Hyundai Motors India Limited is considering to launch its premium SUV Santa Fe in India next year. Earlier it had planned to import the model as completely built unit but now it does not find it feasible due to 104 percent import duty on CBUs. Instead, the company now plans to assemble model in India by importing it as CKD units.

“Yes, we are studying Santa Fe for the Indian market, as premium segment is doing pretty well in the past few years. However, it is still in the investigation stage and we will decide its roll out in the medium term. We have yet not decided whether it would be assembled or imported. But Tucson is not going to get discontinued,” says a senior Hyundai official.

The new Hyundai Santa Fe will also be fitted with brand new 2.4L four-cylinder petrol engine to lend it better performance and make it competitively priced in India. The car will compete with Honda CRV and Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara. The company will take a final call on the car after assessing its feasibility in the Indian market. The car is expected to launch in India by mid-2010.