Major Korean brand launches improved largish, stylish seven-seater sports ute with impressive new diesel engine and ... er, sorry. You've heard this one before?
Quite right. It was just a couple of weeks ago. Only then, the central character was the Kia Sorento. Now it's Hyundai's turn to tout the share-ware with the latest Santa Fe.
Common drivetrains - with identical outputs and economy - and platforms mean these SUVs are the same kimchi, served a different way (Hyundai's being slightly shorter in length, wider and taller).
To be fair, Hyundai has been serving this speciality dish for a while. The Santa Fe for 2010 is a light update of the model that's been on sale here since 2007, with a 2.2-litre four-cylinder diesel engine and a five-stage auto.
This version gets a new engine - still 2.2 litres - which is 27% more powerful. And, it's now married to a six-speed auto, the brand's best gearbox, which contributes to it being more economical as well.
Impressions gained on the Sorento launch were reinforced by driving the Santa Fe across a beach and through a farm in the south Waikato. Smooth and powerful engine, slick-shifting transmission. Good driving position, tidy dynamics.
So, you're thinking, it's just a matter of deciding who'll give you the better deal? That might not help Hyundai. There's one fewer diesel variant, with a purely four-wheel-drive and auto focus, and they cost $2000-$3000 more. Mind you, unlike Kia, Hyundai still sees opportunity for petrol,
hence a 2.4-litre five-seater and a front-drive 2.7-litre V6 in the Santa Fe line.
Visual alterations are modest, but there's now a proximity key with a push-button start and, on the Elite, a reversing camera. On the safety side, there's now a rollover sensor, which triggers the side airbags, and seatbelt pre-tensioners.
Next year will see Hyundai on a real product roll. A 2.0-litre R-Series engine features in the Tucson replacement, the iX35, here from February.
Also on the roster is a new Getz (i20) and a big and small Sonata, respectively the i50 (based on the next US market Sonata) and a more compact `Euro' i40, in sedan and wagon form.
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