Hyundai is really making an SUV assault on the automotive landscape these days. It’s releasing three new SUVs by early next year and one was caught while testing in the California desert heat. Called the Portico, this will be the company’s medium offering. More of a crossover than an actual SUV, the Portico will round out Hyundai’s SUV lineup. It will be slotted between the Veracruz full-size SUV and the Santa Fe small SUV, price-wise.
The Portico will take advantage of its car platform to make the driving experience more like driving a sedan than an SUV. The spy shots show that the car will roll on lower-profile tires and sit quite low to the ground. Power will most likely from the company’s new V6 in a bid to position it slightly above the Santa Fe. Expect to see the same 3.3-liter V6 found in the Sonata as the base engine for the Portico. Hyundai’s larger 3.8-liter V6 will be offered on higher trim levels, probably bundled with an all-wheel drive system. Sales of the 2010 Hyundai Portico should start by the fall of 2009. We’re expecting it to probably be unveiled next summer.
The Portico should complete Hyundai’s SUV line-up.
ALL PHOTOS PROPERTY OF KGP PHOTOGRAPHY.
