2008 Paris Auto Show: 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe Blue Hybrid

• A crossover SUV that gets 38 miles to the gallon
• Space, utility, hybrid fuel economy, and Hyundai pricing = grand slam
• Consider this: a hybrid drivetrain with a 10-year/100,000-mile warranty

• This is the first generation of this hybrid drivetrain -- maybe wait a year?
• U.S. arrival not yet guaranteed (but likely)
• Not an off-road crossover SUV

Ford Escape Hybrid, Saturn Vue Green Line Hybrid, Toyota Highlander Hybrid

It's hard to believe the Korean auto industry is a latecomer to the business when such vehicles as the Santa Fe Hybrid are presented to the market. The thinly disguised production version of the vehicle shown in Paris is powered by a 2.4-liter gasoline engine and an electric motor run by a lithium polymer battery pack. This powertrain, which Hyundai says will be fitted to all of its hybrids beginning with the Elantra sedan, delivers an average of 38 mpg.

Do we really need to tell you why a hybrid matters (fuel economy) or why it's important for a carmaker to offer a hybrid vehicle (Toyota Prius waiting list)? Of course not, but the Hyundai Santa Fe Blue Hybrid matters for a number of reasons, the main one being that it offers the possibility of getting 38 miles per gallon in a crossover SUV. So you can have it all with the Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid crossover -- space, utility and gas mileage.

With the exception of low-rolling-resistance tires, not much is done to the exterior of the Hyundai Santa Fe hybrid model to distinguish it from the standard Santa Fe. Inside, the differences are even fewer, but that's just fine considering that the Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid is a 7-passenger fuel-saver.

In a clean, fairly elegant hybrid application, the Hyundai Santa Fe Blue Hybrid couples Hyundai's 2.4-liter inline-4 gasoline engine to an electric motor with a lithium polymer battery setup. This system is mated directly to a six-speed automatic transmission.

Claims of 38 mpg in a crossover SUV? Count us in, especially since we know that the Hyundai Santa Fe is already a pretty good SUV to begin with. And one other thing we've seen Hyundai do in recent years is offering competitive vehicles at a more-than-competitive price. Most hybrid vehicles come at a bit of a premium, maybe Hyundai can break that pattern with the 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe Blue Hybrid.

By Richard Homan and Greg Brown Photo credit: Greg Brown