The totally redesigned body with its classier interior is likely to become a persuasive selling feature for the coming new fourth-generation Hyundai Santa Fe. All seven seats are now more accommodating of adult-sized people, and they’ll sit in a cabin that looks and feels as good as anything made by elite luxury car brands.
Chief interior designer of the fourth-gen Santa Fe, Haksoo Ha, says that the remake of one of New Zealand’s most popular SUV models was driven by a desire to widen its appeal.
“We wanted to create something that would pull in people who had never considered buying an SUV before.”
It helps to be a surfer to appreciate the ‘Endless Summer’ interior design theme of the new Santa Fe. Think of a perfect wave, breaking both left and right, and you’ll see it in the dual-cockpit design of the dashboard of the new Hyundai.
“The cockpits are pushed forward as far as we can take them, then the centre console is bought back,” says Ha.
Nature also inspired the cabin décor, with lead cabin trim and colour designer, Diana Kloster, choosing leather and trim choices that’ll recall a walk in the bush.
“We wanted to give an outdoor feeling to the cabin, with materials that are a range of soft and rough textures.
“Our customers live hectic lives with lots of screen time. We hope that they’ll enjoy a little holiday from that stress when driving the new Santa Fe.”
They’ll also enjoy more space. The fourth-generation SF is 70mm longer than the one it’ll replace, with most of the increase donated to a wheelbase extended by 65mm. This allows better access and egress to and from the third row seating, and the new exterior design includes 40 per cent larger rear-quarter windows, giving the third-row seats more natural light and allowing an expanded view out of them.
On the powertrain front, the adaptive 4wd Santa Fe will utilize the same 2.4litre direct-injection petrol and 2.2 turbo-diesel engines as before. However, their outputs will be processed more efficiently by a new 8-speed automatic gearbox. Hyundai is claiming a four per cent reduction in fuel use.
For more on the new Santa Fe, see our first drive feature in the March 7 edition of Driven.
