Cell (FCEV for Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle). The first production vehicle with a hydrogen fuel cell offered in Canada, this Tucson will only be available on a three-year lease. To paraphrase the press release, the Hyundai Tucson FCEV stores hydrogen gas and breaths air into the fuel cell pack. There is no hydrogen combustion and the battery pack contains no moving parts. The electrochemical process of combining oxygen and hydrogen in the fuel cell pack produces the electricity used to propel the vehicle and recharge the battery. The only by-product of this process is pure water, meaning there are no greenhouse gas emissions.
All that is well and good, but don’t forget that the hydrogen distribution network is practically non-existent in Canada. Then again, a network will likely start to develop precisely because of products like the Hyundai Tucson FCEV.