John Krafcik, CEO of Hyundai Motor America, unveils the new Santa Fe at the New York Motor Show. /Courtesy of Hyundai Motor

The 2012 New York International Auto Show opened at the Jacob Javitz Convention Center on Wednesday, coming at an opportune time as the U.S. auto market shows signs of recovery.

Hyundai Motor grabbed the spotlight at the start of this year's show by unveiling the latest version of its popular Santa Fe SUV there before the model goes on sale in Korea on April 19.

Toyota introduced the latest model of its popular ES350 sedan, while Nissan rolled out its new Altima passenger car. GM unveiled a new Chevy Impala sedan, and luxury carmaker Mercedez-Benz rolled out its large GL-Class SUV, designed specifically with U.S. consumers in mind.