Hyundai Santa Fe SR 2015 Review

Belting around the hilly back roads near Ballina on the NSW far north coast behind the wheel of a seven-seat SUV was not how I was expecting to spend my weekend. Indeed, the Hyundai Santa Fe SR tested hereabouts was, frankly, a surprise... In a good way!

The drive program had been 'sold' to us as an opportunity to check out the updated 2015 model year Santa Fe, which among other changes adds LED fog lights, ventilated air-conditioned seats, a hands (and legs) free powered tailgate and lane-departure warning system. No-one expected Hyundai had plans to spring a beefed-up and hunkered down SR version on us.

As it turned out, the new SR takes the Santa Fe to a new, slightly warmer level, with improved brakes, suspension, wheels and tyres endowing it with a more tenacious attitude – relatively speaking. This is an almost two tonne diesel-powered family hauler, nonetheless Hyundai Australia's chassis gurus have done a good job, making the car quicker on its feet and more involving to drive.

The seven-seater also gets a sporty makeover to match, comprising a front chin spoiler, side skirts and rear diffuser.

While the Santa Fe SR is not so low to the ground that you'll scrape it on steep drive-ways, the lower body kit provides the car with a suitably athletic stance. The matt black 19-inch OZ alloy wheels look out of place at first, but somehow became more appealing after driving it.

As the new flagship variant in the Santa Fe range, sitting above the Highlander model, the SR doesn't gain any new creature comforts, but standard features like heated and cooled seats, with reclining and heated middle row seats, electric everything, good Bluetooth streaming, sat nav, adjustable steering feel, a reversing camera and panoramic glass roof mean you're hardly slumming it.

Instead, the SR benefits from a new suspension package comprising recalibrated dampers (tested in Australia and designed to suit local conditions) and firmer H&R performance springs. Together with wider and stickier 235/55 Michelin Latitude Tour tyres shod to above-mentioned alloys, the suspension rig delivers crisper initial turn-in and significantly more mid-corner grip than the regular model.

Scything through the Ballina/Byron Bay hinterlands, the Santa Fe SR turned into corners with more conviction than the vanilla-flavoured models, the suspension reducing body roll and the tyres increasing grip and feel. Sitting flatter through corners, the SUV does a good job at masking its 1968kg mass.

Alas steering is lifeless and you do pay a price in terms of ride comfort. Bumps and lumps that are largely absorbed in the regular Santa Fe are clearly felt as the SR traverses cut-up, crumbling and patch-worked roads. And another not-so-rosy aspect is the early intervention of electronic stability control. In hindsight, perhaps the latter point is more of a pro...

The SR's other chief mechanical upgrade is the adoption of Brembo four-pot monobloc brake calipers at the front and twin-piston calipers at the rear. Hyundai reckons the result of the Italian stoppers and slightly larger brake discs contribute to an eight per cent improvement in stopping power, but to be honest I couldn't pick any difference. Even pedal feel wasn't markedly different.

That said I never had a reason to really punish the brakes so perhaps a seven-day test instead of a quick spin will shed more light on improvements.

What hasn't changed is the engine, unlike the other three SR models in Hyundai's range, including the i30 SR. The Santa Fe SR's 2.2-litre turbo-diesel engine is factory fresh, pumping out 145kW/436Nm.

In practice, the engine is strong performer from standstill with good reserves of torque meaning you can fly along at a brisk clip, but roll-on acceleration at speed isn't as decisive. This is an engine that takes a little longer to find its legs as the turbo huffs and puffs. In view of this, rather than using the tip-tronic override, the six-speed conventional automatic is better left in auto.

I can't help but feeling it's the high-quality Michelin tyres that seem to be the key to improving the Santa Fe SR's handling performance, while the brakes and suspension upgrades play solid supporting roles.

Overall, however, the Santa Fe SR does a very good job at offering something slightly sporty in what is a competitive large SUV segment.

Although ride quality cannot match the Ford Territory, the Santa Fe SR has much going for it. From its flexible (and comfy) seating arrangements, abundance of incidental storage solutions, frugal engine and stylish design to its five-year warranty, lifetime capped price servicing and 10 year's roadside assistance, the Korean SUV makes a lot of sense.

In motoring.com.au's last three large SUV comparisons the Santa Fe has come out on top. The SR model offers a little more attitude and a little more involvement. Kudos to Hyundai for taking the plunge.

Hyundai predicts the SR variant will account for less than 10 per cent of new Santa Fe sales, and will be priced above the Highlander model's $53,240 asking price.

2015 Hyundai Santa Fe SR pricing and specifications:
Price: $55,000+ (approx)
Engine: 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel
Output: 145kW/436Nm
Transmission: six-speed automatic
Fuel: 7.3L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 192g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: Five-star ANCAP

What we liked:
>> Sporty design
>> More involving handling
>> Practical cabin, lots of features

Not so much:
>> Firm ride quality
>> Could be expensive
>> Braking improvement minimal

Also consider: Ford Territory, Nissan Pathfinder, Toyota Kluger