Hyundai US has announced minor updates to the chassis, steering as well as suspension and a longer equipment list on the Santa Fe lineup for the 2015 model year.
Hyundai has updated its flagship crossover Santa Fe in the US with a host of upgrades for model year 2015. Available in two versions, Santa Fe Sport and Santa Fe Long Wheelbase (LWB), the 2015 model gets tweaks to the mechanicals and an updated equipment list, while the pricing has also been revised on all the variants. Starting with the mechanical changes, the 2015 Santa Fe gets a new 32-bit microprocessor for the electric power steering that is said to be more responsive. In addition, the automaker has re-tuned the front wheel bushings and the rear suspension has been revised with tweaked geometry and bushings for lateral stiffness.
Coming to the equipment list, the 2015 Hyundai Santa Fe comes with new standard features including daytime running lights, driver’s blind spot assist and an auto front passenger power window. A major addition is the optional Hands-Free Smart Liftgate system with Auto Open. The 2015 Santa Fe also comes in two new colours namely Sparkling Silver and Platinum Graphite available on the palette. The crossover continues to be offered in 5, 6 and 7 seater options.
In terms of powertrain, the 2015 Santa Fe continues to draw power from the 2.4-litre 4-cylinder petrol engine and 2.0-litre turbo petrol motor that produces 190 HP and 264 HP of power respectively on the Sport model. The Santa Fe LWB on the other hand uses the 3.3-litre V6 engine producing 290 HP of power. All engines are paired to a 6-speed automatic transmission as standard. The 2015 Santa Fe has seen a price hike of $200 and now starts at a base price of $25,825 (Rs. 15.79 lakhs) including destination charge for the Sport variant, and goes up to $35,125 (Rs. 21.47 lakhs) for the top-of-the-line LWB edition.
Hyundai will extend the changes to the India spec Santa Fe by the end of 2015 or by early 2016. The Indian model will continue to draw power from the 2.2-litre 4-cylinder diesel engine producing 197 PS of power and 436 Nm of torque, paired to a 6-speed manual and automatic transmission options with power being sent to either front wheels or all four wheels via the AWD system.
