Happenings

Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid Set To Land In September

BY Vivek Max R

Hyundai’s longest-running Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) receives more looks, features and SUV-ness.

With the words “Santa Fe” and ‘Hybrid’ spoken together in the same sentence, one could be forgiven for anticipating the imminent arrival of a UFO from New Mexico’s infamous neighbouring county of Roswell, piloted by a human-ET genetic experiment.

And when setting eyes for the first time upon the front-end of Hyundai’s latest offering, one could also be forgiven for thinking that this SUV was designed and built on another planet in a different solar system.

Taking the same handsome face from the new Hyundai Santa Fe, the futuristic SUV looks pretty much nothing else on the market currently.

That 2-piece headlight design splits the main headlight into the perimeter of the front grille, and the horizontal part of the Daytime Running Light (DRL) into another separate section which blends uniquely with the front fender, bonnet and bumper-top, making said DRL appear to run behind bodywork before re-emerging into the main headlight assembly in a T-shape.

The horizontal section of the DRL also doubles as a turn signal, crisply flashing amber when the indicator is activated and smartly reverting to white when cancelled.

Other notable design elements of the front-end include satin silver surrounds on the lower areas of the front grille and bumper, with vertical aerodynamic inlets cut into the corners.

Dimensionally, the 2021 Santa Fe Hybrid has grown by 15mm in length and 10mm in width. An additional 9mm of legroom is now available in the second-row, while the third-row sports an immense 40mm more. All thanks to clever platform modifications, despite the hybrid system’s battery pack being under the passenger seat.

Boot space increases to 130-litres with the third-row up, and 782-litres with it folded.

The interior sports soft Nappa leather with contrast stitching and premium soft-touch materials. Ambient lighting lifts the interior mood at night, while a panoramic sunroof, or what Hyundai call large daylight opening (DLO), allows natural light to pour into the cabin during daytime, all coming together to give the Santa Fe Hybrid’s interior a more upmarket look and feel.

The in-cabin wireless game kicks off with an 8-inch Display Audio system featuring Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, while inductive charging keeps one’s mobile phone topped off and ready to go. A full head-up display (HUD) comes standard so drivers can keep their eyes on the road more of the time.

The Santa Fe Hybrid sports a slew of advanced safety and driving assistance features, such as:
• Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist (FCA) with Junction Turning
• Lane Following Assist (LFA)
• Reverse Parking Collision-Avoidance Assist (PCA)
• Rear Cross-traffic Collision Assist (RCCA)
• Blind-spot View Monitor (BVM)
• Blind-spot Collision Warning (BCW)
• Blind-spot Collision-avoidance Assist (BCA)
• Safe Exit Assist (SEA)
• Rear Occupant Alert (ROA)
• Surround View Monitor (SVM)
making this SUV truly a safe ride for the family.

In addition to a new 1.6-litre turbocharged direct-injection petrol engine that Hyundai calls ‘Smartstream’, the Santa Fe Hybrid features a 44.2kW electric motor powered by a 1.49kW lithium-ion polymer battery, assisting the turbo engine to put down 230hp to the front wheels through a new 6-speed automatic gearbox.

Eco-conscious motorists will be pleased with Santa Fe Hybrid’s frugal 5.5-litres per 100km fuel consumption figure and 157g/km CO2 output. Register now at Komoco Motors’ website to book your test drive of the 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid.