Hyundai Santa Fe Active CRDi 2015 Review

The Hyundai Santa Fe has impressed the crew at motoring.com.au from the get-go. We've sampled the seven-seat SUV in its various forms since the first generation was introduced in Australian in 2006; and have rated it highly in subsequent comparisons against some of the biggest names in the business.

Curiously, however, it's been two whole years since Hyundai last offered us anything other than its top-spec Santa Fe Highlander, and being the suspicious lot we are, thought it was high time we requested something a little more attainable.

The Santa Fe range begins with the petrol-powered Active (from $38,490 plus ORCs), though the first diesel-powered auto begins at $43,990 (as tested, plus ORCs). That pricing places the Santa Fe in the enviable position of being one of the few SUVs in the segment to offer all-wheel drive from the get-go, and a diesel all-wheel drive from under $45K.

It's a position that sees the Santa Fe deliver more of what families want for less – and not just at the time of purchase. Along with Kia (who offer a seven-year warranty), Hyundai is one of the few manufacturers offering a factory-backed warranty of more than three years, in case of the Santa Fe it's five years (with unlimited kilometres).

It is also offered with a lifetime capped-price servicing program (which sees scheduled servicing on the Active CDRi set at $379), up to 10 years of roadside assistance, and three years of free updates for the sat-nav system, where fitted.

According to redbook.com.au, a three-year old Santa Fe Active is likely to retain as much as 80.9 per cent of its new price come (private) sale time, ranking it at least 16.5 per cent better than the locally-built Ford Territory, and 15.1 more than the imported Holden Captiva 7 [Ed: based on comparably-specified diesel-powered, all-wheel drive automatic variants].

So before you even get behind the wheel the figures are stacked in your favour. Though that's unlikely to mean much if the vehicle fails to deliver.

But deliver it does. As a family hauler the Santa Fe Active serves up most of the gear a growing family needs, as well as a full complement of safety equipment and a basic, but functional array of infotainment features.

The Active grade offers manually-adjustable cloth-trimmed seats, Bluetooth phone and audio streaming capability, a basic six-speaker single-CD audio system, a manually-operated HVAC system, power windows and mirrors and remote central locking, cruise control and a trip computer.

There's a USB and 3.5mm auxiliary audio plug included too, and four 12-volt outlets (including one in the cargo area) for all the devices you need on a weekend away.

The Santa Fe's interior offers seating in three rows, the second adjustable longitudinally and with 60:40-split/folding functionality. The third, which folds in to the floor when not in use, is capable of being split 50:50 to facilitate the loading of irregularly shaped objects, while the retractable cargo cover and cargo net store neatly under the boot floor when not in use.

The second and third-row seats are offered with top-tether child seat anchors and three-point seat belts too, while the outboard seats of the second row also feature ISOFIX preparation.

The Santa Fe offers between 516 and 1615 litres of cargo space (depending on configuration), while a full-size matching alloy wheel is house under the rear of the vehicle – meaning you don't need to unload the boot to change a flat.

Active grade Santa Fe variants ride on 17-inch alloy wheels and are shod with 235/65-series tyres. The smaller wheel and larger tyre profile combination proves more comfortable than we've experience from the Highlander's 19-inch wheels, and is also a whisker quieter on the open road – the only real noise noticed a hint of wind coming from the Santa Fe's wing mirrors.

Like many in this class, the Santa Fe employs an on-demand all-wheel drive system. In normal circumstances the front wheels drive the car, the rear wheels only engaged when the system recognises a deficit of traction.

It's a fast-acting and seamless system which does not feel as front-oriented as you may think. In fact, compared to a front-wheel drive European SUV sampled recently, the Santa Fe feels very planted, and thanks to its new suspension tune being more compliant over rough surfaces.

The Santa Fe is suspended by a modern MacPherson sturt front, multi-link rear arrangement tuned by HMCA for local conditions. A firmer rear set-up is also available should you choose to fit the 2000kg (braked) tow pack.

We sampled the 2.2-litre R Series turbo-diesel in the Santa Fe and found that, with the exception of a little turbo lag, it's a smooth operator with a refined manner once off idle. The engine has a distinct diesel 'rattle' at idle, though again it's not as loud as some in this class, and is perhaps only evident because of Hyundai's lack of an idle stop-start system.

Married to a six-speed automatic, the drivetrain provides linear and purposeful acceleration, and is willing to kick-down quickly for overtaking. We found the transmission to be more eager than previously noted, HMCA citing a software upgrade as the remedy. The crew have also updated the electrically-assisted steering software, eliminating the previous 'digital' feel but still not doing wonders for road feel.

But it's perhaps the only real negative experienced from the driver's seat. The seating position is comfortable and offers a good view of the road ahead. It is well-placed to access all of the primary controls, and the Santa Fe's switchgear. On that front, we did find the HVAC system a little clumsy, the horizontal switch for temperature control awkward by comparison to the circular dial found in most competitors.

The standard reversing camera is a boon in the large SUV, too, as the model's thicker D pillars and upswept rear-end does impact on vision when reversing. It's a common trait in many SUVs, and one shorter drivers may find particularly concerning.

The most impressive feature of the Santa Fe was not its after-sales support – nor its space and equipment levels – but its efficiency.

Admittedly my week with the vehicle saw a 30:70 split between city and highway travel but, even so, the average of 6.7L/100km achieved is rather impressive. I used a gentle driving style and the Santa Fe's ECO Active mode to obtain the number, squeezing 955km from the 64-litre tank.

As a vehicle that continues to impress – and one that seems to improve its value proposition each time we meet – the Santa Fe is a seven-seat SUV family buyers really should consider adding to the test drive list.

Also consider:
>> Ford Territory (from $36,990 plus ORCs)
>> Kia Sorento (from $38,990 plus ORCs)
>> Toyota Kluger (from $40,990 plus ORCs)