Montgomery Hyundai plant will begin Santa Fe production in June

Hyundai's new Santa Fe increases visability, cabin and storage space.

Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama will begin production of the newly redesigned 2019 Santa Fe later this year.

The new Santa Fe interior features several ergonomic and safety features.

The South Korean automaker unveiled the new design last week in New York at the International Auto Show. Montgomery plant spokesman Robert Burns said production will begin in June.

Montgomery currently manufactures the Santa Fe Sport, which has been selling well in comparison to the rest of Hyundai's North American sedan segment, as buyers have flocked to SUVs. The new design drops "Sport" from the name and add what the company is calling "family-oriented" designs to the interior.

Observers in the industry praised the new design as bold. Among improvements, there is more cargo room behind the second-row seats, when second-row seats are folded. In addition, second-row leg room has also been lengthened.

Also available is the Heads-Up Display, which projects an 8.5-inch virtual image onto the windshield, to assist the driver in keeping eyes on the road. The feature uses a system of mirrors combined with a TFT LCD display and features adjustable brightness for daytime and nighttime visibility.

Driving information such as speed, cruise control status, navigation, and blind spot collision warnings are also projected.

The new model is expected in showrooms this summer.

Hyundai's Montgomery plant has produced 65,500 vehicles through the first three months of 2018. That includes 20,276 Sonatas, 34,189 Elantras and 11,035 Santa Fe Sports. Those numbers are down from a year ago, significantly among Sonatas.

For example, through the first three months of 2017, Montgomery produced 42,410 Sonatas.

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