T HE SUV landscape is changing. The clear distinction between SUV and crossover appears to be blurring as buyers’ emphases shift from all-terrain ability to everyday usability. We’re seeing the transition take place with a number of previously hairy-chested SUVs eschewing their bakkie-based underpinnings in favour of a more car-like unibody construction to aid on-road manners. Such is the case with the new Hyundai Santa Fe. Many of this seven-seater model’s contemporaries still see their bodywork perched on bakkie underpinnings and therefore boast stronger off-road credentials, but when honestly looking at the balance of time spent in town versus rock-hopping, does a car such as the Santa Fe start making more sense?
Nowhere is the SUV’s transformation into a more car-like offering more apparent than the styling and packaging. It looks suitably upmarket in its third iteration, ushering in a new design idiom dubbed Storm Edge – an evolution of the swoopy Fluidic Sculpture lines first seen on the Sonata. The interior is similarly tastefully executed, with good material quality across the twin-cockpit facia design that creates a clean canvas for the logically laid-out instrumentation. This model’s panoramic sunroof also lends some brightness to the largely dark-trimmed cabin. The front seats, which are pleasantly sculpted and supportive, are heated and electrically adjustable.
Although the wheelbase remains the same as that of the previous model, the new car is longer and lower. The upshot of which is a marginal reduction in headroom and an increase in second-row legroom, aided by a bench that slides by up to 235 mm. The rear accommodation, especially with the second row in full slide, is still best suited to youngsters because the ingress between rows is tight. It also feels a touch claustrophobic owing to the abundance of dark plastics and small quarter-light windows. But there are air vents and drinks/toy holders back there, the legroom on offer is reasonable and the seat feels supportive and substantial.
Folding the seats is a cinch, with the rearmost pews requiring only a gentle pull to snap in place, while tugging on convenient levers in the boot can drop the second row. Although the second row doesn’t fold completely flat, the third does and frees up a respectable 1 352 dm3 of utility space. As in most seven seaters, luggage space is limited with all the seats raised – in the Santa Fe’s case that means just 96 dm3. Thankfully, there’s 496 dm3 in five-seat configuration and the 675 mm load-lip height means that loading kids/groceries/hounds doesn’t entail a stretch for shorter folk.
A scan through the features checklist will show that the range-topping Elite model is lavishly equipped and safety is well catered for with six airbags, traction and stability control, and ABS with EBD. But, there are two surprising omissions, Bluetooth and RDS, which are present in most rival offerings in its class. Integrated Bluetooth will be available in units from April, with a slight increase in the retail price. In the interim, an aftermarket solution is available for the customer to have fitted at extra cost at point of purchase.
Perhaps the Hyundai Santa Fe’s biggest drawcard is its on-road demeanour. Hyundai claims to have imbued the latest model with driving characteristics rivalling those of most saloon cars and it largely delivers on that front.
The MacPherson front/multilink rear suspension setup is supple and doesn’t give in easily to body roll when tackling a sweeping bend. This feeling is further reinforced by an active traction-control system that reins in understeer by braking an inside rear wheel to pull the nose into line. The steering is an electric setup utilising Hyundai’s three-stage Flex Steer system. While it exhibits the slightly vague feel expected of an SUV, the steering is generally fine in its normal setting, while sport and comfort make a negligible difference to the weighting. What further lends to the Santa Fe’s car-like bearing are a driving position that is raised without being out of touch with the road and good levels of engine- and road-noise suppression.
This on-road bias means that, in terms of outright off-road ability, the Hyundai Santa Fe can’t keep up with its bakkie-based rivals. The AWD system is a front-/rear-torque-apportioning setup, with a 50:50 torque locker, and is supplemented by a hill-descent system. With just 185 mm of ground clearance, you need to tread carefully off the beaten track, but our testers found it capable enough to tackle mild to moderate off-road work. One tester commented that the hill-descent system struggled to modulate braking on a steep decline.
The 2,2-litre common-rail turbodiesel develops 145 kW and a respectable 423 N.m of torque from just 1 800 r/min. Power delivery is strong and linear in nature, resulting in good overtaking acceleration and meeting the manufacturer’s claimed 10-second 0-100 km/h time. By and large, the six-speed automatic transmission is smooth in its operation and kicks down keenly but it does hang onto third under hard acceleration, especially on even moderate inclines. As a result, the engine’s otherwise refined nature can occasionally give way to some drone.
While many vehicles of this ilk (near-two tonnes and auto-equipped) have a healthy appetite for diesel, the Santa Fe bucked the trend by besting its claimed 8,3 litres/100 km with a fuel-route reading of 8,0 litres/100 km. This is great news for those with long distances in mind, but there is a caveat: your wanderings will be determined by the availability of the 50 ppm diesel that this engine requires.
Test Summary
Perhaps the biggest hurdle in the Hyundai Santa Fe’s path is the hard-to-digest R499 900 asking price that easily eclipses most of its rivals. There is greater value further down the model line. Opting for the slightly less well equipped Executive-spec model will forego little in the way of features (panoramic sunroof, electric parking brake, electric seats and a couple of other bits and bobs), while placing the Santa Fe squarely in its rivals courts with an asking price just shy of R460 000.
Then there’s the question of off-road ability; when it comes to the real rough stuff, body-on-chassis models remain the choice for those who regularly ferry their family to the bundu. But, here’s the rub: can buyers of seven-seater SUVs honestly claim to spend more of their time off-road than on it? Let’s be frank; the majority of bakkie-based SUVs spend most of their time plying highways and crawling around suburbia where their bouncy ride and iffy handling become a daily compromise. The Hyundai Santa Fe is probably the most car-like model of its kind and is appreciably more civilised than its aforementioned rivals. Factor in enough off-road ability to meet most needs and, as a proposition, it begins to make a good deal of sense.
