Hyundai Santa Fe.
Hyundai has just unveiled the latest Santa Fe.
The Korean carmaker’s new SUV is the first Hyundai in Europe with the manufacturer’s all-new third-generation platform. Hyundai says it will offer improved performance, efficiency and safety.
The Santa Fe, which has been around for 20 years, is Hyundai’s longest-running SUV. It has been sold in Europe since 2001.
NEW DESIGN
The Hyundai Santa Fe’s front end is defined by its wide grille, which the carmaker says has an “accentuated 3D pattern”.
Vertical air inlets, T-shaped LED Daytime Running Lights and a skid plate add to the SUV’s presence.
The wheel arch claddings are wider, and the wheel designs include a 20-inch option. To reinforce the Hyundai Santa Fe’s width, the rear end features stretched graphics and a red reflector band that connects the tail-lights.
New Hyundai Santa Fe features a 12.3-inch instrument cluster, shift-by-wire transmission and a Terrain Mode selector.
IMPROVED INTERIOR
The new Santa Fe is more spacious than the previous one. Hyundai says the cabin also provides more comfort and convenience than before.
To enhance refinement, Hyundai says that every component is finished in soft-touch materials.
The dashboard is now lower, the centre console has been redesigned and the analogue instrument cluster is replaced by a 12.3-inch digital one. There is also a new 10.25-inch AVN touchscreen.
The traditional gearshift lever has been replaced by a shift-by-wire system featuring large buttons. And for the first time, the Hyundai Santa Fe has a Terrain Mode selector.
ELECTRIFIED POWERTRAINS
No details have been revealed yet, but the new Hyundai Santa Fe will be available with the “Smartstream” hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrains. This is the first time that the Santa Fe will be powered by such drivetrains.
More information on the new powertrain lineup will be released later.
NEW PLATFORM
As mentioned earlier, the Hyundai Santa Fe is built on the third-generation Hyundai vehicle platform.
Vehicle stability has been enhanced by lowering the position of heavy components within the platform to lower the centre of gravity. Aerodynamics have been optimised to help improve fuel economy.
The new platform also improves airflow through the engine bay, allowing heat to dissipate and enhancing the stability of the lower part of the car. To enhance handling, the fixed points for the steering arms have been positioned closer to the middle of the front wheels, allowing for more agile handling.
Meanwhile, noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) are reduced through reinforced sound-absorbing systems in vibration-sensitive parts.
SAFETY
The new Hyundai Santa Fe’s platform uses a multi-load path structure, hot stamping and the integration of a super high-tensile steel plate.
These components help the SUV better absorb impacts in a collision, while also minimising the deformation of passenger space.
AVAILABILITY
Official Hyundai agent Komoco Motors doesn’t have an ETA on the Santa Fe’s arrival in Singapore, but Torque anticipates that it will reach our shores by year-end.
Read our review of the Hyundai Santa Fe 2.2D here!
Or click here to read about how the Hyundai Santa Fe was the first car to be driven across Antarctica
Check out Hyundai’s local model lineup here
