Hyundai Santa Fe 2007 Review

Road Test

Overall Rating: 3.0/5.0
Engine/Drivetrain/Chassis: 3.5/5.0
Price, Packaging and Practicality: 4.0/5.0
Safety: 2.5/5.0
Behind the wheel: 3.0/5.0
X-factor: 3.5/5.0

About our ratings

Once an all-wheel-drive softroader from the $12,990 car company, Hyundai's Santa Fe has matured a lot in under a decade. For a start, the range now boasts a bigger petrol engine, there's a new diesel and in some models, all-wheel-drive grip has been replaced by two-wheel drive and driver-aid electronics.

Criticism of earlier 2.7 litre Santa Fe models as being underpowered has been addressed with the new all-alloy 3.3 litre V6 engines fitted to both our back-to-back test-cars.

But it's the more visual changes to metal and trim that are more immediately apparent -- gone are the humpy Roman nose front fender treatment, the squat ugly-ducking tail and plastic-fantastic interior... All have been replaced with a more svelte European style, inside and out.

The five-door wagon's silhouette and deep, curvaceous bumpers are Audi-esque, without Audi's rude snout, while inside, tasteful maple wood trim with satin alloy accents compliment an exemplary cabin layout.

Year-on-year, Hyundai has steadily dug itself out of the mire of Korean mediocrity to the point that Japanese and some European carmakers are already including the marque on their lists of serious competitors for consumer-dollars.

In contrast to earlier Santa Fe models, the new echelon of generously proportioned seven-seater wagons are two-wheel drive only, a raft of electronic driver aids closing the gap between front and all-wheel traction capabilities.

Apart from the modern styling, trim upgrades and two-wheel drive alternative, the new engine addresses the major shortfall of the earlier smaller Santa Fe V6. The 2.7 litre version delivered a peaky 138kW at 6000rpm and a puny 248Nm at 4000rpm, whereas the 3.3's figures are a more impressive 180kW at the same busy 6000rpm and 309Nm at 3500.

The multi-valve motor's mated to an adaptive Tiptronic 5-speed auto. And while automatic transmissions aren't everyone's favourite, this is a good one. Responsive, eager but not hyperactive, it will match your driving style within a few kilometres and for even the keenest control-freak, selecting gears manually will soon become a bit of a chore.

Putting the power down through just two driven wheels is made more predictable thanks to traction and stability control software, matched by ABS brakes empowered with EBD braking force distribution.

That said, stability control (ESP) is one of a handful of features where Hyundai still has some catching up to do. On both the SLX and the Elite, the ESP system was tardy in operating and took a lot of provoking -- and when it was eventually invoked, it performed harshly.

On both cars, but more so on the SLX, it was possible to get the vehicle slewing a long way off line before the ESP snatched one or more of the brake discs -- on at least one occasion violently enough to invoke the ABS all by itself. Compared to Japanese and Euro vehicles, where the ESP is engaged earlier and with much more finesse, the Hyundai's system is reluctant to initiate and crude in operation.

Most drivers would be able to react and start to steer out of the slide before the electronics woke up.

Only one other feature jarred and it's a minor point -- the left foot rest is virtually flat and an inclined one would be more restful. Yet the rest of the cabin, with plentiful storage options that even includes a chilled centre console, reach and rake steering wheel, VW-like blue-backlit instruments and controls, is a pleasant place to travel.

There's a drop-down sunglasses storage tray and also a kiddie-check mirror ("Conversation" mirror in Hyundai-speak) in the middle of the roof, along with no less than eight illuminating lamps. There are three 12v power sockets and the rear seat passengers get their own aircon control, switchable from the dashboard.

Despite there being two fold-away occasional seats in the rear of the vehicle, Hyundai has also managed to fit in a full-sized spare wheel and a 75-litre fuel tank in a brilliant piece of packaging. Incidentally, the SLX uses 235/65 tyres on 17-inch alloys, while the Elite rolls on 235/60 rubber on 18-inch rims.

While the Elite version offers leather furniture which includes a ten-way electrically adjustable driver's and four-way adjustable front passenger's seat, a sunroof, auto-on headlamps, chromatic mirror with embedded compass, climate control and a slightly upmarket dash-layout; the SLX still has a veritable book-full of features.

Nice touches include the rear seat's aircon controls, decent leg-space and no less than eight interior lamps in the roof.

On the passive safety front, Hyundai packs in the usual pre-tensioner, load-limited safety belts and front SRS crash-bags and includes front seat side (thorax) bags and three-row curtain bags too, for good measure.

At 4675mm long, 1890mm wide, 1795mm high and with a kerb weight of 1886kg, the Santa Fe is a big, heavy car and even with a willing 3.3 litre V6 engine it will never be a sprint-star. Despite that, it's worth noting that the new Elite, in two-wheel drive form, is only 8kg lighter than its all-wheel-drive, four-speed auto, 2.7-litre predecessor.

The test cars' onboard trip-computers recorded almost identical figures of 12.5 and 12.4lt/100km, against Hyundai's claimed figure of 10.7. That's enough of a difference to make us wonder quite how and where some manufacturers come up with their figures. Perhaps the ADR test needs to be revised to be more 'real world.'

A finely-calibrated suspension offers a supple ride and limited body-roll. The speed-sensitive rack and pinion steering is reasonably accurate but somewhat wooden and despite the wide, low-profile big-inch wheels and tyres, there's commendably little road-noise on most hard surfaces. However, all that mass, the 2.7m wheelbase and the disconnected-feeling steering make the Santa Fe less than engaging on dirt roads.

It will certainly get where it's pointed and both 3.3s managed to get up and around our preferred dirt-road assault course -- despite having only two driven wheels -- but the recalcitrant ESP system didn't engender confidence.

That said, even the very top drawer Santa Fe SLX Elite represents exceptionally good value for money -- it's fully-loaded and about the only features not on the standard-list are rear-seat entertainment and satellite navigation.

And then there's Hyundai's five-year warranty. With cars like the Santa Fe and the new i30, no wonder the Japanese (and European) manufacturers are taking the company seriously.

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