Hyundai Santa Fe '30' Special Edition 2016 Review

Hyundai Santa Fe ‘30’ Special Edition
Quick Spin

What’s it all about?
In 1986 colourful West Australian businessman Alan Bond launched Korean brand Hyundai in Australia with one model, the ‘cheap and cheerful’ Excel.

Priced from $9990, the Excel was initially sold through a single dealership, beginning the story of a trusted and nationally-recognised importer that tallied its millionth local sale just 26 years later.

Skip forward to 2016 and Hyundai Motor Company Australia (HMCA), as it’s been known since 2003, celebrates its on-going success with a pair of limited-edition SUVs. Tested here is the larger Santa Fe ‘30’ Special Edition, a derivative of the base-grade Santa Fe Active seven-seat SUV.

Finished exclusively in Mineral Blue metallic paint, just 300 examples of the Santa Fe ‘30’ Special Edition will be available, retailing from $40,790 (plus on-road costs).

In addition to those features found on the Santa Fe Active from which it is derived  the Santa Fe ‘30’ Special Edition adds heated wing mirrors, chrome exterior door handles, rear privacy glass, tyre-pressure monitoring, leather-appointed upholstery, dual-zone climate control, dark grey 19-inch alloy wheels and unique ‘30’ badging.

The list price includes Hyundai’s five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty, as well as its Lifetime Capped-Price Service and roadside assistance scheme.

Like all limited-edition models, the Santa Fe ‘30’ Special Edition is all about getting a few nice-to-have extras for only a little extra cost.

In this case, and in addition to the added features listed above, the Santa Fe ‘30’ Special Edition debuts Hyundai’s 199kW/318Nm multipoint-injected 3.3-litre V6 petrol engine, six-speed automatic transmission and front-wheel drive configuration.

The Santa Fe range scores a five-star ANCAP safety rating, and includes as standard seven airbags, anti-lock brakes, traction and stability control, reversing sensors and a reversing camera. Autonomous emergency braking (AEB), lane-departure warning, blind-spot monitoring, and radar cruise control are available in the range.

When is it available in Australia?
The Santa Fe ‘30’ Special Edition goes on sale from September 2016. Just 300 units are available nation-wide and are expected to sell quickly.

“We wanted to do something special to commemorate Hyundai’s 30 proud years in Australia and I’m happy to say we’ve achieved that with our unique Tucson ‘30’ and Santa Fe ‘30’ Special Editions,” said Hyundai Motor Company Australia COO, Scott Grant.

“These limited-edition versions of our stand-out Medium and Large SUV contenders really live up to their ‘30’ Special Edition status. They combine real value, unique looks, features and enhanced performance. I honestly expect they’ll sell quickly.”

Family buyers chasing the practicality of a Large SUV without spending the earth are in Hyundai’s sights. The V6 engine adds more get-up-and-go to the lower-end of the Santa Fe range; the price is normally the realm of Hyundai’s 2.4-litre petrol or 2.2-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder-powered models.

The Korean-built Santa Fe offers seating for seven and 516 litres of cargo space with the third-row seats stowed. Flip the 60:40 second-row bench and cargo capacity grows to 1615 litres. A 12-volt auxiliary power outlet is located in the cargo bay while a full-size matching alloy spare wheel sits beneath the floor.

Braked towing is rated to 2000kg, perfect for a medium-sized caravan, boat or trailer.

Tech-savvy buyers will also appreciate the Santa Fe ‘30’ Special Edition’s infotainment system offering, which includes Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, while family buyers will understand the importance of air-conditioning ventilation and controls for the second and third rows.

Selling in the Large SUV segment locally, the Santa Fe ‘30’ Special Edition sits just ahead of the base grade Santa Fe Active, and just below the mid-grade Santa Fe Elite (from $49,990 plus ORCs). The Santa Fe range begins with the Active model (from $39,350 plus ORCs) and tops-out with the Santa Fe SR (from $64,250 plus ORCs).

Like most of the Large SUV segment, the Santa Fe range is offered with a mix of engines and drivetrain configurations. For the Santa Fe these include 2.4-litre petrol and 2.2-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder units, and now a 3.3-litre V6 petrol engine; six-speed manual and automatic transmissions are offered in the range, as is the availability of front or all-wheel drive.

The Santa Fe vies with Large SUV competitors including the Holden Captiva, Kia Sorento, Mazda CX-9, Nissan Pathfinder and Toyota Kluger.

The value equation of the Santa Fe ‘30’ Special Edition is pretty hard to ignore. The additional equipment offerings place the model on near-level footing with the second-tier Santa Fe Elite, while at the same time saving a couple of thousand dollars.

Add the punchy all-aluminium V6 engine to the mix and the Santa Fe ‘30’ Special Edition is simply great value. Sure, the fuel economy mightn’t be as sharp as the 2.2-litre R-Series diesel offered elsewhere in the range (see below), but we think buyers chasing better highway and overtaking performance will be happy to make the sacrifice.

The transmission of the Santa Fe ‘30’ Special Edition can be a little busy in undulating terrain, though the use of Sport mode seems to settle it. We admire the ride quality of the latest-generation of Santa Fe and find it to be predictable dynamically. That said, the front-wheel drive V6 is a little nose-heavy when pushed.

But as a family car the Santa Fe is a winner. Add the extras of the Santa Fe ‘30’ Special Edition to the formula – not to mention the sporty blue-on-black looks – and we think you’d be hard pressed to match the value on offer anywhere this side of Holden’s ho-hum Captiva; and compared to that model especially, the Santa Fe ‘30’ Special Edition really is money better spent.

Price: $40,790 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 3.3-litre six-cylinder petrol
Output: 199kW/318Nm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Fuel: 9.6L/100km (ADR Combined) -- 11.2L/100km as tested
CO2: 229g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Five-star ANCAP

Also consider:
>> Kia Sorento (from $40,990 plus ORCs)
>> Mazda CX-9 (from $42,490 plus ORCs)
>> Toyota Kluger (from $42,190 plus ORCs)

Related reading:
>> Hyundai Santa Fe Active Review
>> Large SUV 2016 Comparison