It was only last year that Hyundai revealed the fourth-gen Santa Fe for the international markets and now the company’s Chinese subsidiary has revealed a larger iteration of the SUV.
In terms of the design, the SUV revealed in China retains a good portion of the International model’s styling, with elements such as the split headlights and wide cascading grille remaining more or less untouched. It’s only from the rear door onwards that the changes become more noticeable.
The window line no longer tapers upwards after the B-pillar, the blacked-out rear pillar lends a wrap-around look to the rear windscreen and the tail-lamps have seemingly been inspired from the new Hyundai Sonata. The tailgate itself is new, as is the rear bumper, giving the SUV a much more upright and boxy look from the rear. The China-specific SUV also features a longer wheelbase – up by 100mm – to create more space within the cabin to seat either six or seven, depending on the seating configuration. Overall length is up by 160mm.
Changes to the cabin include a new infotainment display, a new gear selector and some revised control surfaces on the centre console. The SUV also gets the addition of Hyundai’s biometric authentication technology, with a finger print sensor used to start the engine in place of a push button. Another interesting feature to talk about is an ultrasonic-sensor-based system that alerts the owner if a child or pet has been left behind in the car. The long-wheelbase Santa Fe is offered with two seating options – a six-seater, with captain seats for the middle row, and a seven-seater, with a bench seat in the middle row.
There are presently no details about the SUV’s engine line-up.
There is also no news if this model will be offered in markets outside of China.
For India, Hyundai is currently gearing up to launch the all-new Venue compact SUV by mid-May 2019, with the Tucson and the Elantra also set to receive facelifts in the coming months.
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