AUTONEWS - AA CLUB OF KENYA MAGAZINE
houses the dual zone climate control, a
premium audio system that blew my ear-
drums away and the vehicle information
system that incorporates the rear-view
reverse camera. There’s a convenient
second shelf inside the centre console for
your wallet; a host of handy 12V sockets
abound in the cabin; and I liked (espe-
cially at night) that the door handle lamps
lit up when sensing the key as I walked
up to the car.
Under the bonnet
The Santa Fe range is powered by
two engine derivatives; a muscular
145kW/436Nm 2.2-litre turbodiesel and
a smooth 135kW/228Nm 2.4-litre petrol
unit. Locally we get only the petrol ver-
sion, as the quality of diesel in the market
doesn’t meet the Hyundai standards.
Power is delivered to all four paws via
a quick shift 6 speed auto box with
tiptronic facility. It allows the driver to
fully utilize the 135KW to the maximum,
while ensuring that the engine delivers
an average fuel consumption figure of
8L/100KM (although my real time esti-
mates was 8.3L/100KM)
Behind the wheel
It’s not your track day weapon but han-
dles reasonably well for a soft roader of
its size. The independent suspension is
tuned for smooth tarmac and long drives,
but tended to feel a little wallow and top
heavy through faster corners. Compared
to the Honda CRV, Nissan X Trail and
Toyota’s RAV 4, it suspension set up
offers the right balance between handling
and ride quality.
The Santa Fe’s electric steering comes
w ith three settings; Normal, Comfort and
Sport settings. On ‘normal’ mode it feels
very neutral and gives you just the right
amount of feedback. When you want to
unleash the devil in you, the ‘Sport’ set-
ting offers accurate feedback and beefs
up nicely on higher speeds.
Soft ‘roading’
If bundu bashing is your thing, on de-
mand, all-wheel drive system will engage
the rear wheels when needed (on normal
mode its front wheel drive, great for fuel
economy). There’s also a 4WD Lock
mode which splits torque to the front and
rear axles evenly, and hill descent control
for those slippery slopes.
Safety:
For the Santa Fe to compete with the
niche competitors like the Land Rover
Discovery Sport, BMW X3 and Audi Q5,
Hyundai loaded it with intelligent safety
kit to keep the occupants out of harm’s
way. The active safety package includes
a ‘smart’ cruise control function (adap-
tive cruise control), which maintains a
– 21
set distance from slower-moving vehicles
ahead by automatically decreasing speed,
and then accelerates back up to your
chosen cruising speed when the traffic
eases up again.
The blind-spot detection system radar-
secures the Santa Fe’s perimeter and, if a
vehicle moves into the Santa Fe’s blind
spot, a little warning icon appears in
the door-mirror on that side - and if you
ignore the warning it blips annoyingly to
get your attention.
The same scanners also cover the rear
of the car when it’s in reverse, and if
they detect any cross-traffic approach-
ing you get both a ‘visual alert’ and an
angry beeping immediately to discourage
you from reversing out into the path of
oncoming vehicles. Safety nets include
ESP, Hill-Start Assist, and Rear Park
Assist, Traction and Stability Control and
six airbags.
Verdict:
With a starting price of Ksh. 4.8 mil-
lion for the entry level ‘Safari’ and Ksh.
5.9 million for the range-topping ‘Pre-
mium’ package, I reckon the Santa Fe
is a winner. Fun to drive, dripping with
technology and top notch fit and finish to
boot, it definitely gives the competition
something to ponder about. Hyundai’s
five-year/150,000km warranty, gives the
owner peace of mind