Caring for its Passengers: The All-New Hyundai Santa Fe

Hyundai is setting a new benchmark in the SUV market with the launch of the All-new fourth-generation Santa Fe, offering customers outstanding design, innovative technology, and the latest safety features, while maintaining the popular model’s reputation for excellent value. Since the launch of its first generation in 2000, the Santa Fe has firmly established itself as a customer favorite, and an icon for the Hyundai brand. The fourth generation builds on that history while keeping a clear focus on the future,

The design of the fourth generation Santa Fe connects with Hyundai’s new SUV family look. It displays a modern and prestigious appearance complemented by the eye-catching Composite Light, a design comprising slim LED Daytime Running Lights (DRL) positioned on top of the LED headlights, and the signature Cascading Grille. The exterior design is characterised by a powerful wide stance and an athletic, bold look. Its refined lines reinforce the car’s status at the top of Hyundai’s SUV line-up.

A dynamic side view is enhanced by a sleek roof line, creating the impression of stability. The full-length character line running from the headlights to the taillights forms a fluid design and again adds stability and elegance. The rear creates a confident stance with a striking bumper design and unique tail lights. For a simple and clean rear lamp design, the upper rear lamp is comprised of LEDs, and indicator, reversing light and fog lights are integrated in the rear bumper.

The Santa Fe has a refined and ergonomic interior architecture, integrating high-technology components into what almost feels like a dual cockpit layout. For optimized visibility, the floating-type touchscreen is set high. A full head-up display (HUD) projects essential driving information on the windshield, allowing faster recognition while keeping the driver’s attention on the road ahead. The HUD supports driving safety by displaying information such as speed, navigation commands and fuel level, as well as alerts from active safety and driving assistance features.

Drivers and front passengers will enjoy the support of the electric extendable seat cushions, offering ten different positions. The All-New Santa Fe also increases comfort for passengers in the second and third rows, even for adults. In the second row, legroom is increased by 38 mm and the seat is 18 mm higher. The new one-touch walk into the third row eases passenger access to the rear-most seats, and headroom in the third row has been improved by 22 mm.

The stunning relationship between design and functionality combines high quality with enhanced visibility. The visibility to the rear is improved by the larger rear quarter glass (plus 41 per cent) and higher second- and third-row openness.

“The fourth generation Santa Fe sets a new standard for design and passenger comfort, offering appealing looks and a wide range of convenience features, all optimized to be simple and intuitive to use,” said Mike Song, Hyundai’s Head of Operations for Africa and the Middle East. “It takes those elements that have made previous generations so popular with customers, and enhances them to create the most advanced, and most spacious Santa Fe yet.”

The All-new Santa Fe offers customers advanced connectivity features to enhance seamless integration of the customer’s smartphone, with a choice of three systems. The optional 8-inch infotainment system integrates all navigation, media and connectivity features, supporting both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The Display Audio allows passengers to switch their smartphone’s content onto the system’s 7-inch display via Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The Standard Audio system with a 5-inch monochrome TFT screen features radio, Bluetooth connectivity, AUX-in and USB connection. Additionally, there is a central information screen located in the centre of the instrument cluster between the two dials, a new 7-inch TFT colour display. To ensure that occupants’ phones are always charged, the Santa Fe also provides a wireless inductive charging pad (QI standard) for mobile phones.

Protecting driver and passengers, the latest Hyundai SmartSense active safety and driving assistance features support safe driving. Features include Blind-Spot Collision Warning, Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist with pedestrian detection, Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist, Lane Keeping Assist, Rear Occupant Alert, Safety Exit Assist and Speed Limit Info Function. Around the interior of the Santa Fe a total of six airbags are installed: two front airbags, two side airbags, and two curtain airbags from first to second row.

“This is a best-in-class range of safety technology, that benefits from Hyundai’s advanced research and development programs,” said Mike Song. “The Hyundai Santa Fe sets the safety of you and your family as its highest priority. Our latest innovations care for passengers even when the car is stopped – such as the Rear Occupant Alert, which warns drivers that they may be leaving a child unattended in one of the rear seats, and Safety Exit Assist, which is designed to prevent children stepping out of the vehicle into the path of passing traffic.”

The All-New Santa Fe also benefits from superior rigidity through the application of high strength steel, high impact energy absorption and minimised distortion, to protect passengers in the event of a collision. The Santa Fe features more high-strength steel than any other Hyundai vehicle with 57 per cent – that is 15 per cent above the previous model.

Africa and Middle East versions of the All-new Santa Fe will receive a choice of 2.4-liter 4-cylinder or 3.5-liter V6 petrol engines, and a 2.2-liter turbo-diesel, depending on individual market.  These are matched to either six-speed or eight-speed automatic transmission. Optional next-generation HTRAC four-wheel drive technology features enhanced torque application, controlling the torque distribution and braking power of the front and rear wheels variably. The system provides optimum traction in a range of driving situations, including off-road and on loose surfaces, or in regular road conditions, and enhances stability in cornering.

Suspension and steering are engineered to improve responsiveness and vehicle stability, while also enhancing comfort and overall quietness. The suspension delivers a smoother ride by reducing the impact and vibration when driving on rough roads, and benefits from a longer travel length for more ride comfort. The optional self-levelizer controls the continuous ride height regardless of the vehicle loading.