[anantu2001]

Same kind of experience here. I went to BLUE HYUNDAI (near RR Nagar RTO on Mysore Road) to check out the vehicle. Fortunately they had a vehicle on display. Went ahead and saw the vehicle myself (Yes, no sales person was even interested to come and talk about the product). After I asked few people there if they really wanted to sell the vehicle, one sales person came hesitantly. To my surprise he had no clue about the vehicle!!! I just asked him whats the engine capacity (although I knew it); and there he went in search of the brochure to see the specs!!! By the time he came back, I myself had a complete look at the vehicle.

I mean how can anybody display a 20+ lakh vehicle without giving proper training for the sales staff??

Asked him about the TD and he said they dont have the TD vehicle yet. He also told me that the bookings have stopped till May 2011

I didnt know what to say and I came back only to test drive the Captiva MT. As vgsr said, they dont have the AWD vehicle for test drive. Disappointing indeed.

[avishar]

Apparently the Santa Fe has garnered a lot of bookings(around 500) which is more than they had allocated for sales so i guess thats why they are not interested to push sales much.

[4x4addict]

Originally Posted by avishar

Apparently the Santa Fe has garnered a lot of bookings(around 500) which is more than they had allocated for sales so i guess thats why they are not interested to push sales much.

This is precisely why I fail to understand why they waste money on a half page advertisement in the economic times last week.

Toyota saves money on Fortuner adverts. There was only a few once they reached the 10,000 vehicle mark with the limited edition.

[entropy]

Folks

Any update on when the bookings are going to open again. I missed the October opportunity and have been waiting since then. Also any idea if it would be available in non-metros ?

Thanks

[jinojohnt]

Originally Posted by entropy

Folks

Any update on when the bookings are going to open again. I missed the October opportunity and have been waiting since then. Also any idea if it would be available in non-metros ?
Thanks

Saw an advertisement in the Hindu Newspaper today that mentions that bookings have been re-opened. Hyundai web-site doesn't mention the (latest) price, though.

[ethanhunt123]

Similiar advertisement on TOI Bangalore edition today as well. And as you said, pricing on Hyundai site is still down.

[jinojohnt]

OT: I saw an ad yesterday in Malayala Manorama Newspaper, offering a six year old Tucson at 6+ lakhs. Let's hope that the Sante Fe also doesn't end up with the same fate.

[anandpadhye]

Originally Posted by jinojohnt

OT: I saw an ad yesterday in Malayala Manorama Newspaper, offering a six year old Tucson at 6+ lakhs. Let's hope that the Sante Fe also doesn't end up with the same fate.

Do you know how much a 6 year old C class or even a CR-V goes for?
It's always financially wiser to buy used (if you are able to).

[convivial]

Test drove the Santa Fe today. The base model (with 2WD and Manual Transmission) costs 23L OTR (in Trivandrum) and the AT costs 26L. Didnt have enough time to take a detailed test drive - just drove in a street for less than 5 minutes. But here are a few points before I write a detailed one -

2.2L VGT super responsive diesel - 197ps@3800rpm. I remember test driving Montero like this. This pulls off like crazy, yet has minimal roll. With just 5.4m of turning radius, it is easiest to drive around corners. Projector headlamps, A/C vents in even the B pillars - a great thought. Super supportive rear seat comfort. Finding difficult to express my happiness when I sat on the rear seat and found it holding me well from all sides. Perfect for even a 6 footer. Huge arm rest and a cooled box underneath - its really big. Excellent driving position and smooth gear shifts (manual) - driving is effortless.

Sorry - I dont have more inputs as of now. Will test drive and post again.

[swiftnfurious]

Originally Posted by convivial

Sorry - I dont have more inputs as of now. Will test drive and post again.

Please do a detailed TD. If possible, TD it's competitors as well and give a great comparo review with all your inputs.

[scopriobharath]

There is an SUV Comparo in May's edition of Overdrive mag which states that Santa-Fe Build Quality and Reliability is almost on par with BMW X1.

Can someone comment on this statement. It looks too good to be true but also Overdrive would not write such things if they are not true per ethics

[entropy]

Originally Posted by scopriobharath

There is an SUV Comparo in May's edition of Overdrive mag which states that Santa-Fe Build Quality and Reliability is almost on par with BMW X1.

Can someone comment on this statement. It looks too good to be true but also Overdrive would not write such things if they are not true per ethics

I've owned one for the past six months or so. The build quality is quite good no-doubt but I'd hesitate to say if its in the same league as X1. This is because after going over the same patch of atrocious roads with bone jarring potholes for this period - I can hear some squeaks now (though minor one) whereas my Superb did not made any sounds for almost 15-18 months (eventually it also had to succumb though ). However this is one SUV I'd like to retain for several years as I had retained Innova due to its fuss-free nature, hassle free ownership experience and sheer practicality.

[scopriobharath]

I read the complete comparo between Fortuner - Koleos - SantaFe - X1 - Outlander and guess what - Santa Fe is coming out as the winner

I never know that Santa-Fe is more superior to TFORT. In all aspects except engine pickup (Straight line) Santa Fe scores over a TFORT. It is just the pricing thats ruining Santa Fe. I wish they price it lower / on par with TFORT.

[Steeroid]

Originally Posted by scopriobharath

I read the complete comparo between Fortuner - Koleos - SantaFe - X1 - Outlander and guess what - Santa Fe is coming out as the winner

I never know that Santa-Fe is more superior to TFORT. In all aspects except engine pickup (Straight line) Santa Fe scores over a TFORT. It is just the pricing thats ruining Santa Fe. I wish they price it lower / on par with TFORT.

1. It isn't shocking because the Santa Fe is a really good product. It is perhaps shocking for this market which still refuses to acknowledge Hyundai for reasons that aren't logical.

2. It would be superior to the T Fort in pick-up, straight line speed - Toyota isn't known for being a common-rail diesel leader, Hyundai is. That is why the 3 ltr D4D produces about 20% less power than the 2.2 CRDi

3. Pricing is reasonable when you look at what the Fortuner offers at it's price point (other than the Toyota badge) and what the Santa Fe offers. It is not reasonable when you consider prices outside the country, but this applies to all the offerings in the segment.


I would buy that vehicle just for the engine. The fact that the rest of the Santa Fe is probably better than competition would be a bonus - not everyone makes decisions in that manner, but if you place features above the drivetrain you will probably end up with the same answer.

The last time I went to book there was no chance of getting delivery in a reasonable time-frame. I hope they allocate more vehicles than the 600 they planned to sell in a year.

[CARDEEP]

Not to go into details, I am looking forward to the Fluidic Santa Fe (8 seater). IMO the Fluidic theme has come of age in Santa Fe, & gives it a muscular yet suave character.