Hyundai Motor Company today unveiled the design of its upcoming fourth-gen Santa Fe SUV. Just like the sea change seen between the overall design of the 2020 Hyundai Creta and its predecessor, the redesigned fourth-generation Santa Fe goes beyond a mere facelift.
At a glance
The New Santa Fe’s front section is defined by the wide grille extending the entire width of the vehicle. The clamped shape of the lower air intake extends the horizontal line to accentuating the vehicle’s wide and well-balanced stance. The grille, with its signature geometric patterned inlay, also integrates the headlamps, a signature style found on many Hyundai cars. The angular LED DRLs start at the top of the grille and cut through it to create unique T-shapes at each corner when lit.
Viewed from the side, the new Santa Fe is characterised by a seamless line connecting the DRL to the taillights, giving the car a sporty look. The 20-inch wheels and wide wheel arches give the Santa Fe a rugged and powerful character. The new Santa Fe’s redesigned taillights are connected across the rear hatch by a slim illuminated bar, complementing the horizontal design theme on the front and sides of the vehicle, expressed by the wide rear reflector and skid plate.
In the cabin
The new Santa Fe’s redesigned interior, finished in premium soft-touch materials, now provides more space, comfort, and convenience compared to its predecessor. The centre console sits high, giving the driver and front passenger the feeling of sitting in an armchair. In the middle of the redesigned centre console sits the gear shift buttons.
The new centre console’s layout also frees up space for more storage in the redesigned lower dashboard. The console also accommodates a new 10.25-inch touch screen display with pre-loaded maps, satellite-based voices guided navigation, rear camera display, and complete in-car entertainment and connectivity features.
For the first time, the new Santa Fe comes with a Terrain Mode selector: a control knob located in the centre console to conveniently switch between different drive modes, optimising performance and HTRAC All-Wheel-Drive (AWD) settings for a variety of terrains (Sand, Snow and Mud), as well as driving conditions – Eco, Sport, Comfort and Smart modes – the last of which automatically recognises the driving style and selects a mode so the driver does not have to.
“We modernized the New Santa Fe with premium features and appealing aesthetics that are sure to add value,” said SangYup Lee, Senior Vice President and head of Global Design Center. “The bold lines that extend from one side to the other and from front to back give it the rugged yet refined look SUV customers want. Besides, we’ve added numerous features and functions to create a truly family-focused SUV that is a pleasure to drive.”
Under the hood
The Santa Fe hasn’t been on sale in India since September 2017. At that time, it had a 2.2-litre petrol engine (194bhp and 420Nm) mated to a 6-speed manual, as well as a 2.2-litre diesel engine (194bhp and 436Nm) mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission, which could be had in both front-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive variants.
With regards to Europe, the new Santa Fe is the first Hyundai to go on sale with the new ‘Smartstream’ hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrain. An example of this does duty in Hyundai's sister brand Kia in the latest-gen Sorento. Here, the 1.6-litre inline-four turbo-petrol engine, making 178bhp and 265Nm, works in conjunction with a 59bhp electric motor plus a 1.49KWh battery pack for a total combined output of 237bhp and 350Nm. However, this is purely speculative, as Hyundai hasn't shared exact engine details as of now.
Lastly, there’s been no word so far from Hyundai of the Santa Fe coming to India. But if it does, it will go up against the likes of the Toyota Fortuner, Ford Endeavour and Skoda Kodiaq, and will be priced accordingly i.e. around the Rs 28 lakh to Rs 35 lakh bracket.