Hyundai is expanding its presence in China with a
new sedan developed exclusively for this market and called LAFESTA (Italian for
Festival). Unveiled at the 2018 Beijing Auto Show on Wednesday, it debuts the
brand’s ‘Sensuous Sportiness’ design philosophy, which was announced at the
Geneva Motor Show.
We can see that some of the key styling features of the Hyundai
LAFESTA include a large grille at the front with chrome trim, curvy lines
across the bonnet and lower side of the doors and a sloping roofline behind the
C pillars. That’s kind of similar to the latest Santa Fe, but on a deeper
scale.
Its cabin is described as being “spacious” and
“driver-focused”, equipped with quality materials, new technology and numerous
driving assistance systems.
Power comes from a turbocharged 1.6-liter GDi
engine, which could be shared with the Kona Premium GT. It’s married to a
seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, just like the one in the
subcompact SUV, where it develops 177 PS and 265 Nm of
torque.
The new Hyundai LAFESTA will go on sale in China in
the fourth quarter of 2018, and the automaker promises to detail it after its
official launch.
