Hyundai first launched the Santa Fe in India in 2010 that couldn’t manage to attract buyers because of the stiff competition. Now, Hyundai has launched the all-new third generation Santa Fe in India at the 2014 Auto Expo. The 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe is priced at Rs. 26.3 lakhs, going up to Rs. 29.25 lakhs (ex-showroom, Delhi). The new Santa Fe gets treated with Hyundai’s new Fluidic design language that looks striking from all angles. The styling is a good leap over its predecessor and the overall stance is aggressive and butch. Front profile gets a huge grille along with angular headlamps and neat integration of fog lamps.
The new Hyundai Santa Fe’s side profile is curvy and swoopy, which doesn’t give a sense of a typical boxy SUV whatsoever. The rear is heavily inspired from premium German SUVs that boasts a masculine tail gate and classy tail lamp cluster. On the inside, the futuristic and premium design continues to pop your eyes. Tastefully done colour tones with premium chrome and silver accents give a sense of top notch quality. Then there are a host of features, which you naturally expect Hyundai to offer.
2014 Hyundai Santa Fe Prices (ex-showroom, Delhi) –
* Santa Fe 2WD MT – Rs. 26.30 lakhs
* Santa Fe 2WD AT – Rs. 27.15 lakhs
* Santa Fe 4WD AT – Rs. 29.25 lakhs
Powering the 2014 Santa Fe is the same 2.2-litre diesel engine under the hood, which produces a maximum power of 197 PS with 420 Nm of torque for the manual and 436 Nm for the auto. Both 6-speed manual and automatic transmission options are being offered and there is a choice between 2WD and AWD variants. This engine also gets an electronic Variable Geometry Turbocharger (eVGT) and Piezo injectors. The 7-seater SUV can do the 0-100 km/hr sprint in just 9.4 seconds.
The 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe is feature loaded. The vehicle gets daytime running lights, HID headlights, 6 airbags, 12-way adjustable driver seat, dual zone climate control, 18-inch diamond cut alloy wheels, etc. These features aren’t offered by everyone in the segment. The vehicle also gets 4-way lumbar support, 4.3-inch TFT touchscreen, ESP, brake assist, downhill brake control, hill start assist, rain sensing wipers, rear camera with parking sensors, etc. The Santa Fe gets a major uplift in the styling department thanks to the new Storm Edge design. Both the exteriors and interiors have been improved and look much more appealing.
The Hyundai Santa competes with the Toyota Fortuner, Mitsubishi Pajero Sport, SsangYong Rexton and Ford Endeavour in the Indian market. Hyundai is offering the Santa Fe in three variants and five colours. The company locally assembles the car via the CKD route at its Chennai facility. Finally the premium SUV segment gets a competent offering by Hyundai that can put up some serious heat amongst its rivals.
