Hyundai Santa Fe Highlander 2018 Review — Long-term test #1

At first glance our latest long-term press test vehicle, a Hyundai Santa Fe Highlander, is not exactly a feast for the eyes. Finished in a metallic brown-grey with a charcoal leather interior the Santa Fe looked drab and unappealing, to be frank about it – not helped at all by being handed over filthy after a long drive.

It was a far cry from the pristine Mazda CX-8 driven a week earlier – the dark blue metallic SUV that had the family oohing and aaahing over the white Nappa leather upholstery. In contrast with that CX-8, the Hyundai Santa Fe Highlander looked just a bit dreary.

But under the skin the Santa Fe is an excellent bus. Forget the uninspiring paint job, it's the driving experience that will colour consumer opinion. On the road the flagship Hyundai Santa Fe's engine is just not audible; the 2.2-litre four-cylinder diesel spins lazily at 1600rpm for a cruising speed of 100km/h. Only mild noise intrudes at that sort of speed, some from wind and some from where the road makes contact with the 19-inch Continental tyres.

There's plenty of torque available and the Hyundai Santa Fe Highlander is so well insulated that it will usually hold gears down to around 1500rpm with little in the way of diesel-associated vibration and harshness. Some minor labouring is occasionally evident when caught out at even lower engine speeds in a high gear, but that doesn't happen frequently.

The engine drives through an eight-speed automatic equipped with shift paddles, which could be useful for occasions towing something out of the water or plugging away through boggy conditions when the driver may not want the transmission shifting up automatically. But for most Santa Fe owners they're likely to be redundant, particularly for their original purpose: selecting the right gear for hard-core performance motoring.

The automatic is a new transmission from Hyundai, boasting two extra cogs. It's a refined unit that contributes to that quiet running at open-road speeds and an official ADR fuel consumption figure of 7.5L/100km, an incremental reduction from the previous model's figure of 7.8L/100km. Over a 72km test loop the Santa Fe posted a fuel consumption figure of 9.2L/100km, but shorter trips in the suburbs and from a cold start will result in fuel consumption figures of around 10L/100km or higher.

In diesel Highlander form the Santa Fe drives all four wheels – and in our experience it's a proper full-time system that doesn't hang around waiting for wheel slip before it reacts. It also pays its way keeping the Santa Fe fairly balanced while cornering.

Ride and handling both benefit from local chassis tuning. The balance between the two is exceptional for such a big vehicle, weighing just under two tonnes. During recent Car of the Year testing, the Santa Fe divided opinion on that point. Some judges were full of praise for the seven-seater's agility in the face of physics. Others did note the Hyundai's lardiness.

I'll say it: I'm on the side of those who found the Santa Fe enjoyable to drive, although body roll is apparent once the driver begins to push on harder in corners. That can feel alarming, but the Santa Fe's roadholding is actually thoroughly dependable and secure.

Steering is heavy, but there's commendable feedback through the wheel. Until familiar to use, the brake pedal action feels like it's on a hair trigger. That 'sudden' assistance is not just illusion though. There's enough stopping power available for emergencies.

Out on country roads at night, the Santa Fe Highlander's intelligent high-beam assist system didn't put a foot wrong. It was complemented by a lane-keep assist system that was almost acceptable. It seems more 'focused' in Sport mode and copes better with tracking through corners on country roads in that setting.

For the adults riding around in the Santa Fe, it's a cushy gig. The seats are very comfortable in the front and in the second row. During Car of the Year testing it was noted that the front seats in particular featured soft cushioning but were well bolstered to hold the occupants in place once the pace picked up a notch.

The Santa Fe's interior features different trim materials throughout the cabin including leather, textured plastics and a combination of materials resembling satin-finish aluminium, carbon fibre and piano-gloss black lacquer. There's a secondary carpet mat in the rear of the Santa Fe for additional sound insulation and to conceal the third-row seats when not in use.

In keeping with other Hyundai models, the Santa Fe's instruments and controls are easy enough to read and use – provided you haven't just stepped straight out of something oddball from Europe. Despite their legibility, the major instruments are not lacking style. There's a flared underline for the digital needles, for instance, and the blue graphics offset the functionality of the instrument cluster.

There are plenty of gadgets on board in this level of trim, including Apple CarPlay/Android Auto connectivity, inductive smartphone charging, seat heaters for the front and second-row seating and even heating for the steering wheel.

Although it's marketed as a seven-seat SUV, the Santa Fe Highlander feels cramped in the third-row seat unless the occupants are kids yet to hit their teenage years. As we noted in our comparison with the Mazda CX-9 at the end of July, the big Mazda is undeniably roomier inside.

Pulling on corded straps will raise the third-row seats out of the floor and levers in the boot will lower the second-row seats for additional load capacity.

Entering the third row of seating requires some contortion, ducking the head to climb in through the open door and past the forward-folded second-row seat. In that respect, access is easier for the front-seat occupants, thanks to the adult-appropriate hip-point.

Folding the second-row seat forward is facilitated by means of either a lever pull at the base of the squab on the passenger side, or a quick-release button. The Santa Fe's seat slides forward easily, and fitting an ISOFIX-compliant child safety seat in the second row is simple and fast.

Passengers at the very rear of the Santa Fe can keep cool with separate adjustable vents for the climate control system's third zone. The fan speed can be modulated from there, but not temperature (which would make it a fourth zone – and probably unnecessary for very young kids located in that seat).

With the third-row seats raised and ready for action there's not much luggage space left behind, but the Santa Fe boasts a powered tailgate that lifts nice and high for taller bods to walk underneath without sustaining concussion. And for those who can't abide tyre repair kits or space-savers, the Santa Fe has a ridge-didge full-size spare below the boot, fitted to a matching alloy wheel.

The upside of the Hyundai's limited internal dimensions is that the Santa Fe is a little more compact externally. And that might be of benefit for families in suburbia, where the parking is at a premium and smaller packages are bound to be easier to manoeuvre. In that regard the Santa Fe is pretty easy to steer around obstacles and into narrower niches. It also parks itself, although most people will find the Santa Fe easy enough to park without the automated system anyway.

And if the worst that can be said about the Hyundai Santa Fe is that it could be a bit roomier inside, then it's still ticking a lot of boxes.

How much does the 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Highlander cost?
Price: $60,500 (retail, plus ORCs); $62,185 (as tested, plus ORCs)
Engine: 2.2-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder
Output: 147kW/440Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel: 7.5L/100km (ADR Combined); 9.2L/100km (as tested)
CO2: 198g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: TBA

Long-Term Tests
We aim to make your choice of vehicle easier. Our Editorial section does this via our mix of news, international and local launch reviews, as well as our seven-day tests.

From time to time we also take the opportunity to spend even longer with a vehicle. These longer-term tests can be as short as a couple of weeks, but more recently we’ve settled on a three-month period as indicative of ‘normal’ ownership.

Long-term tests give our staff writers and contributors a chance to get to know a car as an owner would. While the car is with us, we pay for fuel, the servicing, and generally use and live with the car as a new owner would.

We believe long-term tests give car buyers a deeper insight into the vehicle on test, but also the qualities behind the brand and nameplate. The extended period also allows us to touch base with the dealer networks in question.

It comes as no surprise that manufacturers tend to have a love-hate relationship with long-term tests. Three months is plenty long enough to fall out of love with the latest and greatest, and start to nit-pick — just like real owners do.