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, last month.
We don’t have an extensive image gallery to work with, but 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.
Also Read: 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe Surfaces In Korea With Kona Looks
“Building on our long history of creating distinctive and sporty character in vehicles, we will create a new era for Hyundai design. ‘Sensuous Sportiness’, the new theme for Hyundai design reflects our goal to build a beloved brand by creating vehicles with heightened emotional value”, commented Hyundai Styling’s chief, SangYup Lee.
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 177PS (175hp / 131kW) and 265Nm (195lb-ft) 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.
