2018 Hyundai Santa Fe: What is new?

The 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe has received a major upgrade over its predecessor. After implementing its new Fluidic Design Language almost a decade ago, it seems Hyundai is now shifting to a new, modern, and better design concept which might be used in its other products as well. The new Santa Fe has been given the deserving upgrade. The only thing that does not gel with its overall appearance is its name; it never did. Anyway, let us find out what is new on the 2018 Santa Fe.

Exterior and looks

The last generation Santa Fe was big, not like the proper full-size SUVs such as the Audi Q7, or the Volvo XC90, but it still made its presence felt on the road. However, its immature design had too many subtleness to give it a really aggressive SUV-ish stance. Hyundai has rectified this aspect in the latest 2018 Santa Fe.

The front portion has been completely revamped to suit modern times. The new sleek headlights look spectacular. The grille has been redesigned too. It is no longer a boring hexagonal shape, but a striking-looking Y-shape. The bumper is new as well. And so are the fog lights. This combination is so much better than the previous model. It gives the new Santa Fe a mind-your-business kind of appearance.

Similarly, the side-look of the 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe pronounces the larger appearance of the vehicle. The wheel arches are nicely carved, the alloy wheels are big and stylish, and there is an elegant touch of chrome at the bottom of the doors. The rear end gets wider tail lights with a chrome slat across the boot lid joining them neatly, with Hyundai’s badge in the middle.

Interior and features

Hyundai has always provided good quality interior in its vehicles, of course, that matches the price tag. The 2018 Santa Fe is no exception. The use of materials is a mix of high and medium quality, but the overall feel and ambiance are very well done. There is a high-mounted touchscreen that is responsible for functions like navigation, entertainment, vehicle functions, check the security system, vehicle status, and maintenance reminders for customers smartphone linking, etc. It supports both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

The safety features in the 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe have been increased. There are frontal collision avoidance and frontal collision warning, lane departure assistance, lane departure warning and driver attention warning. There is also a rear occupant alert and rear cross traffic alert and assist to prevent collisions when going in reverse.

Engine and transmission

Hyundai provides different engine variants for different parts of the world. For our region, the 2018 Santa Fe will get powered by the same 2.2-litre CRDi diesel engine that we have already seen in the previous generation of Santa Fe. It produces 200 PS of max power at 3,800 rpm and generates 441 Nm of torque at 1,750 to 2,750 rpm. What Hyundai has added here is a new 8-speed automatic transmission and AWD. This should definitely bring more smiles to the customers.

There is also another engine option that we might get to see in our market - a 2.4-litre petrol engine. However, it will not feature the new 8-speed automatic gearbox, rather would get the old 6-speed automatic transmission. There are also rumors that suggest that chances are that Hyundai might introduce a 1.6-litre petrol engine, and perhaps, there might be a hybrid version coming sometime in the future.

The new 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe is definitely better than its outgoing model. After this new upgrade, the Santa Fe has stepped into its fourth generation. Hyundai has used clues from its Kona and implemented in the new Santa Fe, and everything seems to be working in full conjunction. Hyundai has successfully managed (yet again) to give just the right amount of modification to the old Santa Fe. It is going to give a good fight to its rivals, that is for sure. Chances are that if you get to know the new 2018 Santa Fe in flesh, you are going to get one for yourself.