Hyundai Santa Fe

Hyundai’s Santa Fe crossover continues to win critical acclaim and new customers seeking a stylish, roomy, fuel efficient crossover. For 2009, the Santa Fe adds the convenience of Hyundai’s USB/iPod® auxiliary inputs, realigns option packages to better match consumer desires and adds new exterior colors. 

Hyundai Santa Fe: With a roomy, well-crafted interior, optional third-row seat and the 2009 Santa Fe continues to raise the bar in the crossover segment.

· Improved audio systems
· Standard USB/iPod® auxiliary inputs
· SE Touring Package adds power driver seat and Homelink®
· Roof rack cross rails standard on SE & Limited trims

Santa Fe also delivers on the safety front, earning the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) top five-star crash test rating for front and side impacts and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) highest honor – Top Safety Pick.

Santa Fe is available with a choice of two powerful and efficient V6 engines, the economical 2.7-liter or the modern 3.3-liter, both which feature all-aluminum construction. The 2.7-liter V6 includes Continuously Variable Valve Timing and a Variable Intake System that produces 185 horsepower and 183 lb.-ft. of torque, while delivering EPA fuel economy ratings of 18 city/24 highway in front wheel drive automatic models. The 3.3-liter V6’s output is 242 horsepower and 226 lb.-ft. of torque, providing improved acceleration and passing power, along with EPA fuel economy ratings of 17 city and 24 highway. Both powertrains meet stringent ULEV emissions requirements.

The 2.7-liter V6 comes with a standard five-speed manual transmission and is available with an optional four-speed automatic with SHIFTRONIC® manual control, while the 3.3-liter V6 is mated to a five-speed SHIFTRONIC automatic gearbox as standard equipment. Meanwhile, Santa Fe’s available electronically controlled all-wheel-drive system automatically routes power to the wheels with the best traction. A driver-selectable AWD lock provides a fixed 50/50 torque split between front and rear wheels, which can improve performance in slippery or off-road conditions.

The 2009 Santa Fe underscores Hyundai’s leadership in standardizing the industry’s most effective safety technologies. All Santa Fe trim levels come standard with Electronic Stability Control (ESC), one of the industry’s most effective life-saving technologies. ESC compares the driver’s intended course with the vehicle’s actual response. It then brakes individual front or rear wheels and/or reduces engine power as needed in certain driving circumstances to help correct understeer or oversteer. NHTSA studies show SUVs equipped with ESC experience 63 percent fewer fatalities in single-vehicle crashes. Santa Fe, Veracruz, Tucson, Sonata, Azera, Genesis and Entourage are all equipped with standard ESC. More than 70 percent of Hyundai vehicles offered in 2008 came equipped with standard ESC – a commitment to this sophisticated and effective automotive safety technology that is unmatched by any other non-luxury automotive brand.

Front and rear disc brakes are standard and are coupled with a four-channel Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) that includes Brake Assist, a technology providing maximum braking force when a panic stop is detected. The system also uses Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD), which automatically equalizes the braking force to the front and rear axles, based on the vehicle loading conditions.

The Santa Fe also features six standard airbags, including side air curtains for all three rows of available seating. The combination of side and curtain airbags, which help protect the head and body during side impacts, can reduce fatalities by more than 52 percent, according to the IIHS. Side curtain air protection is optional on some compact and mid-size SUVs.

All seating positions feature three-point seatbelts and adjustable head restraints. Front-seat active head restraints help prevent whiplash by automatically reducing the space between a front occupant’s head and the head restraint during a rear collision. The shingle-style rear seat head restraints also improve overall visibility, while providing easier rear seat fold-down capabilities.

Santa Fe also features a standard Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS), which alerts drivers if one or more tires are under inflated. An illuminated readout on the dash lets drivers know a tire needs inflation so corrective action can be taken.

With dramatic styling that is assertive, yet graceful, the Santa Fe exterior showcases the evolving face of the Hyundai brand. Its wide track provides a strong stance, improved handling and increased interior room.

The Santa Fe has an assertive front grille, rugged bumper design, confident sculptured lines and finely detailed headlights. For a more aggressive appearance, Santa Fe SE and Limited models come with 18-inch alloy wheels. Sleek styling makes the Santa Fe aerodynamic, providing a drag coefficient of 0.37. Standard roof rack side rails help define its clean side profile, while adding SUV functionality. Cross bars are now standard on SE and Limited models.

New colors for 2009 include Medium Sliver Blue, Willow Gray, New Pearl White and New Silver (names are not final).

With its optional third row seat, the Santa Fe offers seven-passenger seating. With 40 percent of all crossover and SUV customers demanding a third-row seat, this feature significantly broadens Santa Fe’s appeal. The third row seat is split 50/50 and can be folded flat like the 60/40-split second-row seat. Total cargo volume is a generous 78.2 cubic feet, with plenty of storage for items of different sizes.

By incorporating a stiff unibody architecture and a well-engineered triple-sealed door/body interface, Hyundai engineers have significantly reduced cabin noise. In fact, the Santa Fe is 1.7 dB quieter than the Volvo XC90 luxury crossover at highway speeds.

Air conditioning is standard, while available dual-zone climate controls for the driver and front seat passenger bring a touch of luxury to the Santa Fe. Second and third row passengers will enjoy a new level of comfort, thanks to B-pillar-mounted adjustable vents, dual rear heating ducts and rear fan controls.

Demonstrating Hyundai’s attention to detail, blue backlighting for interior gauges, switches and buttons highlights the vehicle’s modern, integrated interior design. Front cupholders are also ringed with blue light for night time drives. Soft-touch, high-quality materials, low-gloss surfaces and zero-tolerance fits are used throughout the interior, as are color-keyed seat belt buckles and cupholder inserts to add more design harmony to the inside cabin.

The Santa Fe rides on a purpose-built unibody crossover platform with a 106.3-inch wheelbase. This chassis delivers a wonderful ride, handling and balance that discerning crossover buyers are looking for, along with interior amenities just right for most families. This stiff body structure provides the basis for both a more refined ride and more agile handling. Thanks to the suspension geometry and wider track width that enables greater turn angles, Santa Fe’s turning circle is 35.8 – an advantage Santa Fe drivers will appreciate in their daily driving and parking.

The 2009 Santa Fe is assembled at Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama (HMMA) in Montgomery, Ala. HMMA also produces the 2009 Hyundai Sonata (both vehicles share the same assembly line.) This plant has also achieved Certification to the International Automotive Task Force’s (IATF) most rigid quality management standard, ISO/TS 16949, a set of Quality Management System requirements specific to the automotive industry and the highest automotive operating standard in the world. Currently, Hyundai manufactures about half of its total U.S. sales volume in the U.S.

The Santa Fe GLS comes well-equipped with a 185-horsepower, 2.7-liter V6 engine, five-speed manual transmission, ESC, ABS, 16-inch wheels, a more powerful 120-watt AM/FM/XM Satellite Radio/CD/MP3 audio system with six speakers, USB/iPod® auxiliary inputs, rocker panel moldings, power side mirrors, power windows, power door locks and remote keyless entry. Inside are active front head restraints, dual front airbags, front seat side-impact airbags plus side curtain airbags. Other useful features include a Tire Pressure Monitoring System, air conditioning and a tilt and telescopic steering wheel. A four-speed SHIFTRONIC automatic transmission and Popular Equipment Package, which includes premium cloth seats, steering wheel audio controls, automatic headlights, heated mirrors, driver seat lumbar support and trip computer are optional.

Source : Hyundai Press Release