SANTA FE MAKES EUROPEAN DEBUT AT GENEVA

Hyundai’s muscular new Santa Fe four-wheel drive made its European debut this week at the Geneva Motor Show.

Set to go on sale here in the last quarter of 2000, the Santa Fe is the first four-wheel drive Hyundai to be sold in the UK.

The Santa Fe is wider and longer than the Land Rover Freelander, and will offer the refinement and presence of a Grand Cherokee, but with a considerably cheaper price tag.

The Santa Fe will feature permanent four-wheel drive and will be available with a choice of an all-new 2.4 litre or 2.7 V6 engine generating 150 and 170 bhp respectively. A 2.0 litre 115bhp direct injection turbo-charged common-rail diesel engine is expected early in 2001.

The 2.4 petrol and diesel engines will be matched to a manual gearbox, while the 2.7 litre engine will be mated to an automatic gearbox. Developed in conjunction with Porsche and called H-tronic this gearbox offers the driver both a manual and automatic gearbox option in one.

Prices should start at around the same level as the Sonata. Levels of standard specification will be high with all models likely to get ABS with Electronic Brake Distribution, twin airbags, air conditioning, electric windows, mirrors and sunroof, central locking and an immobiliser.

In addition the V6 is likely to receive climate control, leather upholstery, electric seats and side airbags as standard.

Designed in Hyundai’s California design studio at a cost of $230 million the Santa Fe will be built at Hyundai’s Ulsan plant in Korea, which is looking to produce 100,000 cars a year.

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