Hyundai Philippines relaunches with 4 new models

Hyundai Philippines has officially relaunched and is and is now under new management. Now called Hyundai Motors Philippines Inc, (HMPH) the South Korean Automaker celebrated this momentous occasion by also renewing its model lineup in the country by adding more crossovers into its fold and bringing a new minivan. Now, we all know you’re all excited to know what these models, what features they have, and of course what their prices will be, so, let's get started.

First amongst the new crossovers is the Hyundai Creta which slots right above the Hyundai Venue in terms of price and size. It comes with LED headlights at the front and a  Parametric Jewel pattern grill as well. Aside from this the crossover also comes with a long hood profile, strong side character lines, and a unique C-pillar shape. It also rides on 17-inch wheels wrapped in 215/60 series tires. At the rear, the Creta comes with “boomerang” signature LEDs that give the vehicle excellent visibility at night and make it easily identifiable.

On the inside, it comes with a modern and minimalist design language with a two-tone black/cognac brown interior color scheme. It also comes with a 10.25-inch LCD Instrument cluster, an 8-inch infotainment system that has Apple Carplay and Android Auto, wireless charging with an air cooling system, cupholder lamps, and finally, USB charging ports at the back and at the front.

Powering the crossover is a 1.5 inline-four gasoline engine that produces 114hp and 144 Nm of torque. It is mated to either an Intelligent Variable Transmission (IVT) or a 6-speed manual gearbox.

For its safety features, it comes with two front airbags, ABS, electronic stability control, hill start assist, park distance warning, blind spot collision avoidance assists, forward collision avoidance assist, lane keep assist, lane following assist, high beam assist, and a tire pressure monitoring system. 

The following is its pricing:

• 1.5 GLS IVT - 1,332,000
• 1.5 GL IV - 1,170,000
• 1.5 GL 6MT - 998,000

Up next Hyundai has also brought in the new Tucson to the Philippines. It sports a similar design language to the Creta coming with a large grill and sleek LED headlights. It also gets CHrome DLO molding, and strong angular character lines as well. At the back, it gets the brand’s now signature Parametric taillights. Depending on the model, the crossover can be had with either 18-inch or 19-inch alloy wheels both sporting their own unique designs. 

Inside, the Tucson comes with a modern interior with a dual-layer dashboard design. Hyundai says that it “Lowered the display so that the upper part of the dashboard is completely flat, procuring a fully open frontal view” and that the design of the dashboard is “Inspired by a waterfall, the silver deco line connects the doors, dashboard and center fascia to strengthen the sense of spatial openness and comfort.” It also comes with a two-tone interior with black and gray being the color choices.

As for its technology it gets, a 10.25-inch TFT instrument cluster, ambient mood lighting, an 8-inch infotainment system with Apple Carplay and Android Auto, a wireless charger with an air cooling system, and a shift-by-wire electronic gear selector, and a customized power tailgate. 

Powering the Tucson are two engine choices, the first is a 2.0-liter Smartstream diesel engine that produces 184hp and 416 Nm of torque that is mated to an 8-speed automatic, while the second is also a 2.0-liter Smartstream engine but this time its gasoline. It produces 154 hp and 192 Nm of torque. Unlike the diesel motor, this one comes with a 6-speed automatic transmission instead. 

For its safety features, the Tucson comes with seven airbags, ABS, electronic stability control, hill start assist, park distance warning, blind spot collision avoidance assists, forward collision avoidance assist, lane keep assist, trailer stability assist, lane following assist, high beam assist, a tire pressure monitoring system, and ISOFIX anchors. 

Pricing:

• 2.0 GLS+ 8AT (Diesel) - P1,840,000
• 2.0 GLS 6AT (Gas) - P1,570,000

The bigger brother of the Tucson joins the brand’s launch of all-new crossover models in the form of this the new Hyundai Santa Fe. Unlike its smaller brother, it gets a completely different design language as it comes with a much wider grille along with two-layer LED headlights. Hyundai says “The overhaul of the front end has resulted in a total transformation that breaks all links with predecessor models. The new cascading grille, T-shaped headlights, and sculpted front bumper give Santa Fe an edgy but powerful appearance.”

At the rear, it comes with sleek LED taillights along with a much rounder rear compared to the front. As for its wheels, the midsize crossover rides on 19-inch wheels. 

On the inside, the Santa Fe comes with a much more plush cabin with a dual-layer design. Much like the Tucson, it comes with a 10.25-inch LCD Center cluster and sports an 8-inch infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. It also has mood lighting, a wireless charger with air cooling, ambient lighting, and an electronic gear selector. 

Powering the new Santa Fe is a 2.2-liter Smartstream diesel that pushes out 200hp and 441 Nm of torque. It is mated to a Smartstream wet 8-speed DCT.

For its safety features, it comes with 6 airbags, ABS with ESC, hill start assist, downhill brake control, park distance warning, blind spot collision warning, a tire pressure monitoring system, a blind spot view monitor, a surround-view monitor, ISOFIX anchors. 

Pricing:

• 2.2 CRDI GLS 8AT DCT - P2,420,000

Now for the car, you have all been waiting for, the Hyundai Staria is officially and finally here. It's the unofficial or rather spiritual successor to the Hyundai Starex. It comes with a modern design with a more aerodynamic front. While one would expect the LED headlights to be at the top in the form of those small slits, they are in fact the LED daytime running lights instead. The actual headlights can be found on the bumper of the minivan. It comes with a low beltline and overall larger dimensions compared to the Starex.

At the back, it comes with a plain design that features large vertical rear combination lamps. The higher models get LEDs, while the lower variants get bulb types. As for its wheels, the cargo and GL commuter gets x-inch steel wheels, the GLS+ variant, on the other hand, gets x-inch alloy wheels, and finally, the Premium model gets x-inch alloys. 

On the inside, the Staria comes with a minimalist interior design that is dominated by a large center display depending on the model chosen. For its seating configurations, the Premium variant has a 7-seater layout, while the other models come with an 11-seater configuration with the exception of the cargo variant which only gets three seats.

For the Premium variant, it gets suede headlining, a front center console, metal pedals, ambient mood lighting, chrome door handles, and relaxation seats for the 2nd row. It also gets smart power sliding doors, a smart power tailgate, a 12-speaker Bose sound system, and a dual sunroof. 

Other interior highlights for the Staria include a 10.25-inch LCD instrument cluster, an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a wireless charger with an air cooling system, and an electronic gear selector, along with USB charging ports found in the front and at the rear. 

Powering the Staria 2.2 diesel engine which is mated to three transmission options. The first is an 8-speed automatic transmission that sends power to all four wheels, next is another 8-speed automatic but this time it only sends power to the rear wheels, finally, there is a 6-speed manual transmission for the commuter and cargo models. As for its power figures, it has a similar output to that of the Santa Fe.

For safety the Hyundai Staria comes with six airbags, ABS, electronic stability control, hill start assist, downhill brake control, parking distance warning, forward collision-avoidance assist, lane keeping assist, lane following assist, high beam assist, a tire pressure monitoring system, blindspot view monitor, and a surround-view monitor. 

Pricing:

• Premium+ 8AT AWD - P2,930,000
• GLS+ AT - P2,320,000
• GL Commuter 6MT - P1,850,000
• GL Cargo 6MT - P1,560,000

Aside from the launch Hyundai Philippines also hinted that it will be launching two other new models soon. The two models in question could be the Hyundai Stargazer and the Ioniq 5.