New Hyundai Fluidic Santa Fe India launch, price and photos

Hyundai will likely launch the Fluidic Santa Fe in India in the first half of 2013 thereby updating the Santa Fe with its fluidic design language like the i10, Verna and Sonata.

Rumours about the new Santa Fe being launched in the first half of 2013, have been doing the rounds on the internet. However, CarToq spoke to a Hyundai official who stated that although the Fluidic Santa Fe is likely to eventually come to India post its international launch, if and when it will be launched here hasn’t been decided yet.

Hyundai Fluidic Santa Fe may be launched in 2013 — Photo: From the front the new Santa Fe looks butch and grown up compared to the present model

The Fluidic Santa Fe has to be launched in India as a part of Hyundai’s strategy to employ it fluidic design theme across its Indian portfolio. The new Santa Fe will have drastic changes in terms of design and will also get a new engine. Also read: New Hyundai Santa Fe spy photos

The new Santa Fe sports peripheral cladding, large wheel arches and a bold front grille that give it strong road presence. It is also 244 mm longer and has a 99 mm larger wheel base than the outgoing Santa Fe, giving it more interior space.

It is expected to be powered by a 2.2-litre diesel engine that puts out 221 Bhp of power and 500 Nm of torque making it more powerful than the current model which is powered y a 2.2-litre CRDi motor that puts out 195 Bhp of power and 420 Nm of torque. Other interesting features will include a Flex Steer system that lets the driver switch between normal, comfort or sport modes for the steering wheel. It will also get features like ESP, downhill brake control, vehicle stability management and hill assist.

Photo: In profile the new Santa Fe with its sharp lines and wide wheel arches looks mean

It will likely be offered in both two wheel drive and four wheel drive options along with manual and automatic transmission options. The new Santa Fe is offered in 5 and 7 seater options which are the short wheel base and long wheel base versions. Hyundai will most probably launch only the long wheel base version with seven seats in India.

In terms of price it will be more expensive than the present model which costs between Rs. 22.34 lakh – Rs. 25.37 lakh. The new Santa Fe will face stiff competition from the likes of Toyota Fortuner, Ford Endeavour etc.