India bound 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe launched in China

Hyundai has launched the India bound 2013 Santa Fe in China. Based on the Korean Automaker’s ‘Storm Edge’ design concept (interpreted from the fluidic design philosophy), this seven seater SUV (yes it can seat two more people now) has undergone a major transformation both inside and outside.

Unveiled at the New York Auto Show in April the SUV now gets the fluidic design – this means sculpted lines, an entirely revised front and back end, revised design for the alloy wheels as well as a lower roof line at both ends. This has given the Santa Fe a much more modern look and should give it a chance to achieve success in our market.

The sides too have changed, due to the fluidic design, and now feature a much smaller glass between the C and the D pillar. In terms of dimensions, the 2013 Santa Fe has a nine centimetre longer wheelbase is one centimetre taller and is be 0.5 centimetres wider than the current five door model sold here.

The interiors have also embraced the fluidic design and due to the increased proportions, the rear legroom has gone up. The revised features list includes a GPS, leather seats, sunroof as well as a start-stop system for the engine.  

The Chinese variant will be offered with two petrol engines; a 2.0-litre and a 2.4-litre producing 189bhp and 245bhp respectively. The Indian variant will continue with the 2.2-litre diesel engine which produces 194bhp and 436Nm of torque. The AT/MT options as well as the two-wheel and four-wheel drive options are all expected to remain the same.

The current Indian Santa Fe base model retails for Rs 22.69 lakh while the top-end four-wheel drive AT variant is priced at Rs 25.76 lakh. We can expect that Hyundai will launch the SUV for the Indian market by the middle of next year with a slight increase in price.