The Hyundai Santa Fe has been a popular seller abroad and now for 2018, the car has just received an all-new avatar. The new car looks a lot more aggressive thanks to the wide stance and athletic bold look and we admit we like it. LED is standard too.
The new car is bigger than the outgoing model and will seat seven passengers in better comfort now. Second-row legroom is up 38mm and the seats are 18mm higher. A new one-touch slide and fold system on the second row makes access to the rearmost seats easier, while there’s also 22mm extra headroom back there. It’s also lighter than before, but stronger. It has the biggest percentage of high-strength steel which is made in-house, not supplied, of any Hyundai, at a claimed 57 per cent.
Interiors were always a Santa Fe strong point and have been now given a major redesign. The centre 8.0-inch touchscreen has Apple CarPlay/Android Auto and 3D satellite navigation. Top variants also get a new head-up display unit with class-leading luminance. You also get a Qi-standard wireless smart-phone charger.
Powering the Santa Fe is a 2.2 litre diesel with 195bhp and 436Nm of torque. Also available is a 2.4 litre petrol along with the 2.0 litre diesel that also powered the Indian Santa Fe. AWD will be available along with a new 8-speed torque converter automatic.
Hyundai discontinued the Santa Fe in India last year due to slow sales which was further amplified by the ups and down in GST cess on SUV’s. However, knowing India’s affinity towards SUV’s we’re sure Hyundai will bring the new Santa Fe down. The new car with its fantastic new looks along with a barrage of new technology should put up a strong fight against competitors like the Toyota Fortuner, Ford Endeavour and the upcoming new Honda CR-V.
