Local pricing and specs for the 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe have been announced for the Australian market. It brings in a range of new technologies and a major refresh in design inside and out.
Hyundai Australia is offering three main model grades, spanning from the Active, Elite, to the top Highlander. These are offered with either a 2.4-litre petrol four-cylinder GDi unit producing 138kW and 241Nm, or a 2.2-litre turbo-diesel CRDi unit generating 147kW and 440Nm.
Both powertrains are paired with an automatic transmission, with six speeds for the petrol and eight speeds for the diesel, with all-wheel drive as standard. The 2.4 petrol offers an average fuel consumption of 9.3L/100km, while the diesel uses 7.5L/100km on the same test cycle.
As standard, all variants come with Smart Cruise Control with Stop and Go capability, with autonomous emergency braking, auto headlights, blind-spot warning, rear cross-traffic alert, a rear-view camera, and multi-zone climate control with rear temp adjustment. A minimum 7.0-inch touch-screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto is also standard.
Stepping up to the Elite gets you a leather upholstery, an 8.0-inch touch-screen system, Infinity audio, sat-nav, a power-adjustable set of front seats, auto wipers, and 18-inch alloy wheels (up from 17in on the Active). For added convenience there’s also a power tailgate and rear tinted windows.
Lastly, the Highlander comes with everything a modern family could need. Over and above the other two, the Highlander adds a panoramic glass roof, 19-inch alloy wheels, automatic parking functionality, heated front and rear seats, wireless phone charging, LED headlights and taillights, and head-up display.
As revealed earlier in the year, Hyundai has given the new Santa Fe a fresh new look that’s inspired by the design language applied to the Kona small SUV. At the front is the latest interpretation of the company’s ‘cascading grille’, with split headlights like on the Kona, while the rear showcases a sporty diffuser section at the bottom, with a pinched centre line that finishes off the main waistline of the body.
For Australian models, Hyundai has applied a unique suspension tune. Its chassis development team, along with ZF Sachs damper supplier, tested the new model locally to get it right for Aussie conditions. The team went through 27 different front and 22 rear suspension setups, Hyundai says, to find the right fit.
On top of this, the new model uses a more rigid body with tensile strength increased by 14.3 per cent over the predecessor. Torsional stiffness is also increased, by 15.4 per cent. This is, in part, thanks to the use of more high-strength steel, 15 per cent more, to be precise. It’s all suspended by a MacPherson strut front and multi-link rear arrangement, which should provide dynamic driving capabilities.
The new Hyundai Santa Fe is on sale now from the following prices (excluding on-road costs). All models are covered by a lifetime servicing plan, with service prices capped for peace of mind. Pricing for scheduled services are listed below.
2019 Hyundai Santa Fe Active 2.4GDi – $43,000
2019 Hyundai Santa Fe Active 2.2CRDi – $46,000
2019 Hyundai Santa Fe Elite 2.2CRDi – $54,000
2019 Hyundai Santa Fe Highlander 2.2CRDi – $60,500
