On the eve of the start of the NHL playoffs, the manufacturer Hyundai announced that it will market the special NHL edition of its recently renewed Santa Fe mid-size SUV.
The initiative essentially involves the addition of personalized door sills and carpets bearing the name of the NHL team chosen by the buyer.
If the level of personalization is not that great, note that each of the 500 copies produced will also be delivered with an autographed jersey from Chicago Blackhawks star Connor Bedard. Hyundai also specifies that US$500 will be donated to the Chicago Blackhawks Foundation upon the sale of each of these Santa Fe reserved for the Canadian market.
This partnership is part of a long tradition of “co-branding” in automobiles. This strategy allows brands not naturally associated to mutually benefit from their attributes and thus raise their notoriety among a different audience through a product.
For those interested, these Santa Fe NHL editions retail for $56,998, or $3,500 more than the Calligraphy version on which they are based. However, they differ from this one in that they are only powered by a hybrid engine (231 hp) unlike the standard variant which uses a 2.5 L turbocharged four-cylinder (277 hp). The difference in fuel consumption between the two engines is still appreciable (6.9 L/100 km compared to 10.6 L/100 km).
The order book is now open at dealerships.