Hyundai is now offering a 3.5-litre petrol V6 in its popular Santa Fe large SUV range.
Three grades are available, priced from $43,000 plus on-road costs for the Active, $51,000 for the Elite and $57,500 for the top-spec Highlander.
In any case, the new engine produces 206kW/336Nm and is matched exclusively with an eight-speed automatic transmission and front-wheel-drive.
The 3.5-litre V6 replaces the current 2.4-litre four-cylinder petrol grades, however, pricing and specifications remain unchanged.
Compared to the four-cylinder engine, the V6 delivers an extra 68kW/95Nm, although it drinks roughly three more litres per 100 kilometres.
On the ADR official combined cycle, the V6 powertrain uses 10.6L/100km, while the outgoing four-pot was rated at 7.5L/100km.
To compensate for the additional weight of the V6, Hyundai has employed a more suitable suspension tune.
Buyers looking for all-wheel-drive will have to opt for the 147kW/440Nm 2.2-litre turbo-diesel variants, which continue to top the line-up.
Pricing for the diesel mill remains at $46,000 for the Active, $54,000 for the Elite and $60,500 for the Highlander.
Like before, the Santa Fe will be offered with Hyundai’s SmartSense suite as standard, which includes important safety tech like forward collision avoidance, smart cruise control, blind-spot collision avoidance, rear cross-traffic assist, driver attention warning, high-beam assist and lane-keeping assist.
A premium paint option is available for $695, and dark beige or burgundy interior packages will run an extra $295.
