The questioner, an airport shuttle driver, had just spied the 2001 Hyundai Santa Fe parked outside the hotel's entrance. "That's a Hyundai?" He was favorably impressed. Even without an up-close-and-personal examination, he allowed as how he'd take a close look at the Santa Fe if he were in shopping mode.We were in Southern California, where automotive observation has achieved post-graduate degree status. On a lengthy drive the following day, everyday folk echoed the shuttle driver's reaction. From blue-haired teens to elderly blue hairs, the response was the same: "What's that?" "A Hyundai." Finnbar O'Neill, president and chief executive officer of Hyundai Motor America, said the Santa Fe recorded a "very high gawk factor" whenever he drove one on Los Angeles freeways. These initial reactions give hope for Hyundai officials as the company launches its first sport-utility in the world's toughest automotive market.Click here to read more