Hyundai Santa Fe Highlander 2.2CRDi 2015 Review

Hyundai Santa Fe II Highlander 2.2CRDi
Australian Launch Review
Portsea, Victoria

motoring.com.au likes the Santa Fe. Want proof? Just look at the roll call in our Recommended awards – this year Hyundai’s largest SUV got two! Now, thanks to a number of useful tweaks including interior updates and more local suspension tuning, what was already an attractive package just got better. There appear to be some refinement improvements too, despite no gazetted changes in this area. Perhaps the big Korean is simply getting better at building better cars. Technology updates and more safety features also arrive with this facelift, making the new Tucson-inspired look almost a bonus.

Hyundai is on a roll. The recently released Tucson mid-size softroader is as good a car as the brand has ever built and is actively taking the challenge up to brands like Mazda. The mid-size Sonata sedan, while not perfect, is a polished, segment sleeper… And last week the Korean marque announced it will launch a standalone luxury brand to leverage its Genesis luxury car R&D.

There’s no shortage of confidence in Seoul. Nor is there a lack of momentum – especially so Down Under. Hyundai is a strong number three in our marketplace and has on occasion this year boasted the monthly top-selling car title. Take a bow, i30.

In this climate you could excuse a degree of bullishness on the release of a facelifted version of what is already one of the brand’s best performers, the Santa Fe large SUV. Even if the change was limited to just a nose-job!

But in this case, there is substance behind the schnozzle. More equipment, handling tweaks and engine bay improvements give the local Hyundai lads and ladies every right to be upbeat.

Dubbed Santa Fe II, the new all-AWD range kicks of with the Active entry-level car available in 2.4 GDi petrol and 2.2 CRDi turbo-diesel variants priced (unchanged) from $38,490 and with a choice of six-speed manual or automatic versions.

From there the choice gets even simpler: both the $49,990 mid-grade Elite and range-topping $55,990 Highlander are diesel/auto only (for pricing and full spec details see our news story).

The seven-seater arrives with “a fresh new face inspired by the new Tucson” says Hyundai. That translates as new bumpers, more angular headlights, an updated grille and detailed trim changes. At the rear, the top-spec Highlander variant incorporates LEDs for the first time.

The new vehicle is far from a major update in terms of sheet metal but there are enough visual cues to make the neighbours take a second look. Indeed, coupled with new alloy wheel designs (Active variants ride on 17s, while Elite and Highlander variants get new 18s and 19s respectively), the effect is positive, positioning the car closer to its newer, little brother.

Arguably, the more important changes are inside the cabin and under the skin, including a significant upgrade in active safety equipment – alas, however, only at the range-topping Highlander level.

In a hint of things to come as the Korean marque works to democratise high-tech safety systems, the new Santa Fe Highlander now gets Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB), Forward Collision Warning (FCW), Smart Cruise Control (SCC), Blind-Spot Detection (BSD), Lane Change Assist (LCA), Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA) and an upgraded auto parking system, all as standard.

There’s nothing sparklingly new about any of the systems – most are available in some form across most brands -- but it’s telling that Hyundai has rolled them out at facelift rather than waiting for an all-new model. Expect the pace of change, in terms of incorporating these features on more, cheaper Hyundai models, to accelerate.

The Santa Fe II’s radar-based AEB system is on par with the Euros – at least in claimed performance. The set-up offers both pedestrian and vehicle sensing functionality -- the former from 7-80km/h and the latter 8-180km/h.

Hyundai says full braking power can be applied and bring the vehicle to a halt at speeds up to 80km/h. Over that the system “provides partial braking to reduce the severity of accidents and allow the driver to conduct a safe and controlled avoidance manoeuvre”.

“At all speeds, the Forward Collision Warning (FCW) function of the AEB system warns the driver of potential danger ahead via audible and visual alerts,” Hyundai says.

While these are smarts you’ll appreciate but hopefully rarely need, the Santa Fe II’s other tech upgrades are everyday ‘delight’ functions.

