The new 2006 Santa Fe went on sale in South Korea in late 2005.

[14] In the United States, it debuted

at the 2006 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The first production Santa Fe in the
United States rolled off Hyundai's Montgomery, Alabama assembly line on 18 April 2006. It shares
this assembly line with the current generation Hyundai Sonata. The new generation sheds the old
style's quirky design in favor of a more contemporary look.

2009 Hyundai Santa Fe SLX CRDi (Australia)

In the United States, the new generation is offered in GLS, SE, and Limited versions. [15] The new
Santa Fe sees the return of a manual transmission, but only when mated with the 2,656 cc (2.656 L;
162.1 cu in) V6. The 3,342 cc (3.342 L; 203.9 cu in)[16] V6 (a retuned version of the same engine
found in the Sonata) is standard on the SE and Limited and comes only with a 5-speed automatic.
Both 2WD and AWD models with a 3.3 L have a fuel economy of 19 mpg-US (12 L/100 km; 23 mpg-imp)
city and 24 mpg-US (9.8 L/100 km; 29 mpg-imp) highway.[16] The 2.2l diesel engine (not available in the
US) with 155 hp (116 kW) has mixed cycle of 7.2l and a city cycle of 8.0l. The 4WD is a Borg-
Warner Torque Management device, which diverts power to the wheels with best grip according to
the amount of slip. If the front wheels spin slightly, 10% of the torque will transfer to the rear axle. If
the front wheels start to slip a lot, 50% of the torque will transfer to the rear axle. Body lean in turns,
a problem with the previous generation, has been reduced in the new Santa Fe. Both road and wind
noise have also been reduced.
Newly standard on the latest iteration of the Santa Fe are all the safety features the previous model
lacked or charged as extra. Electronic Stability Control (ESC), side-curtain airbags for all seating
rows, a tire pressure monitor, active front head restraints, and anti-lock brakes are all standard.[15] A
heated windshield wiper grid located in the front wipers' 'park' position helps to thaw ice buildup on
the blades in colder climates. Some features like the tailgate flip glass and the lower body cladding
were not integrated into the new model.
The interior has been upgraded as well with blue-lit dashboard controls (unlike the green color used
in other Hyundai models), a gated shifter pattern, illuminated cup holders, and higher quality leather
on Limited models. The rear seat head restraints caused visibility problems in the previous model
due to their size. The new style features 'shingled' head rests that when lowered completely, sit flush
with the top of the seat, helping to maximize rear visibility. The middle rear seating position now
comes with its own head restraint and a three-point seat belt built in. LATCH child seat anchors are
also standard, and an optional 50/50 third row seat allows Santa Fe to seat seven passengers.
Pricing remained competitive despite the upward move in size and feature content.
In Malaysia, Hyundai Santa Fe is available as a Complete knock down model rebadged
as Inokom Santa Fe. The Inokom Santa Fe is only available in CRDi 2.2-liter I4 Diesel and 2.7-
liter V6.
The second-generation Hyundai Santa Fe was awarded 2008 Consumer Reports "top pick" and was
among the top 10 vehicles for 2008 unveiled in the magazine's issue. The magazine's annual
ratings, based on road tests and predicted safety and reliability, are considered highly influential
among consumers.[17]
2008[edit]
For 2008, only minor changes were applied to the Santa Fe. A navigation system made by LG was
offered and the Infinity sound system and the power glass sunroof were made standard on Limited
models.[18] The non-metallic white paint trim was dropped, leaving the pearl white as the only white
color available on the Santa Fe.

2009[edit]

Interior

2009 saw only minor changes for the Santa Fe. New mirror indicators were introduced, except on
US-built models. The 16" wheels on the base GLS model (USA specification) were dropped and
replaced with black steel wheels and plastic covers. Additionally, the GLS received black plastic
mirrors as opposed to the body-colored mirrors of the higher-tier SE and Limited models. This cut in
equipment was rumored to be a countermeasure to offset the price increase of offering an iPod plug-
in for the stereo system. Because of the black mirrors and wheel covers, the additional cost of the
iPod adapter was negated, leaving the base price of the vehicle unchanged.
The Santa Fe topped the “20 least expensive 2009 vehicles to insure” list by Insure.com. According
to research, the Santa Fe is the least expensive vehicle to insure. Low rates tend to reflect a
vehicle's safety.[19][20]
December 2009 a more economical ‘R’ series piezo electric injector-equipped 2.2-litre turbo-diesel
four-cylinder producing 145 kW of power (up 27 per cent) at 3800rpm and 436Nm of torque at
1800rpm (421Nm for the manual).

