Are you ready for Santa Fe?

1 May 2006
Immediate Release

Are you ready for Santa Fe?

You thought Tucson was something, now look at Santa Fe.

The sophisticated new mid-size SUV grows Hyundai’s dominance in SUV vehicles beyond the soft-roader Tucson of which New Zealanders simply cannot get enough of.

The smooth but tough newcomer goes on sale in New Zealand on 1st May and Hyundai describes it as a very important and exciting addition to its range.

It’s not hard to see why. This Santa Fe, in five separate models seating up to seven people, quickly will become a must-drive for Kiwis in the crossover market for adventuring on or off-road, or carrying a busy family around town.

Santa Fe now leads the segment with sophistication from standard safety technologies, all-new unibody SUV platform and bold new styling, to a choice of fuel-efficient turbo diesel or V6 petrol powertrains.

Plus Hyundai's seven seat variants also have a third-row of seating that conveniently folds flat into the floor.

“This new-generation Santa Fe puts it all together and delivers in every area,” comments the Managing Director of Hyundai Automotive NZ, Philip Eustace.

“Here’s the latest SUV with advanced safety features, style, performance, economy, comfort and luxury … wrapped up in a package of agility and strength.

“And talk about safety. As well as an advanced Electronic Stability Program, there are six airbags standard plus driver and front-passenger active head restraints, and front seatbelt load limiters and dual pretensioners.

“The power plants include either Hyundai’s economical 2.2-litre turbocharged diesel engine or Hyundai’s 2.7-litre V6 petrol engine.

The Santa Fe is available in five variants including five and seven-seat options in diesel and petrol, from $45,490 to $54,990.

The new Santa Fe with its attractive, sweeping curves is 175mm longer, 45mm wider, and 65mm higher and with a wheelbase of 2.7m, 80mm longer than its predecessor. That’s where the space comes from for its third row of seats.

It features front and rear foglights, alloy wheels, dual exhausts and, on Elite variants, a sleek rear spoiler.

Interior Style

Inside, the Santa Fe is spacious and modern with the full complement of features for driver and passenger comfort.

There is a choice of either five or seven-seat variants, as well as either full leather or cloth seats, plus electrically or manually adjustable driver and front passenger seats including electrically or manually adjustable driver lumbar support.

In Elite variants there’s dual-zone climate control air-conditioning including an Air Quality Control System (AQS) with interior pollen filter. The third row of seating in seven seat variants receives its own manual air-conditioning.

When all seven seats are not required, the third row cleverly folds flat into the floor, and the second row of seating also folds flat to provide ample storage space when required.

All models feature a foot-controlled parking brake and an electric chromic rear-view mirror that automatically dims at night to avoid headlight glare and includes a digital compass.

The Santa Fe puts everything at your fingertips, providing a trip computer plus steering wheel mounted cruise controls and audio controls with seek-and-skip functions.

Diesel or Petrol

Both performance and economy are delivered with responsiveness and power by the optional powerplants in this Santa Fe.

The 2.2-litre diesel engine delivers 110 kW of power at 4000 rpm, and 335 Nm of torque at 1800 – 2500 rpm.

The high-tech 2.7-litre V6 petrol engine produces 138 kW of power at 6000 rpm, and 248 Nm of torque at 4000 rpm.

Cutting-edge technology includes high-pressure common rail direct injection and a Variable Geometry Turbo in the diesel engine.

The V6 petrol engine features Continuously Variable Valve Timing (CVVT), which delivers dynamic and robust power at high rpm, and increased torque at low rpm, whilst also contributing to improved vehicle emissions and fuel economy.

The petrol engine is matched with a 4-speed automatic transmission, and the diesel engine with a 5-speed automatic transmission.

Both feature sports shift, as well as the HIVEC computerised adaptive logic system, which recognises driving tendencies and will adjust automatic gear shifting sequences accordingly.

Sporty handling is provided by MacPherson strut front suspension and multi-link rear suspension. Add to this front and rear hydraulic double-acting shock absorbers and anti-roll stabiliser bars, and you have a vehicle that New Zealanders will enjoy putting through its paces.

Safety

As New Zealanders now expect from Hyundai, the new Santa Fe is one of the safest vehicles in its class, with a list of clever safety features.

The advanced electronic ‘torque on demand’ 4WD system is an example. It uses sensors to monitor driving conditions. In non-demanding conditions it allocates nearly all of the available torque to the front wheels – effectively running in 2WD and thus providing fuel efficiency gains. As road conditions or torque demand changes, it automatically distributes up to 50% of the available torque to the rear wheels as required. In particularly demanding conditions, a 4WD lock button lets you manually ‘lock’ 4WD for a 50/50 torque split, which remains activated at speeds less than 40kph.

In addition it has an advanced Electronic Stability Program (ESP) as well as Electronic Brake-Force Distribution (EBD), which applies the optimum pressure to individual brakes in emergency braking situations. The Santa Fe also features the Brake Assist (BAS) system. This applies maximum force to the brakes during emergency stopping situations. These braking technologies are standard on all model variants and work in harmony with ABS for superior safety.

Passenger safety is further enhanced in the event of a frontal or side impact with six airbags: dual front, dual side and dual (front to rear) roof-curtain airbags. Also featured are driver and front passenger active head restraints, as well as seatbelt load limiters and dual pretensioners for front seat passengers. The SUV provides 3-point lap diagonal (ELR) seatbelts for all passengers, and height adjustable front seatbelts.

The Santa Fe’s Electronic Stability Program (ESP), an advanced standard safety feature, helps you remain in control of your vehicle during critical situations to avoid serious accidents. It works by comparing the driver’s intention with the momentary vehicle behaviour, and controls the Antilock Braking (ABS) and Traction Control Systems (TCS) accordingly, to initiate the appropriate corrective action by selectively braking individual wheels and controlling engine power. This stabilises the vehicle and keeps it on track.

Furthermore, like every other new Hyundai in New Zealand, Santa Fe is equipped with its own safety pack - a fire extinguisher, reflective safety vest and first aid kit.

Pricing

Santa Fe 2.7 V6 A4 5S $45,490
Santa Fe 2.2 CRDi A5 5S $47,990
Santa Fe 2.2 CRDi A5 7S $49,990
Santa Fe 2.7 V6 Elite A4 7S $52,490
Santa Fe 2.2 CRDi Elite A5 7S $54,990

ENDS

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