Hyundai Santa Fe 2008 Review

Overall rating: 3.0/5.0
Engine/Drivetrain/Chassis: 2.5/5.0
Price, Packaging and Practicality: 3.0/5.0
Safety: 3.5/5.0
Behind the wheel: 3.0/5.0
X-factor: 3.5/5.0

About our ratings

OVERVIEW
When Hyundai released the current generation Santa Fe, the company copped a serve from wowser busy-bodies who objected to the advertising campaign, showing the car being driven by a toddler still in nappies. Was ever a company worse beaten around the head with a blunt instrument by 'concerned citizens' with far too much time on their hands?

Leaving aside the obvious fantasy element (that was apparently overlooked by the moral moronity), the campaign makes a good point. The Santa Fe is easy to drive...

Hyundai has just updated the mid-sized SUV for 2009 with a mild facelift and some specification changes; an upgrade that closely follows an earlier upgrade from this year (more here and here).

For the moment, the 3.3-litre front-wheel drive Santa Fe continues in its pre-facelift form, but will adopt the new mods from late this year or early 2009. The 2.7-litre petrol V6 and 2.2-litre turbodiesel variants are now available with the revised specification and tweaked looks.

Visually, the '09 Santa Fe features a revised chrome grille and indicators integrated within the external mirrors. Styling of the interior is improved by a high-gloss black finish for the door trims, centre fascia and transmission plinth in the centre console.

If the styling upgrade is subtle, there's more happening on the safety front. New features (or existing options now treated as standard) include: stability control, active head restraints for the front seats and side curtain airbags for the revised variants.

Already equipped with dual front airbags and side-impact airbags to protect the thorax of front-seat occupants, the Santa Fe adopts side curtains to protect occupants in all three rows of seats (for seven-seat models), in lieu of the side-impact head-protecting airbags for front and second-row seats fitted previously.

HALO (Hyundai Active Locking Operation) is a new feature offered in the upgraded Santa Fe. The system enhances security through locking the vehicle once it's on the move and unlocks automatically when the driver removes the key from the ignition lock barrel or if a door is opened by one of the front-seat occupants.

Comfort and convenience features gain an upgraded audio system featuring USB input and iPod compatibility.

Hyundai has introduced a new option, the Trek 'n' Tow kit. This option improves towball load capacity from 150kg to 180kg and raises the ride height by 20mm, allowing heavier duty offroad work and towing. The elements of the kit comprise four uprated springs, two new rear dampers and revised rear bump-stops.

Priced at $33,990, the Santa Fe SX kicks off the update range fitted with the 2.7-litre petrol V6 and five-speed manual transmission. The four-speed automatic option with this engine adds $2000 and takes the price up to $35,990.

Specifying the 2.2-litre turbodiesel engine in the Santa Fe SX CRDi raises the price to $36,990 and the five-speed auto model is higher again, at $38,990. This variant (the SX diesel auto) is the only variant in the range that has changed in price -- reduced by $1000.

Fitted with the same turbodiesel engine and automatic transmission, the seven-seat Santa Fe SLX now sells for $41,990, a reduction of $2000 from the previous price charged. Hyundai has dropped the diesel Santa Fe Elite five-seat model and reduced the seven-seater to the same price, $46,990.

Standard features for all Santa Fe models include: Remote central locking, alarm, remote audio and cruise control switchgear on the steering wheel, tilt-and-reach adjustment for the steering column, electric windows, three 12-Volt auxiliary power sockets, leather-bound steering wheel, leather-bound gear changer, air conditioning and 60/40 split-fold second-row seat.

Features additionally fitted to the Santa Fe SX are 17x7.0 alloy wheels in a five-spoke design and an MP3-compatible six-speaker CD audio system.

Over the SX grade, the SLX features as standard: Heated external mirrors, conversation mirror in overhead console, trip computer and 50/50 split-fold third-row seating.

As the top grade variant, the Santa Fe Elite comes equipped with 18x7.0 alloy wheels in a six-spoke design, an MP3-compatible seven-speaker six-disc CD audio system, electro-chromatic mirror and auto-off headlights, climate control.

For safety features, see 'SAFETY' below.

MECHANICAL
In addition to the four-cylinder turbodiesel tested here, two all-alloy V6 powerplants are on hand to power the Santa Fe. The smaller petrol V6 displaces 2.7 litres and is the only petrol alternative in 4WD variants to the turbodiesel. At 3.3 litres, the larger of the two petrol V6 engines is only employed in front-wheel drive models.

The turbodiesel is a 2.2-litre SOHC four featuring a cast-iron block and an alloy head. Fuel is delivered through common-rail direct-injection system. Hyundai cites power and torque figures of 114kW at 4000rpm and 343Nm between 1800 and 2500rpm. Based on the ADR81/01 city cycle test, the Santa Fe CRDi returns a fuel consumption figure of 7.3L/100km for the manual variants and 8.1L/100km for the five-seat auto of 8.2 for the seven-speed auto variants.

Mounted transversely, the engine drives through either a five-speed manual or five-speed automatic transmission to an 'on demand' four-wheel drive system comprising a lockable centre differential and a multi-plate clutch coupling to the rear wheels, regulated by electronics.

Front wheels are suspended by MacPherson struts and steered by a power-assisted rack-and-pinion set-up. At the rear, the suspension comprises a double-wishbone-type IRS system with one upper wishbone and three lower links on each side.

Brakes are ventilated discs at the front, measuring a diameter of 298mm for the rotors, and solid discs at the rear, measuring 302mm in diameter.

