Next-gen Hyundai Santa Fe: Official photos!

Hyundai has released official images of the next-generation Santa Fe prototype. The new Santa Fe will be unveiled at the New York Auto Show to be held during April 2012.

Fluidic front

The new Santa Fe will adopt Hyundai’s ‘Storm Edge’ design concept which is based on the company’s fluidic sculpture. The SUV has Hyundai family hexagonal grille as seen in the Verna and the upcoming Sonata. The wider bumpers and front skid plate give the new Santa Fe, a sporty look. The headlamps of the upcoming Santa Fe are again, a typical Hyundai design. The day-time running lamps integrated with the fog lamps complete the front profile.

Dynamic side profile

The side profile of the Santa Fe reveals the aerodynamic crease lines, pronounced wheel arches and dual tone body color giving it a Sporty look. The steeply raked window beyond the B-pillar looks stylish but it is yet to be seen whether the production version will have the same styling.

Sporty rear

Hyundai has not yet revealed images of the new Santa Fe’s rear. However, based on the spy photos leaked in January 2012, we expect the rear to have a chunky bumper that is offset by a different color to the body. The LED tail lamps will slightly resemble the BMW X5. The tailgate structure is simple yet elegant. The roof spoiler and chrome tipped twin exhausts will give a sporty appeal to the new Santa Fe.

Engine and Performance

There are no details regarding the engine specifications of the upcoming Santa Fe. At present, the Santa Fe sold in India, is powered by the 2.2 litre CRDi diesel engine that makes 195 bhp of power and 420 Nm of torque. The engine is mated to a 6-speed manual or 6-speed automatic depending on the variant. The ARAI-certified mileage is 14.66 kmpl for the manual version and 11.72 kmpl for the automatic version. Also read: Hyundai launches Sante Fe automatic at Rs. 24.36 lakh

Expected launch

We expect the upcoming Santa Fe to be launched by 2012 end or in 2013. Till then, the present model which is priced between Rs. 21.4 lakh and Rs. 24.36 lakh will continue to sell in the Indian market.