The addition of a new V6 engine gives the Santa Fe some much needed punch. Hyundai Motor Co Australia launched the current mid-sized Santa Fe SUV back in May 2006 with only the 2.7-litre V6 engine, which is best described as "getting on a bit". That’s not a claim that could be leveled at the 2.2-litre common-rail turbo diesel that was added to the Santa Fe range last September. Now Hyundai has added the 3.3-litre Lambda petrol engine, which is by far the most powerful engine available with the Santa Fe and is also the smoothest by a fair margin. Hanging on to the old 2.7-litre V6 means Hyundai has a wide model range and is able to lock-in a starting price below its South Korean rival, the Holden Captiva.
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Hyundai Santa Fe
Released: November 2000
Ended: May 2006
Family Tree: Santa FeHyundai's first attempt at a Honda CR-V rival wasn’t a bad effort at all for the company at the time, combining a suitably comfortable and powerful (in V6 format) five-door wagon – in breathless 106kW/201Nm 2.4-litre four-cylinder/five-speed manual or smooth 132kW/247Nm V6/four-speed auto guises. But the clumsy styling, tight packaging and so-so dynamics quickly aged the Hyundai against the newer wave of SUV competition that came on stream in the year following the Santa Fe’s local debut. A minor facelift and model adjustment improved things slightly in late 2004.
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