Hyundai’s flagship combines it’s predecessor’s inherent
SUV capabilities with looks to match.
Does anyone associate
‘Korean’ with ‘cheap’? Not anymore. That title is mostly associated with
‘Made-in-China’ now. The tiny Asian country has moved out of the shadow of its
illustrious arch-rival, Japan, and is ready to be counted among the technology
movers and shakers of the world.
Of course, cars are a
different ball game. Because apart from the tech, you also gets into areas like
feel, heart, character and all those other bits that are intangible but still
very important. Balancing all that is tough, and it took the Europeans over
half a century to get there. But the Koreans are catching up fast. At least,
Hyundai is, thanks to its global approach to designing and building new cars.
The Santa Fe is a fine case
study. As most of us know, the badge isn’t new. Buying the old Santa Fe was not
an easy decision to make because there was always the lure of better-looking
European and Japanese varieties that were equally, if not more, capable. Plus,
there was that ever-present question of whether a Hyundai warrants a price tag
on the wrong side of $32,195.24.
Hyundai Santa Fe
The Santa Fe sold in limited
numbers in India. Thankfully, they were bringing it in only as a CBU. But
things have changed. Business has become tougher, and every model with sales
potential is now being brought to India, in a bid to increase market share and
make rivals more vulnerable. The new Santa Fe is one such salvo from Hyundai’s
ever-expanding arsenal of capable cars.
Compared to the model it
replaces, the new car is longer and marginally narrower. More noticeably,
overall height has been reduced without compromising on ground clearance. There
is no dearth of road presence here. The extension of the Fluidic design theme
has been used quite deftly on this reasonably large SUV. The front is totally
different now, with a wide hexagonal grille and prominent chrome slats. The
headlights are angular and arrow-like for a more focused and attention-seeking
face. The lower half gets a dual-tone anti-skid guard to firmly establish SUV
credentials. Large fog lamps housed in a bejeweled casing brings a bit of bling
to the party.
The front is totally different now, with a wide hexagonal
grille and prominent chrome slats.
The Santa Fe needs some
initial waking up before the gearbox goes up a couple of cogs, meets the torque
surge and attacks the horizon with a vengeance
The neat lines and smart
curves get carried over to the side as well. Typically, it has a high waistline
accentuated by a crease that emerges just after the front wheel arch and goes
all the way to the tail lamp. A similar line runs almost parallel to it at the
bottom to add some variety to the profile. The window area is a clever
extension of the earlier model, and tapers upwards towards the end. This gives
it a coupe look. The rear is more conventional, with horizontal wraparound tail
lamps to complement the headlights, and a crease that connects both to add to
the visual width.
The cabin has been designed
for both functionality and visual luxury. The new Santa Fe also comes with
three rows of seats. The first two are quite comfortable and roomy. The third
is best for children. But make sure you give them something to stay busy
because they won’t be able to see much outside, since the windowsills have
moved up by the time it reaches the rear.
