Update - We were unable to drive the Santa Fe today but we had an interesting chat with certain key members of the Hyundai India management. We shall post that instead tonight.
Click through for the full press release
Hyundai India has (finally) launched the much awaited Santa Fe SUV in India yesterday. Only two variants of the svelte SUV would be offered, a 4x2 variant which has been priced at Rs. 20.95 lakhs and a 4x4 variant at Rs.22.95 lakhs (prices ex-showroom New-Delhi).
The Hyundai Santa Fe comes with a 2.2 liter CRDi diesel engine which produces 197 bhp and is equipped with a six speed manual transmission. Even the 4x2 variant has been equipped well and comes with ESP, Cruise control and six airbags. The car comes in four colours- Phantom Black, Sleek Silver, Vanilla White and Steel Blue.
Indian Autos Blog covered the event yesterday and would be driving the Hyundai Santa Fe through the grueling deserts and hot Rajasthan roads later today. Stay tuned for a detailed report on the launch and detailed test drive report later today.
Press Release
Hyundai launches luxury SUV Santa Fe
-Globally acclaimed for Performance, Luxury and Class leading features-
New Delhi, October 14, 2010: Hyundai Motor India Limited, the country’s largest exporter and the second largest car manufacturer, today added one more product to its portfolio with the unveiling of its highly successful luxurious SUV - Santa Fe in India. With the introduction of the internationally acclaimed Santa Fe, which offers an unmatched combination of power and luxury supported by cutting-edge technology, Hyundai aims to grab a bigger share of the highly competitive SUV segment in the country.
In India, Santa Fe will be available with 2.2L CRDi engine – the most powerful and efficient engine in its class - that delivers a maximum power of 197PS/4000 rpm and an impressive torque of 42.9 kgm/1800~2500rpm – both highest in class. Available in six speed manual transmission, with an option of 2WD and 4WD, the high-tech engine incorporates a host of advanced technologies aimed at delivering an optimal balance of performance, excellent drivability on all terrains and a segment best fuel mileage of 14.66 kmpl (ARAI certified).
Speaking at the launch of the much awaited SUV, H W Park, MD & CEO, HMIL, said, “We are very proud to bring the Santa Fe to India. Globally, Santa Fe has already sold over 20 lakh units since its launch in June 2000 and we are confident that in India, Santa Fe will give us a competitive edge in the SUV segment and offer our customers the best in terms of luxury and performance. The launch today further reinstates our commitment to provide best in class quality and technology to our customers in India.”
In India Santa Fe will be imported as CBU (Completely Built Units) from South Korea.
INDUSTRY LEADING SAFETY TECHNOLOGY
Santa Fe underscores Hyundai’s leadership in standardizing the industry’s most effective safety technologies. It has been awarded a Five Star safety rating by NCAP (New Car Assessment Program) making it one of the safest SUVs to drive in. Santa Fe comes with a premium safety feature - ESP (Electronic Stability Program) which is one of the industry’s most effective life-saving technologies, that integrates the functions of EBD (Electronic Brake-force Distribution) system, ABS (Anti-lock Braking System) and TCS (Traction Control System) to ensure greater driving stability.
Another feature not seen in most of the other SUV in this segment is the six standard airbags including side and curtain Airbags for all three rows of available seating. The combination of side and curtain airbags help protect the head and body during side impacts, and keeps the passengers inside in the event of a rollover. The unique roll-over sensor monitor vehicular angle and can predict a rollover. The front-seat active head restraints help prevent whiplash by automatically reducing the space between a front occupant’s head and the head restraint during a rear collision. The silica tyres feature a silica-based rubber compound that provides outstanding grip on wet surfaces and reduced rolling resistance for improved fuel- efficiency.
MODERN, AERODYNAMIC DESIGN THAT’S DISTINCTIVELY HYUNDAI
With dramatic styling that is assertive, yet graceful, the Santa Fe’s exterior showcases the evolving face of the Hyundai brand. Its wide track provides a strong stance, sure footed handling and large interior room.
