he value-priced, practical Hyundai Santa Fe doesn't get a lot of headlines.
But it made news this year when it beat out the Honda Pilot as the top midsize sport utility vehicle chosen by Consumer Reports magazine for 2008.
What put the Santa Fe amid the magazine's overall Top 10 Picks? A long list of standard safety equipment, roomy interior, decent ride, good reliability record, exemplary crash-test results and the fact buyers get a lot for the money.
One of the noteworthy standard features is a 10-year, 100,000-mile limited warranty on the Santa Fe powertrain. This warranty covers some of the most expensive components in a car, such as the engine, and compares with a three-year/36,000-mile warranty on Honda's Pilot.
Starting manufacturer's suggested retail price, including destination charge, is $21,845 for a base, two-wheel drive, 2008 Santa Fe GLS with 185-horsepower V-6 and manual transmission. With automatic transmission, the retail price starts at $23,145.
The lowest MSRP, including destination charge, for a 2008 Santa Fe with all-wheel drive is $23,545 with a manual transmission.
These prices undercut many other midsize SUVs, especially so-called crossover SUVs that are built on car-based platforms and provide a more car-like ride than do traditional, truck-based SUVs.
For example, the starting MSRP, including destination charge, for a 2008 Saturn Outlook is $28,995, while a 2008 Honda Pilot has a starting retail price of $28,230. Both the
Friday, July 4, 2008
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Hyundai zips past Tata Motors
In April-May period this fiscal, the company has lost its position to Korean car maker Hyundai Motor as the second largest car seller in the country.
The company sold 37,991 units in the passenger vehicle category selling models like the Indica, Indigo, Indigo Marina, Winger, Sumo and Safari in the first two months of this year. Hyundai sold 46,011 units during the same period preceded by Maruti Suzuki.
Tata Motors share in the compact car segment declined to 15.78 per cent in 2007-08 from 19.21 per cent recorded a year ago, according to the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (Siam).
Its Indigo's share slumped to 13.91 per cent as against 17.42 per cent recorded in the two comparable periods.
Experts attribute the company's drop in sales to the delay in launching new vehicles like the Indica and the Indigo, which were supposed to be introduced in the market last year.
The loss in demand for Tata-badged vehicles was capitalised by other companies like Hyundai and General Motors-owned brand Chevrolet.
"The company hasn't launched any significant model for a long time, even as the demand for its outdated models including the Indica and Indigo is on a drastic decline," said a city-based auto analyst.
The company sold 37,991 units in the passenger vehicle category selling models like the Indica, Indigo, Indigo Marina, Winger, Sumo and Safari in the first two months of this year. Hyundai sold 46,011 units during the same period preceded by Maruti Suzuki.
Tata Motors share in the compact car segment declined to 15.78 per cent in 2007-08 from 19.21 per cent recorded a year ago, according to the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (Siam).
Its Indigo's share slumped to 13.91 per cent as against 17.42 per cent recorded in the two comparable periods.
Experts attribute the company's drop in sales to the delay in launching new vehicles like the Indica and the Indigo, which were supposed to be introduced in the market last year.
The loss in demand for Tata-badged vehicles was capitalised by other companies like Hyundai and General Motors-owned brand Chevrolet.
"The company hasn't launched any significant model for a long time, even as the demand for its outdated models including the Indica and Indigo is on a drastic decline," said a city-based auto analyst.
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