Hyundai Santa Fe, first drive

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Thursday, 04 March 2010 18:33

In the past the Santa Fe 4x4 has been one of Hyundai’s undersold, or underappreciated, models.

Named after the famous Santa Fe Railway the latest models should soon be on the right tracks to improve their profile because, thanks to the Scrappage Scheme, Hyundai is now firmly on the radar of new and used car buyers.

When the Scrappage Scheme stops at the end of March Hyundai UK estimates they will have sold around 45,000 cars by Scrappage deals for their new generation ‘i’ small to medium sized models – the i10/i20/i30 ranges. This total will be the highest in the industry – more than Ford, Vauxhall, Nissan and their sister brand Kia. Just as important is the fact that 93% of Hyundai’s Scrappage sales have been to conquest customers who probably would have not considered the Korean brand before.

There will be some spin-off awareness now for other models in the Hyundai range such as the new Santa Fe midsized 4x4 available with a 2.2-litre diesel engine, all wheel drive, in five or seven seat versions and priced from £21,495.

Hyundai’s success with the Scrappage Scheme has already brought them the title of ‘Carmaker of the Year’ awarded by the leading industry publication AM Magazine (Automotive Management).

Established in 1967, Hyundai Motor Co. has grown into Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group which was ranked as the world’s fifth largest automaker in 2007. In 2008 the company sold nearly three million vehicles in 193 countries.

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The previous Santa Fe models, midsized, family 4x4s or ‘soft offroaders’, although being perfectly fit-for-purpose, have not had the desirability value to muscle their way into the dual-purpose market sector with the Honda CR-V, Land Rover Freelander, Toyota RAV4, Mitsubishi Outlander and its Citroen C-Crosser and Peugeot 4007 counterparts being more popular. The sector has also expanded to include crossover SUVs such as the two and four wheel drive Ford Kuga, the best selling Nissan Qashqai range, Peugeot 3008 and the latest addition - Hyundai’s all new ix35.

Now with a higher brand profile and a significantly improved powertrain and sharper styling the Santa Fe should now be on the right tracks to improve its sales potential. The worst Winter for three decades and with 4x4s high up on the agenda for many new car buyers, it could be the right vehicle at the right time.

Specification, size, build quality, reliability, comfort and attractive pricing have all been reasons to buy a Santa Fe. In these respects nothing has changed. The Company has a target of 2,000 new Santa Fe UK sales this year and already they have 500 units on backorder from the factory but supply is not an issue and more can be shipped to the UK if required.

Good news is the new versions are a few hundred pounds cheaper with more power and more equipment than the models they replace. These ‘mores’ add up to around £2,000 better value for money. Prices range from £21,495 to £25,495. All models have a new 2.2-litre turbodiesel engine with six-speed manual or automatic transmission options and there are five and seven seat versions of both the Style and Premium trim levels on offer. Although retail customers make up the majority of Hyundai’s current clients, the business user-chooser, company car and some fleet buyers are now looking at the brand because of the lower tax implications, five year warranty and value for money.

In styling terms the latest Santa Fe the changes are concentrated on the finer details and its strong silhouette is instantly recognisable. At the front, the black two bar grille is replaced by chrome-edged three bar version that brings more distinction and flows into the strong creases running down the bonnet. Revised headlight clusters sit above a new, more sculpted bumper which also houses new fog lights in a black surround. The rear gains a new bumper that curves neatly into more distinctive light clusters, while trapezoidal exhaust pipes and new alloy wheel designs improve the car’s stance and presence on the road.

On the inside carbon black trim replaces the previous wood finishes to highlight the Santa Fe’s modern feel, and the standard single CD/RDS radio now comes with an AUX/USB connection with full iPod control for increased functionality.

The range has been simplified, with the two-model range now comprising of entry-level Style and higher spec Premium. Style models are packed with standard equipment: 17-inch alloy wheels, reversing sensors, ESP, air conditioning and electrically operated windows and door mirrors are among the standard features. Premium specification adds 18-inch wheels, dual climate control, heated leather seats with electric adjustment for the driver and automated lights and wipers amongst others.

