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Most Popular Car Models That Start With S

Most Popular Car Models That Start With S

Car lovers appreciate 4-wheeled vehicles in all shapes and forms, from the quaint and quirky to the sleek, sublime, and super-fast. We have gathered a collection of popular car models that start with S for all the car fans that can appreciate these vehicles from all eras.

Popular car models that start with S span manufacturers from across the world since the automobile’s inception. The types of cars that fall under the umbrella of this group range from little runabouts to stately, classy cars and even super cars built for the thrill of fast driving.

If you are a car fan and enjoy finding out about cars in general, you will appreciate the list of cars that we have put together. These car models have something for everyone, from the soccer mom to the street-racer.

Santa Fe – Hyundai

2020 Hyundai Santa Fe

A 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe on display.

The Santa Fe is a Sports Utility Vehicle, or SUV, from Korean car manufacturer Hyundai. It went into production in the year 2000 and proved to be a pivotal point in Hyundai’s history.

It is a mid-range SUV positioned between the smaller Hyundai Tucson and the larger Hyundai Veracruz. The Santa Fe was named after New Mexico city of the same name.

The SUV became such a popular vehicle in the US that it caused Hyundai to undergo a restructuring program to cater to this new market.

Hyundai produced two versions of the Santa Fe in 2012, a short-wheelbase and a long-wheelbase version.

The Santa Fe gained popularity as a suburban family vehicle in the US and performed well on highways and even with limited offroad capability with the 4 wheel drive version.

Sportage – Kia

Kia Sportage HEV

A Kia Sportage HEV displayed at the 2021 LA Auto Show.

The Sportage is a compact SUV produced by the South Korean auto-manufacturer, Kia, beginning as early as 1993.

The early models of this vehicle were built on the foundation of the Mazda E-series, or Mada Bongo, which was a mini-bus style vehicle. The chassis, transmission, and engine were all incorporated into the design and manufacture of the Sportage.

The Sportage has had a chequered history, being produced in 5-door SUV format, 3-door soft top, station wagon, and extended station wagon configurations in the mid-1990s.

The 1997 Kia Sportage model made automotive history by being the first production vehicle to incorporate knee-airbags.

The third-generation Sportage manufactured in 2010 received the accolade of the Top Safety Pick from the United States Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

The latest generations of the Sportage are stylish compact SUVs that remain popular in many worldwide locations.

Skyline – Nissan

The Skyline has a long history, pre-dating Nissan. It was initially a model sold by the Prince Motor Company in Japan in 1957. Nissan merged with the Prince Motor Company, and the Skyline was incorporated into the Nissan stable.

Since its inception, the Skyline has gone through many iterations, being available as a sedan, station wagon, coupe, and even as a delivery vehicle. However, it is the sedan and the coupe that the Skyline is most noted for.

The Skyline coupe and sedan gained popularity and notoriety by their incorporation into video games which were international hits. This led to the cars becoming popular for conversion into super-charged street-racer cars used for illegal road races.

Despite its popularity in the rest of the world, the Nissan Skyline R34 GT-R was deemed illegal in the United States because it was apparently not constructed to comply with safety feature legislation at the time. Conspiracy theorists believe it was rather due to the car’s potential to fuel the illegal street-racing culture at the time.

The Skyline was mostly produced as a rear-wheel-drive vehicle, but later models came out with all-wheel-drive as an option. In the USA, the Skyline was often imported under the name Infiniti.

Spider – Alfa Romeo

Italian car producer, Alfa Romeo, produced the Spider, which has become an iconic two-seater roadster that gained significant popularity among car enthusiasts.
Kit car manufacturers tried to capitalize on the popularity of the Spider by producing replica Spider models for those who could not obtain the genuine article.

The Spider began its history in 1966 and continued through four generations to 1994. The sporty look of the Spider quickly drew international acclaim in the motor industry and the motoring public alike.

The Spider did not have a particularly big motor or fast top speeds. Spider engines were 1300cc, 1600cc, 1750cc, and a maximum of 2000cc. The small body of the car allowed it to be agile and quick, but it was by no means a sports car.

Even though the Spider is no longer manufactured, decades after its discontinuation, this roadster still turns heads when it drives by.

Supra – Toyota

The Supra is a model produced by Japanese carmaker Toyota and grew from an ugly duckling into a sleek sports car.

The Supra was first produced in 1978 and went through four generations up to 2002. Toyota brought the Supra back in 2019 with the fifth and best generation of this iconic car.

The early versions of the Supra, particularly the second-generation A60, produced in 1981, became a sought-after model for conversion into a street racer.

The Supra began with a 2.0L inline-6 engine with roots from the acclaimed Toyota 2000GT and the body styling based on the Toyota Celica

The Supra is described as a lift-back coupe, which is a variation on a hatchback, but with a much more aggressively sloping angle of 45-degrees. This adds to the sportscar lines of the vehicle.

The latest 5th generation Supra is a beast that needs taming, reaching an electronically limited top speed of 155-Mph1

Superamerica – Ferrari

We go back to the Mediterranean with the Superameric produced by the famed Italian can manufacturer Ferrari.

The Superamerica was produced as the convertible version of the Ferrari 575M Maranello 2-seater grand tourer, manufactured in 2002. The Superamerica featured a retractable hardtop made from electrochromic glass.

The retractable roof swivels 180-degrees to lie flat over the car’s trunk while still allowing access to the inside of the trunk. The roof takes a full 60-seconds to retract into the folded position.

The engine is an impressive 5.7L which can launch the Superamerica to 62-Mph in 4.2-seconds, and attain a maximum speed of 202-Mph.

Conclusion
So far, we have only scratched the surface of popular car models that start with the letter S. The variety of designs, purposes, style, and innovation make an intriguing read for any gear-head that has an appreciation of cars, both historic and modern. Some of these cars were iconic, some notorious, and others simply great people carriers.