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Hyundai was expected to launch the facelifted Santa Fe in the Indian market in the first half of 2013. However the launch has now been postponed indefinitely and could take place as late as next year. Hyundai had recently started testing the updated Santa Fe in India but the vehicle was turning out to be too expensive and has thus been delayed. The recent hike in duties for SUVs has resulted in increase in prices and has affected Hyundai’s flagship product as well. The Korean automaker sold just 66 units of the Santa Fe in India last month.
The 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe gets the company’s fluidic styling which boosts the exterior appeal by several notches. The vehicle has been updated on the inside as well with interiors which can shame more expensive SUVs from the German brigade. Hyundai has left no stone unturned and has given the new Santa Fe a host of safety features, including vehicle stability management, hill assist control and downhill brake control. The new Hyundai Santa Fe outranked the new Range Rover in terms of safety (for large 4×4 vehicles), as per EuroNCAP ratings.
Powering the Hyundai Santa Fe is a new 2.2-litre R diesel powerplant which generates 200 PS of power and 431 Nm of torque. This motor channels power to the rear wheels (2WD) and all-wheels (4WD), with 100 km/hr taking only 9.4 seconds from standstill. This torquey engine is mated to both manual and automatic boxes and Hyundai is expected to offer a range of variants when it finally decides to bring the updated SUV to our shores. Hyundai, India’s largest exporter, will locally assemble the Santa Fe in India to keep costs in check.
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