2010[edit]

2010 Hyundai Santa Fe Limited (US)

Hyundai Santa Fe (Germany; facelift)

A mid-cycle refresh designed in Germany for the Santa Fe was implemented for the 2010 model
year. The grille now includes horizontal and vertical gridded bars as opposed to the horizontal two-
bar grille on previous models, and grilles are now body-colored instead of black. New rear tail lights
include all-red tail light covers with extensive chrome outlay, and new 5 split-spoke alloy wheels
have replaced the previous 5- and 6-spoke wheels. All Santa Fe's now include
standard Bluetooth hands-free phone connectivity and steering wheel audio controls, new darker
wood trim, and metallic steering wheel inlay. Gauges have been designed with a new lettering and
numbering typeface and backlight design. A new touch-screen navigation system with rear back-up
camera was now available. Finally, for the US market, the optional third row seat has been
discontinued, leaving the larger Veracruz the only currently sold Hyundai in the United States to seat
more than five persons.[21]
Powertrain changes included a choice of the standard six-speed manual transmission or the optional
six-speed automatic transmission. Engine choices include a 2.4-litre four-cylinder and a 3.5-litre V6
engine. The latter engine is also used in the Kia Sorento. Both engines generate greater power while
obtaining greater fuel economy than previous engine models. Sales began in early January 2010.

2011[edit]
Only minor changes were applied to the Santa Fe for 2011. The 1050-watt Infinity sound system
became standard on Limited trim whereas it had only been previously bundled with the optional
navigation system. Five new colors were added, as well, including Moonstone Silver, Frost White
Pearl, Sonoran Red, Mineral Gray, and Espresso Brown.
On 1 September 2010, North American production of the Santa Fe shifted to Kia's new West Point,
Georgia assembly plant for the 2011 model year. This was done to free up production capacity at
the Alabama plant for the new Sonata and new Elantra. The Santa Fe fills the void left for a Kia-built
Hyundai sold in the United States & Canada after Hyundai ended production of
the Entourage minivan in 2009. Kia, however, is 49.2% owned by Hyundai.

2012[edit]
The Santa Fe only received minor changes for 2012: The all-body colored grille (in North American
markets) was straightened and received chrome accents while the textured strip below the
headlights was changed from amber to clear. The interior received a new shift knob and downhill
brake assist was added. The 2012 model will be discontinued by the end of the year, successfully
ending production for the second generation.
Santa Fe Blue Hybrid[edit]
There is a Hyundai Santa Fe Blue Hybrid that is powered by petrol engine coupled to a 30 kW
(41 PS; 40 hp) electric motor. The Santa Fe blue Hybrid uses a 270 V lithium polymer battery.[22][23]

Recall[edit]
Hyundai is recalling almost 200,000 Santa Fe SUVs from 2007–2009 model years, because the front
passenger airbags may not deploy in a crash due to a possible problem with the occupant
classification system. The system gauges the size of a passenger and based on that whether an air
bag should be deployed. A software update rectifies the issue. [24]

Safety award[edit]
The Second-generation Santa Fe earned "Top Safety Pick" award by the Insurance Institute for
Highway Safety.[20] It also received maximum 5 star safety ratings by the National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration (NHTSA).[25][26] The Hyundai Santa Fe earned maximum five star safety rating
from Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP).[27]
The Second-generation Hyundai Santa Fe topped the “20 least expensive 2009 vehicles to insure”
list by Insure.com.[19]

Marketing[edit]
Advertising Standards Bureau of Australia banned a Santa Fe TV commercial titled 'Restless' or
'Toddler' in 2007, which ASB argued that it promotes an illegal driving activity: an underaged person
(a toddler) driving a car. He also picked up a hitchhiking toddler girl and both were wearing seatbelts
instead of approved child restraints which also breached safety recommendations. [28][29] The ad was
produced by Kim Thorp and Howard Greive from Assignment Group NZ and directed by Tony
Williams from Sydney Film Company, with post via Frame Set + Match, Sydney. [30] The ad itself won
the 2006 Fair Go Ad Awards in Best Ad Award category, and was also nominated in the top five in
the Worst Ad category.[31]