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A new world-beating
engine, more equipment and a stylish new look – all at a lower price.
The 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe looks too good to be true.
But buyers looking
for a big, practical family car can stop pinching themselves, as Hyundai
has confirmed the amazing news that its 2010 Santa Fe will actually be
cheaper than the car it replaces, despite a raft of improvements.
The headline news
is the Santa Fe’s world-class new powertrain, offering an unrivalled
combination of performance and economy. It means that the Santa Fe is
now comparable on price and emissions with MPVs and estate cars, and
comfortably powers ahead of SUV rivals.
Much more than a
simple nip-and-tuck, the new Santa Fe also benefits from subtly enhanced
exterior styling and improved safety. Despite this, Hyundai has actually
managed to make the list price even more competitive – with obvious
benefits to private buyers and company car drivers alike.
At the heart of the
rejuvenated Santa Fe is a new 2.2-litre direct injection ‘R’ diesel
engine that demonstrates major improvements over the already-impressive
outgoing version. This new all-aluminium 2,199cc powerplant offers up a
class-leading 194bhp – more than the six-cylinder units offered in some
rival vehicles – backed by a mighty 311lb.ft of torque (322lb.ft when
specified with an automatic gearbox) which amounts to improvements of
26% and 27% respectively on the previous engine.
These huge strides
in power and efficiency give the Santa Fe an advantage over a wide range
of competitors. With the six-speed manual transmission fitted, the Santa
Fe can sprint to 62mph from rest in 9.8 seconds, giving it hot-hatch
like acceleration. Although ultimate performance is not usually top of
family 4x4 buyers’ priorities it is nice to know that it is the fastest
seven-seat SUV you can buy for under £35,000.
That doesn’t come
at the expense of economy however, as the combined cycle figure now
breaks the 40mpg barrier and emissions have fallen significantly to
176g/km, moving it down on the Vehicle Excise Duty to Band I. These
figures also put the Santa Fe ahead of the competition, with no
seven-seat SUV or MPV coming close to its combination of economy and
performance. In fact the Santa Fe can even beat the economy figures of
the entry level Vauxhall Zafira and diesel Ford Galaxy while producing
more torque than a Porsche 911!
These impressive
figures are helped by a number of clever engineering developments,
including the sophisticated six-speed manual and automatic gearboxes and
an alternator management system that disengages when not required in
order to save fuel. Drivers looking to maximise the efficiency benefits
are helped by the ‘Eco Drive Indicator’ on automatic versions to monitor
fuel efficiency, while manual versions have an optimum gear shift point
indicator built into the trip computer display.
Another advantage
of the new engine is an increased towing capacity, with a maximum braked
towing weight of 2,500kg, up 300kg on the outgoing model.
The new Santa Fe
proves that exceptional performance and a high specification need not
come at the expense of running costs or a sky-high purchase price.
Despite the improvements in equipment levels and drivability, prices are
actually lower compared with the outgoing model.
The entry-level
five-seat manual 2.2 CRDi Santa Fe Style starts at £21,495 (at the
higher 17.5% VAT rate).
Significant
improvements in economy and emissions have pulled back running costs for
the Santa Fe and service intervals have been doubled to 20,000 miles,
helping to slash maintenance bills. Company car drivers with P11Ds to
consider will find the lower price and CO2 levels reduces
their contribution further still, with the Santa Fe dropping from 29% to
26% tax rates – saving company car drivers hundreds in tax every year.
Indeed the Santa Fe is not just more efficient at tax avoidance than
other 4x4 rivals; it can also now be a real alternative to MPVs and
estate cars.
Residual values are
also expected to improve still further due to the enhanced specification
and lower prices, placing it amongst the best in class for retained
value. And of course, the Santa Fe enjoys the legendary five years
unlimited mileage warranty for the ultimate peace of mind.
On the road prices:
Santa Fe range
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Style
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|
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2.2 CRDi 5dr 5
seat |
£21,495 |
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2.2 CRDi 5dr 5
seat Auto |
£22,995 |
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2.2 CRDi 5dr 7
seat |
£22,245 |
|
2.2 CRDi 5dr 7
seat Auto |
£23,745 |
|
Premium |
|
|
2.2 CRDi 5dr 5
seat |
£23,245 |
|
2.2 CRDi 5dr 5
seat Auto |
£24,745 |
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2.2 CRDi 5dr 7
seat |
£23,995 |
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2.2 CRDi 7
seat Auto |
£25,495 |
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