This is the Hyundai Santa Cruz that will compete at 2023 Rebelle Rally

MANILA: Hyundai Motor America has unveiled the modifications and graphic wrap of the Santa Cruz that will be used by motoring journalists Kristin Shaw and Jill Ciminillo, also known as The Brute Squad, at the 8th Rebelle Rally.

The Rebelle Rally is an all-women, off-road navigational challenge in the deserts of California. The modified Hyundai Santa Cruz, which The Brute Squad named “Sandy,”  will compete in the X-Cross Class in a span of eight days.

Vibrant colors and decals were applied on the Rebelle Rally Santa Cruz, resulting in a retro aesthetic. The vehicle was also designed with a unique gradient sunset and bold mountain range in the foreground. The custom graphic wrap was made by Hyundai Design North America Senior Graphic Designer Matt Marble and Junior Exterior Designer Kellen Gustine.

“As an artist, I’m excited to present the new livery scheme design of the Rebelle Rally Hyundai Santa Cruz. We were inspired by the natural ruggedness of the desert and worked to capture its beauty along with the adventurous nature of mountain journeys in every hue and line of our design,” Marble said.

In terms of performance, Hyundai Motor America Model-line Engineer Eric Buxton and the Hyundai America Technical Center team only made minimal modifications on the Rebelle Rally Santa Cruz.

Among these modifications are custom front bumper and skid plate, larger 17-inch Falken Wildpeak A/T3W off-road tires, Rally Innovations front recovery mount with auxiliary lighting, roof-rack-mounted light bar attached to Hyundai Genuine Accessory cross bars, rear spare-tire mount with MaxTrax and shovel mounts, Truxxx lift kit, and Terratrip rally computer.

In compliance with the Rebelle Rally rule that prohibits Internet-enabled devices, the Santa Cruz’ antennas have been disconnected.

This will be the second time that The Brute Squad will be using the Hyundai Santa Cruz at the Rebelle Rally.

“We know that Santa Cruz is capable and rugged from our experiences at last year’s rally and through multiple training sessions. We’ve established strong teamwork and honed our skills, and every mile we travel gives us more experience and a better connection with the vehicle,” Shaw stated.

“This is an amazingly capable vehicle while managing to be comfortable at the same time. With the ever-changing weather conditions during Rebelle, we have the confidence to handle mud and sand as well as rocky terrain… We know there are seven 10-hour days ahead of us and we’re lucky to be in our Hyundai Santa Cruz, which has some of the most comfortable seats for long-distance drives. That, combined with the carefully curated modifications to our dear Sandy means we’re extra prepared for what’s to come this year,” Ciminillo added.

Photos from Hyundai Motor America

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