Hyundai Santa Fe conquers the Antarctic – and spawns a Limited Edition Santa Fe Endurance

The Hyundai Santa Fe has been driven across the Antarctic – and back again – by Shackleton’s great grandson, and there’s a Santa Fe Endurance to celebrate.

You wouldn’t expect to find much in the way of passing traffic if you happen to be plodding your way across Antarctica.

But if you were busy ‘Expiditioning’ in December, you may have been surprised to be overtaken by a near bog-standard Hyundai Santa Fe as you plodded along with your Huskies and snow shoes, swathed in furs (you, not the snow shoes. And does that only happen in movies?).

You probably thought you were getting too tired and had imagined it, but when the Santa Fe came back the other way a couple of weeks later while you were still trying to get where you were going, you probably realised a Hyundai Santa Fe is better than a team of dogs in the Antarctic. And more comfortable.

What you saw was the great grandson of Ernest Shackleton, Patrick Bergel,  blatting across the Antarctic from  Union Camp to McMurdo and back again to commemorate his Great Granddad’s Trans-Antarctic expedition of 1914-16.

Hyundai say the Santa Fe is the first a bog-standard (well, with the exception of big tyres, big fuel tank and pre-heater) car to traverse the world’s greatest wilderness, and it’s quite some achievement to blat across a frozen wasteland from a spot somewhere south of Cape Horn to end somewhere south of New Zealand – and then go back.

To celebrate the adventure (what was left of Shackleton’s team were just happy to be alive after their near three year outing) the Limited Edition Hyundai Santa Fe Endurance is heading in to Hyundai’s UK showrooms.

The Santa Fe Endurance comes in Premium SE trim with added gloss including the Convenience Pack (electric tailgate, Panoramic roof and more), 19″ alloys, Sport running steps, Shackleton badging and a choice of five colours –  solid Creamy White, pearl White Crystal, metallic Titanium Silver, pearl Phantom Black and metallic Mineral Blue.

Tony Whitehorn, Hyundai UK boss, said:

This new Endurance Edition offers customers an incredibly well-equipped Santa Fe, one that will be able to tackle everything family life throws at it….and more. As Sir Ernest Shackleton’s Great Grandson, Patrick Bergel proved just a few months ago, with just a few choice modifications, you could even traverse Antartica!

The Hyundai Santa Fe costs from £38,995 – a £2.4k saving, say Hyundai, over speccing up the car – and goes on sale at Hyundai’s UK dealers on 18 May 2017.

Hyundai “Shackleton’s Return” Video – Across the Antarctic in a Santa Fe