So many questions, so many answers...
I hope I don't lose you in my responses.
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1. when did production of the santa fe start?
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A bit of History...
The Santa Fe was first talked (officially) about by Hyundai back in
Jan 1998, but was actually being designed in 1997 by the Design Studio in California. It was officially shown at the North American Auto Show in Detroit in
Jan, 1999 as a concept vehicle. In
June 99, Hyundai decided to apply the name to the actual production vehicle, and it premiered on
Feb 9, 2000 in Colorado. Actual Korean production started in August 2000 and overseas production in Sept 2000.
406 vehicles were sold in Sept 2000.
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2. whats the horsepower/torque at the wheels?
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for the 4 cyl its 156 pounds of torque and for the V6 its 177 pounds of torque.
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3. is the all wheel drive system always split 60/40, or is it wheel power on-demand?
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First a bit of info..
This
page explains the different systems of four wheel drive systems, as well as this
page.
Now, the 2.7 (mechanical "AWD" system) older model and the newer variable AWD system on the 3.5's are quite different.
The mechanical system is an innovative use of existing techology and is a true permanent 4WD drive system, just like the Audi Quattro is, but with a different execution. It combines the center differential and front differential into a single unit, called appropriately enough, the Double Differential Unit (which was designed by Daimler-Steyr-Puch of Graz Austria). The compact Double Differential Unit serves as both the front differential and the centre differential and is located inside the four-speed automatic transaxle housing. The unique DDU uses two planetary gear sets one for the left side and one for the right side to deliver torque from the engine to the wheels. Power is delivered to the rear wheels via both a viscous coupling and helical drive gear. In normal on-street situations, the power is delivered to the wheels by the helical gear. The viscous coupling action is bypassed.
Handling the limited slip function between front and rear axles is a well proven viscous coupling. The viscous coupling consists of a series of parallel plates riding in thixatropic silicone fluid. A thixatropic fluid is one in which heat causes a reaction. Both are contained in a small welded housing. When all four wheels have similar traction (they are spinning at the same speed) the plates rotate at the same speed and the viscous coupling has no effect. However, in low-traction situations, such as if one wheel loses traction and starts to spin faster than the other wheels, the coupling locks the front and rear wheels together, channelling more torque to the end of the vehicle (front or rear) with the most traction.
Now, the advertised torque split of the mechanical system is 60:40 all the time (or so they say), front biased. Being a full time system, this can momentarily vary as when cornering, and provides predictable handling and good stability. It takes a bit of extra power and mpg's to run it.
When analysing the Double Differential Unit, the torque flow paths within are a little convoluted, but it is a novel, compact solution to providing permanent 4WD. Probably why it was awarded patent number 6,001,043.
Technically the Interactive Torque management II system on the newer Santa Fes' (the ITM-1 was introduced on the Acura MDX) by Borg Warner is classified as an on-demand type of system and is used on the 3.5 later models. Normally in an on-demand system there is a primary axle--either front or rear--and a secondary axle which is powered if and only if the primary loses traction (ie, spins). In reality, Borg Warner seems to have done an execllent job of designing the ITM-2 system. For example the torque is sent rearward with greater than 4/3 throttle during acceraltion. It factors in throttle, steering angle, wheel speeds and even what gear the trans is in.
While the vehicle is not the most practical vehicle to go off-roading in, it's practical where it counts. Hyundai really has outdone themselves with the Santa Fe. Not even vehicles that cost hundreds or thousands more are made or engineered as good.
TS out