A new 10-speaker 550-Watt Infinity audio system is now standard on Elite and Highlander grades and a new user interface with larger screens (7.0-inch in Active variants, 8.0-inch satellite-navigation system with live traffic updates in Elite and Highlander) and smarter integration makes its debut in the new model.

The integration comes via Siri Eyes-Free (iOS) and Google Now (Android) voice activation systems. Coupled with your choice of smart phone, these allow the driver to make calls, play music, compose text messages, access calendar information, add reminders and perform other tasks all hands-free.

Under the bonnet changes are tuning rather than ‘hardware’ related and aim at improving the real-world performance of the new Santa Fe.

The changes see the 2.4-litre petrol four’s output trimmed 3kWand 1Nm to 138kW/241Nm, while our pick of the Santa Fe engines, the 2.2-litre turbo-diesel, is now 2kW and 4Nm stronger at 147kW and 440Nm.

In the case of the latter, that torque ‘peak’ is held constant over 1750-2750rpm, ensuring round town and highway performance that belies the four’s relatively small capacity.

Turbo-lag seems to have been trimmed too in the update, meaning that the new CRDi model feels a touch more eager away from the lights and when overtaking.

Fuel economy has been slightly improved on the turbo-diesel (down 0.4 to 7.7L/100km for the auto). Alas, the petrol engine is 0.3L/100km thirstier than its predecessor at 9.4. The trade-off, says Hyundai, is that “improved drivability especially at lower and mid-range engine speeds”.

The other tuning that’s been done is part of Hyundai’s ongoing suspension/steering localisation program. A rear suspension design change was an opportunity for Hyundai’s local engineering team to re-balance the Santa Fe II’s set-up and they did so by trialing literally dozens of spring and damper combinations.

The end result is a slightly firmer set-up at the rear which the chassis boffins suggest not only improves loaded performance but gifts the Sante Fe II with a touch more sporty turn-in characteristics. This may be of interest to those waiting for the sports-orientated SR version, but I doubt many SUV buyers will be basing their purchasing decision on such esoterics.

Suffice it to say, Santa Fe II is well behaved in all the normal situations a family SUV will encounter. Steering is nicely weighted and best of all accurate.

More likely to impress typical buyers are the subtle improvements in refinement this tranche of Santa Fes exhibit. For example, 2.2 CRDi Highlander yours truly sampled for a brief time last week ahead of the vehicle’s local launch drive seemed appreciably quieter and more composed on poor surfaces than previous examples I’ve driven.

It’s always risky to make such claims without a back-to-back drive but both in chassis and engine terms this car seems to have taken a step in the right direction. And it wasn’t bad to start with…

As good as this update is, there are aspects of the Santa Fe that are starting to show their age.

None more so than in the cabin. The dash and door cards seem to have more elements and material types than they really need and there are odd joins and angles that grate. In this respect Kia’s new Sorento is significantly ahead, although given the example the Tucson has set, Hyundai knows what it has to change.

We’ve also criticised the Santa Fe in the past for the effectiveness of its third-row seat. It’s perhaps better described as a 5+2, but that’s the case for all but a handful of (very) large vehicles in the class. Nor is the high rising beltline the kindest to smaller rear seat (second row) passengers, limiting vision.

Hyundai insiders say this is all feedback that’s been taken onboard in the design of the next generation of Santa Fe. Given the company’s desire to improve its products with each generation, of that I have little doubt.

2015 Santa Fe II Highlander pricing and specifications:
Price: $55,990 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel
Output: 147kW/440Nm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Fuel: 7.7L/100km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Five-star ANCAP

What we liked:
>> Advanced safety aids
>> Improved ride/handling
>> Value for money

Not so much:
>> Fussy interior design
>> Limited rear-seat vision
>> No advanced safety aids on lesser models

Also consider:
>> Ford Territory Titanium AWD diesel ($56,740 plus ORCs)
>> Kia Sorento Platinum CRDi AWD diesel ($55,990 plus ORCs)
>> Toyota Kluger Grande AWD diesel ($67,130 plus ORCs)