The Santa Fe has an assertive body-coloured front grille, rugged bumper design, confident sculptured lines and finely detailed head lamps. For a more aggressive appearance and impressive ground clearance, Santa Fe comes with 18-inch alloy wheels – the largest in class. Sleek styling makes the Santa Fe aerodynamic and standard roof rails help define its clean side profile, while adding to SUV functionality. The dynamic SUV image is further accentuated by aggressive features like twin exhausts, rear spoiler with high mounted stop lamp, high contrast rear combination lamps, heated outside mirrors with side repeaters and chrome accent door handles.
STYLISH, LUXURIOUS AND EFFICIENT INTERIOR PACKAGE
The Santa Fe is one of the most package-efficient SUVs in the market. The interiors feature an array of luxurious features and textures including leather upholstery to give the car an elegant feel and look. Designers have worked hard to make the Santa Fe ergonomically sound. The modern blue instrument lighting soothes the eye and provides vital vehicle information while the neat layout of the front fascia flows into the driver and passenger doors creating a dual-cockpit look.
With its spacious third row seat, the Santa Fe offers seven-passenger seating. The third row seat is split 50/50 and can be folded flat. The second row is 60/40-split. Total cargo space is generous with plenty of storage for items of different sizes. The flexible seating configuration is an added advantage on holiday trips and this feature significantly broadens Santa Fe’s appeal.
Much attention has been given to the air conditioning to create a relaxing and refreshed ambience of Santa Fe. The dual-zone climate controls for the driver and front seat passenger bring a touch of luxury to the Santa Fe. Second and third row passengers will enjoy a new level of comfort, thanks to B-pillar-mounted adjustable vents, dual rear heating ducts and third row independent blower controls.
Other thoughtful convenience features for the driver include driver’s side power window with anti-pinch system, steering wheel mounted audio control, leather wrapped gear knob, 10-way power adjust driver’s seat with lumbar support , electrically foldable outside mirrors and cruise control for ensuring fatigue free driving and organ type accelerator pedal that minimizes driver’s effort and prevents possible mishaps.
The In-Dash 6 CD changer Audio system is built into the dashboard adding convenience to the audio entertainment. Passengers will enjoy their audio experience all the more thanks to improved acoustic engineering resulting in reduced road, wind and engine noise. Other premium features include USB/ipod/AUX connectivity for unlimited music access, In-car cooler – a unit to keep beverages cool and make driving in summer a pleasure, cluster ionizer –an in-built system to improve air quality, multifunction sunvisors etc.
Demonstrating Hyundai’s attention to detail, the Santa Fe boasts of ingeniously created storage spaces highlighting the vehicle’s modern, integrated interior design. Front cup-holders with grip, utility tray in front central armrest, front door map pocket with bottle holder, dual sunglass holder, storage box with lid for third row, front seat back pockets, central arm rest with adjustable cup holders in the second row etc are all designed with soft-touch, high-quality materials and zero-tolerance fits are used throughout the interior to add more design harmony to the inside cabin.
Santa Fe will be available in an array of 4 exciting colours.
About Santa Fe
Named after the city of Santa Fe in New Mexico, Santa Fe made it global debut in the year 1999 at the Detroit Auto Show as the debut concept car “HCD – 4” (SM), thereafter the 1st generation Santa Fe was launched in the year 2000. Further in the year 2005 the 2nd generation Santa Fe was launched and it also picked up the ‘Best Recommended Car’ award in the same year. Other than this Santa Fe has won many accolades including the ‘Top Safety Pick’ award, ‘2008 Best Car’ award and the ‘Best Quality Car’ award for its uncompromising power and luxury. In the year 2009 the face-lift version of the 2nd generation Santa Fe was introduced to cater to the increasing demands across the world.
