The recently concluded 2018 Geneva Motor Show was a spectacle of automotive design and technology at its peak. Historically the Geneva Motor Show has been one of the most important events in the global car industry during the calendar year. The Geneva Motor Show represents a great opportunity for automobile enthusiasts to come and witness the latest in cutting-edge technology, futuristic designs etc. car brands across the world have to offer. This year the Geneva Motor Show was dominated by concept cars and electric vehicles along with the newly launched or updated models of conventional cars. South Korean major Hyundai also followed suit with concept cars and electric vehicles, however, they had an ace up their sleeve…they revealed the new 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe SUV.
The Hyundai Santa Fe is Hyundai’s range-topping model in its India line-up and has been around for quite some time now. Hyundai launched the Santa Fe with sights set on the premium SUV segment pitted against the likes of the Ford Endeavor, Toyota Fortuner etc. Off late, due to poor sales figures and excessive competition from the segment leaders Hyundai discontinued the Santa Fe in the Indian market. The recently launched 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe is not your ordinary facelift, it is a complete makeover! The new Santa Fe comes with an all-new refreshed and practical avatar. For starters Hyundai has taken the wise decision to do away with the crossover design, making the new Santa Fe look more SUV. The front of the vehicle houses a huge new grille, flanked are beautiful DRLs which are a combination of LED lights and chrome strips. When you first look at the DRLs you wonder where are the headlights gone? Or has Hyundai created a new Audi inspired headlamp design? Well, we shall solve this mystery for you…the headlamps, turn signal indicators, fog lamps are now moved down to where the conventional fog lamps are present. Hyundai calls this new 2-tiered headlights design ‘Composite Light’. The exterior of the is dominated by bold character lines and sharp edges at the same time giving the Santa Fe a more muscular look, the Sonata-inspired tail lights do duty on the new Santa Fe and they look awesome! As you enter the cabin you are welcomed by a spacious and premium interior. The large seats get a better feel and finish, the use of premium upholstery is quite evident in the cabin. There is a refreshed central console that now gets a floating infotainment screen that controls the media, navigation etc. The instrument cluster now gets a more modern design which changes basis the driving modes. The most exciting thing about the interior from an India perspective is the fact that the Santa Fe will now be available with an optional third row as well. The new Santa Fe also gets a bunch of new features and tech too, such as – automatic emergency braking, blind spot detection systems, rear cross-traffic warning systems, a sensor to detect and warn the driver about occupants in the rear seat. Another nice touch is a system which protects the passengers by not allowing the doors to open in the event of traffic, pedestrians or even cyclists approaching the vehicle from behind…now that would be an awesome feature to have on Indian roads, wouldn’t it?
The 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe will be offered with 3 engine options – a 2.4 L petrol producing 183 bhp, 2.0 L turbocharged petrol engine producing 230 bhp and a 2.2 L diesel engine having a maximum power output of 188 bhp. Hyundai has yet to confirm its plans for introducing the new Santa Fe in the Indian market, we do not expect it to happen anytime soon. With the premium segment gaining popularity and becoming one of the hottest segments in the Indian markets, Hyundai has a very strong product which would spice up the market giving the Indian customers more options to choose from and would also a great comeback to India.
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