Spec comparo: Hyundai Tucson Vs Hyundai Santa Fe

Hyundai has launched its third SUV for the Indian market and it’s a significant one this. The Tucson, as it has been called, is their second competitor for the D-segment and will slot in above the recently launched Elantra sedan. With a growing demand for SUVs/crossover body style, Hyundai has managed to gain first mover advantage by bringing an SUV in this price range. It is an alternate body style and works with Hyundai’s plans to have multiple offerings in every segment.  

With an SUV in place across the range, we just had to see how Hyundai’s newest offering stands up to its oldest offering. So here then is the Hyundai Tucson Vs the Santa Fe.  

Dimensions

Firstly, both cars embody similar design philosophies in terms of outward appearance and it’s a pretty much a case of the Santa Fe being a larger version of the Tucson. But where the latter has five seats, the former has seven and offers a proper AWD option.  

The Santa Fe being the elder sibling, of course, has an upper hand in the dimensions. It also seats seven as compared to five in the Tucson. The difference between the lengths of both the cars is 215mm and the wheelbase measures a difference of 300mm. When we compare the width and height, the difference doesn’t exceed more than 30mm. This simply implies how large the Tuscon really is and is almost as big its seven-seater sibling. The ground clearance measures 185mm and 172 mm for the Santa Fe and the Tucson respectively. It then is a personal choice of the buyer who has the kind of budget to spend on the Santa Fe but might lack the facilities to store or maintain such a large vehicle, a common issue among the urban buyer these days.   

Equipment

At this price range, both the cars get all the bells and whistles, both in features and safety. There are features like the brake assist, automatic climate control and adjustable seats in the Santa Fe. The rest of the features from the Santa Fe are almost present in the new Tucson. The dual airbags are standard on both the vehicles, so is ABS and EBD. There are features like ESP, engine immobiliser, central locking, child safety lock, cruise control, reverse parking camera and sensors, dual tone interiors, cooled glove box, power windows, six speakers, USB, AUX and CD player and projector headlamps in both the cars. 

Performance

The Santa Fe comes with a single engine option. There is a 2.2-litre diesel unit, which makes 194bhp, under the hood. It is mated to either a six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic. There is an option of all-wheel drive as well in the Santa Fe. Over to the newcomer, the new Tucson gets two engine options. A 2.0-litre diesel and a 2.0-litre petrol making 182bhp and 153bhp respectively. Both engines can be had with either a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed automatic gearbox, sending power only to the front wheels. 

Price

The pricing of the new Tucson makes it a unique proposition. It is priced between Rs 18.99 lakh and Rs 24.99 lakh (ex-showroom in Delhi). While the Santa Fe ranges between Rs 28.57 and Rs 31.99 lakh. So the Tuscon is comparatively more affordable than the Santa Fe yet provides the same level of features and equipment. The Tuscon has no direct rival in India as yet. This provides the Tuscon great benefit as there are much more things that shift the balance in its favour. So unless you want a seven-seater SUV, the Santa Fe makes sense, for everything else the new Tucson suffices.