aBr Motoring Road Test
| by Tristan Wiggill
Hyundai Santa Fe 2.2
Elite Automatic
Hyundai introduced its thirdgeneration Santa Fe SUV right
at the beginning of the year.
It is the Korean carmakers largest
and most expensive model in
its local line-up, and crams
every conceivable gadget into
a spacious, comfortable, familyfriendly soft-roader package.
Styling
While we suspect the Santa Fe has been
created to suit the tastes of the North
American market, South African’s have their
own love affair with large SUV’s. Attractively
styled and imposing enough - with just the
right amount of chrome - the Santa Fe’s
tasteful styling should find favour among
many.
Engine
Locally, the three-model Santa Fe range is
powered by a four-cylinder diesel engine.
It develops 145 kW at 3 800 r/min, while
some 436 Nm of torque is churned out
from 1 800 r/min to 2 500 r/min. It’s not the
most refined engine, as large, four-cylinder
engines frequently prove themselves not to
be. It’s also noisier than I had expected and
in operation reminded me of the early diesel
engines that made their way into mainstream
passenger cars in the 90’s. That said, its
outputs are market competitive.
Performance
With more than enough torque on tap, the
large Santa Fe gets up and going easily.
The engine develops a narrow torque
band, which the automatic shifter has been
programmed to get to and stay between
as quickly, and as long, as possible. This
sometimes gave me the impression it was
a little indecisive and fussy. On occasion, it
was too hasty to change up, subsequently
labouring in an inappropriate gear,
particularly when the topography ahead
required ascension. The torque converter
type transmission itself is fairly old-tech by
modern dual-clutch standards, with Hyundai
opting for a simpler, tried and tested
approach. Shifts are smooth enough in
day-to-day use and don’t interfere with the
overall driving experience.
Economy
The aBr team averaged 9.0-litres per 100 km
during the test week, quickly reducing the
64-litre fuel tank to little more than fumes.
While it’s not particularly frugal, it’s also not
insatiably thirsty either - when you consider
the sheer size and weight of the vehicle, the
permanent all-wheel drive configuration and
the restrictive aerodynamic drag. Still, there
are more economical choices that could be
made when buying a family car - and we
question if the all-wheel drive configuration
is really necessary.
Features
This particular model, being the rangetopper, is a proper seven-seater, equipped
with a host of extra features - as if the
standard specification list wasn’t long
enough already. Seats in the second row
can be folded flat but, even in their upright
position, the vehicle boasts a generous
585-litre boot. An electronic park brake,
truly massive panoramic sunroof, rear view
display camera and fully electric, heated
seats are the more notable additions to the
vast spec sheet.
Another notable feature is the fitment of
235/55/R19 profile rubber, which makes
the ride harsher than it need be. While I
only drove the vehicle on the tarmac (what
little there is left of it!) in the confines of
the urban jungle, I shudder to think what it
would be like on a gravel road over a few
| Wheels in Action
84
june 2014
hundred kilometres. Personally, I’d like a
little more rubber between wheel and road,
thank you very much, and that’s before one
contemplates the exorbitant cost of future
rubber replacement.
Stopping power
The Santa Fe, even when empty, carries a
lot of forward momentum. It takes some
stopping, despite all the electronic safety
aids and generous 320 mm front discs
brakes. A driving style adjustment will no
doubt allay any fears, but respect must be
given to a vehicle with a GVM of 2 600 kg.
It must also be mentioned that a full suite
of passive and active safety features are
built in, which has allowed the Santa Fe to
achieve a very exemplary crash safety rating.
Conclusion
The Santa Fe is a large family vehicle with
all the bells and whistles. Hyundai though,
like other full importers, has been hit badly
by the depreciating rand recently, which has
undermined its value-for-money credentials.
In January, the top of the range Santa Fe,
tested here, cost R499 900. It now costs
R579 900.
While the vehicle is certainly spacious,
versatile and feature-rich, we’re not
convinced that it has the brand appeal to
woo buyers away from the familiar German,
British or Japanese marques that are
similarly priced.
Status and image count for a lot it
seems, even if feature for feature
they don’t quite measure up.