South Korean auto maker Hyundai has been performing pretty well in India for the past few years. It is the second largest passenger car manufacturer of the country and has a considerable presence in all segments. Currently, it sells models like i10, i20, Grand i10, Verna and Elantra in India. Now, recent reports have emerged, which suggest that Hyundai is going to soon launch the next generation version of Santa Fe Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) in India in the first half of 2014. The South Korean auto maker has not been able to stamp its authority in the SUV segment, which is ruled by Toyota Fortuner. The previous generation version has been unable to make any significant impact in terms of giving competition to Toyota's utility vehicle.
This new version, now on sale in several international markets, was unveiled at 2012 New York Auto Show, where it received a lot of acclaim for its design. This model has managed to earn the praise of critics in markets where it has been introduced. Experts feel that this model has the potential to perform really well in India, considering changes expected to be made to exteriors. Hyundai is likely to make interiors of this car technologically more advanced in order to enhance overall package. According to sources, like the current version, new Santa Fe is going to be brought to India through the Completely Built Unit (CBU) route, something that will definitely have a say in its pricing.
In terms of engine configuration, sources are claiming that Hyundai might be giving the same powertrain options, which are offered in current Santa Fe. This means that next-generation Santa Fe would be equipped with the R 2.2-litre CRDi that would displace 2199 cc. The peak power produced by this engine would equal to 195 bhp apart from the 420 Nm of torque. The different transmission options in the next generation Santa Fe are expected to kept the same with 6-speed automatic and 6-speed manual. According to sources, the company would also be introducing the all-wheel drive variant of 2014 Santa Fe in both manual and automatic variants.
