CarToq Sources: Hyundai India begins CKD assembly of the Santa Fe luxury SUV

Snapshot: CarToq sources close to Hyundai India have revealed that the CKD assembly of the Santa Fe luxury SUV has begun at the South Korean car maker’s Sriperumbudur factory, off Chennai. The CKD assembly of the Santa Fe is likely to result in a much more competitive price for the luxury SUV than that of the outgoing version, which incidentally was imported into India through the completely built unit (CBU) route.

The 3rd generation version of the Hyundai Santa Fe SUV has been spotted testing extensively in India. The Santa Fe’s launch will happen at the 2014 Indian Auto Expo at Greater Noida on the 6th of February 2014. The SUV will be launched with a solitary 2.2 liter turbo diesel engine that outputs 195 Bhp of peak power and 422 Nm of peak torque. Front wheel drive and all wheel drive variants of the Santa Fe are likely to be launched in India.

Click here to know more about the 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe 

The Santa Fe is likely to be sold with 6 speed manual and 6 speed automatic gearboxes, as is the case currently. The 3rd generation Sante Fe is larger than the outgoing model, and also comes with a completely revamped design, known as Storm Edge in Hyundaispeak. The Storm Edge design of the Santa Fe is a variation of the Fluidic design philosophy, whose curves have gotten sharper than before. Henceforth, all new Hyundai SUVs will feature the Storm Edge design.

This design philosophy is reflected in the 2014 Sante Fe’s interiors as well, the likes of which get a major revamp. The Hyundai Sante Fe is a monocoque bodied SUV that can seat 7 adults. The SUV will compete with the body-on-ladder frame SUVs such as the Toyota Fortuner, the Mitsubishi Pajero Sport and the upcoming Ford Endeavour. Click here to know more about the 2015 Ford Endeavour SUV.