Hyundai Santa Fe to get a petrol-powered V6 later this year

South Korean multinational automotive manufacturer, Hyundai will support its Santa Fe lineup with the inclusion of V6 petrol engine in Australia very soon, probably by the end of this year. Talking at the social launch event for the fresh Venue lineup on the Sunshine Coast, carmaker’s local boss, J.W. Lee, offered a hint of the option of the V6 petrol engine and front-wheel drive to come back for the new Santa Fe lineup before the end of the year 2019.

The new petrol motor is a 3.5-litre V6, which is capable of churning out a maximum power of 276 hp and a peak torque of 335Nm. The V6 will be mated to an eight-speed automatic gearbox to take care of the transmission duties, and the power will be sent the front wheels. Unlike left-hand drive vehicles, where all-wheel drive is present with the V6 petrol engine, Hyundai Australia has shown a ‘packaging problem’, which is accused of all-paw grip is not available for the petrol V6.

According to Hyundai’s typical pricing structure, the V6 petrol engine should be a couple of thousand dollars more affordable than the similar diesel all-wheel drive across the lineup. The Santa Fe Active diesel is currently priced from $46,000, excluding the on-road costs. If we compare the Kia Sorento as a guide, a Santa Fe Active V6 FWD must gain a price tag of $2500 less, which leads the entry price to about $43,500 - which is $500 more expensive than the ongoing 2.4-litre petrol Santa Fe Active that comes with all-wheel drive.

Talking about the fuel economy, the 2.2-litre diesel claims to deliver 7.5L/100km; however, the V6-powered Kia Sorento with front-wheel drive claims 10.0L/100km combined.

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