The Santa Fe retains its MPV-rivalling practicality, with the more versatile seven-seat option available for a modest £750 on both Style and Premium models. In either version it offers a huge 969-litres of load space in a five-seat configuration rising to a van-like 2,247-litres with all the rear seats folded. This is an increase of 34 litres over the previous model. Seven-seat versions are also fitted with a self-levelling rear suspension and rear privacy glass as standard, while five-seat versions get a substantial under-floor storage area that is ideal for keeping wet or dirty items away from the main boot area. The really big plus points for seven seat models is that the middle and rear rows fold easily into the floor providing a large flat load base. It really doesn’t matter if you need seven seats, leave the rear row folded and you still have huge carrying space and that is important for our modern-day active lifestyles. This feature would be my main reason to buy this vehicle – it is just so practical and user friendly. But if you want to use it as a towing vehicle, and many people buy an SUV for that purpose, be it caravan, boat or horse trailer, the maximum braked towing weight has been increased by 300kg to 2,500kg.

Another reason to buy the new Santa Fe is its new 2.2-litre direct injection, balancer shaft diesel engine. This Euro V compliant, all-aluminium 2,199cc powerplant offers up 194bhp backed by 311lb.ft of torque or 322lb.ft when specified with an automatic gearbox. This amounts to improvements of 26% and 27% respectively over the previous engine. Peak torque arrives at just 1,800rpm so the unit is responsive and the power progressive and it works well with the slick new six-speed auto gearbox – a nice combination. Top speed is 118mph and 0-62mph takes 10.2 seconds

Performance doesn’t come at the expense of economy as the combined cycle figure for manual transmission models now breaks the 40mpg barrier and emissions have fallen significantly to 176g/km, moving it down on the Vehicle Excise Duty to Band I which now costs £175 but from April will be £300 for its first year of registration before dropping to £200 a year. However choosing an automatic transmission model means significantly higher VED charges. The official combined cycle fuel economy is 38.2mpg, exactly what my test model returned, but with emissions of 194-197g/km this means a high Group J VED band of £215 a year now, but increasing from April under the new first year rules to £425 before returning to £235. For business users Benefit-in-Kind tax levels range from 26 to 30% depending on the version chosen. To offset the running costs service interval times have been doubled to 20,000 miles and the five year unlimited mileage warranty helps offset tax implications.

The previous Santa Fe always offered a comfortable ride, perhaps a bit too soft so the handling was on the sloppy side. The suspension has been revised and tuned for our roads and is certainly firmer but not so much as to be annoying and the handling is now sharper, more controlled and relatively precise. The suspension still makes light work of absorbing the shocks and jolts from the ever increasing number of potholes.

The Santa Fee has a 4-star EuroNCAP rating for both adult and child occupants. The vehicle now has a rollover sensor which detects any possible inversion and automatically deploys side airbags and seat belt pre-tensioners. All versions are fitted with twin front, side and full length curtain airbags, while active head restraints are now standard across the range.

Alongside the on-demand four wheel drive system fitted across the range, all Santa Fes now come with ESP in addition to traction control and ABS with electronic brakeforce distribution. In normal conditions the ‘torque on demand’ system runs in two-wheel drive mode, unless sensors detect a loss of grip. Drive is then automatically split between the front and rear axles to maximise traction. The system can be locked into four-wheel drive mode with the simple push of a button but there is no low ratio setting so it’s sensible off-roading, rather than workhorse traction.

As a package the new Santa Fe offers a great deal - and that could be the unofficial ‘mission statement’ from Hyundai, ‘whatever the model it’s a great deal’.

MILESTONES: Hyundai Santa Fe 2.2 CRDi Premium 7-Seat Auto. Price: £25,495. Engine/Transmission: 2.2-litre, four-cylinder, common rail turbodiesel, 194bhp, 322lb ft (436Nm) from 1,800rpm, 6-speed automatic, on demand 4x4 with ‘lock-in’ function. Performance: 118mph, 0-62mph 10.2 seconds, 38.2mpg in the Combined Cycle, (test mpg 38.2mpg), CO2 197g/km, VED Band J £215 now but £425 from April for the first year of registration then £235 per annum, BIK tax 30%. Insurance group: 30. Dimensions/capacities: L4,460mm, W1,890mm, H1,760mm, load area 969-2,247-litres, maxim braked towing weight 2,000kg (2,500kg for manual model). For: Very roomy, versatile interior space, good looks, well priced, fine new diesel engine and auto transmission, drives well, five year warranty. Against: Foot operated parking brake, indicator/wiper stalks on the wrong sides of the column for European use, some interior trim is a bit plasticky but looks ok, not all that cheap to run and residual values need to be improved. Miles Better News Agency http://www.girlracer.co.uk