PACKAGING
We found the seats in the Santa Fe to be a bit flatter than is the case for some of the better offroad-capable SUVs. In the Santa Fe, they err on the side of easy entry and exit, rather than holding the occupant in place.

As for the Grandeur we tested recently, there were no complaints with the driving position. The seat-recline lever was hard to find initially, but once you knew where it was located, it proved quite easy to use.

Since the Santa Fe is a mid-size SUV, it should comfortably accommodate adults in the front and the rear. It certainly does that, but although there's enough knee room in the rear seats, there's not that much room under the front seats for rear-seat occupants to stretch out.

Headroom was adequate in front and rear, even with a sunroof fitted.

Proving that the eye can be deceived, the luggage compartment of the Santa Fe looked borderline, but at 774 litres was actually better -- using the VDA standard -- than the significantly longer Ford Territory (523 litres) or the only moderately shorter Nissan X-TRAIL (603 litres). All three measurements were based on the second-row seat being raised.

According to Ford's figures for the five-seat version, the Territory makes up for lack of luggage space with its better rear-seat legroom.
SAFETY
All variants of the Santa Fe are now fitted with electronic stability control, with even the base-grade SX adopting this feature. Other active safety features include ABS and EBD.

As already noted, the Santa Fe range is also now equipped with side curtain airbags to protect the heads of all occupants, including those in the third-row seat for seven-seat Santa Fe variants. The side curtains replace the side-impact head-protecting airbags previously fitted, since those didn't provide safety coverage for occupants in the third-row seats. Thorax protection from side impacts is still furnished by additional airbags.

Other passive safety features include warning lights for the seatbelts, pre-tensionsers, load-limiters and height adjustment. The seatbelts themselves are of the three-point type (lap/sash inertia-reel) for all seats, including the two seats in the third row of seven-seat variants.

COMPETITORS
The Santa Fe, although sold as a 'Medium SUV' -- with its sales scored against other cars in the same VFACTS segment -- is quite a bit shorter than the Ford Territory and only marginally longer than the Nissan X-TRAIL.

Since the X-TRAIL is definitely competing in the compact SUV segment, it's entirely possible that buyers of the Santa Fe might find themselves cross-shopping the Hyundai against vehicles from both compact and mid-size segments.

The overlap between compact and medium SUVs is wide, to say the least, because there are also a few medium SUVs that are smaller than the Santa FE too -- the Jeep Cherokee being one...

In the medium SUV segment, the Hyundai is up against (if you only count the diesels), the Dodge Nitro, Holden Captiva, Jeep Cherokee, Kia Sorento, Mitsubishi Pajero, Nissan Pathfinder, SsangYong Rexton and Toyota Prado. A number of these can be immediately excused, by virtue of their price. Mostly, those are Japanese vehicles (Pajero, Pathfinder and Prado).

If you're limiting your search to diesels in the compact SUV category, the list is shorter: Jeep Patriot, Kia Sportage, Nissan X-TRAIL and Suzuki Grand Vitara.

ON THE ROAD
The launch for the upgraded Santa Fe was held in the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney. Overall, the Santa Fe impressed us with its general refinement.

The diesel engine, exclusively powering the vehicles we drove during the media program, was willing but very quiet on the open road. Combined with the responsive but smooth five-speed automatic, the engine rarely needed full throttle, other than on a couple of 4WD-only grades.

At no point during those ascents did the engine threaten to stall and these were steep enough to prove a point. With the diesel, the Santa Fe is more capable offroad than people realise, but the lack of a dual-range transfer case is a shortcoming.

It's true that this vehicle is up against such competitors as the Ford Territory and the Toyota Kluger, neither of which boast high and low-range transfer, but probably all three would be transformed with this facility. For the Hyundai, the lack of a low-range transfer manifests itself in little to no engine braking on steep descents, leaving the driver no option other than to ride the brakes.

In spite of its best efforts, the Santa Fe was let down during the offroad climbs by traction. Mostly, that lack of traction could be blamed on the tyres, which just aren't aggressive enough for true offroad work. Having said that -- and counterbalanced with the point that the test was carried out in the dry -- the Santa Fe was more competent than anticipated. With the 4WD system locked and the stability control switched off, the Santa Fe was able to scrabble up grades with one or two wheels spinning.

Despite the tyres, the Santa Fe forded the river and traversed the deep sand on the other side of the river at the ghost town of Newnes.

The ride height (tried with the 'Trek and Tow' system) cleared mud moguls and washaways without grounding once. Similarly, approach and departure angles provided no cause for concern at any stage.

On one badly potholed section of road, we did rip loose a plastic undertray under the front end, but that was as close as we came to doing underbody damage.

The difference in suspension set-up for the standard Santa Fe and the Trek and Tow option presented mostly in ride comfort, which felt better with the suspension option fitted, over harder hits. The standard set-up was better in terms of secondary ride quality, but didn't absorb the larger bumps as well.

On fast 'rally' roads, the Santa Fe was brisk and handled well. Pick the time right to shift down -- using the sequential-shift facility -- and the tail would gently slide, but the stability control would quickly and predictably quash any oversteer. We don't expect to see the Santa Fe being driven this way by many owners, but it is fun and safe to drive on dirt.

Its manners are also pleasing on bitumen as well. The tyres are a little soggy in the sidewalls, but the handling is consistent and benign, working hand in hand with the vehicle's steering response.

So it's fair to say that the Santa Fe acquits itself pretty well offroad, allowing for the fact that drive programs are usually tailored for the subject of the program to show its best stuff.

In this case, the drive program suited Hyundai's purposes not so much because it was unduly 'fluffy' for the Santa Fe, but because it was actually a bit tougher, yet the Santa Fe rose to the occasion.

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