Car review: Hyundai Santa Fe
The upgraded Hyundai Santa Fe, available in two derivatives, hit South Africa’s shores last year October, but we only managed to get our hands on one a couple of weeks back. The new Santa Fe features the most recent in Hyundai design. And of course emphasises advanced safety and comfort!
The Santa Fe is available in two derivatives with an extensive, Elite standard features package. The Santa Fe R2.2 5-seater Elite uses a front-wheel drive system, while the R2.2 7-seater Elite comes equipped with an all-wheel drive system that can be locked when needed.
- Advanced safety and comfort features include:
- Smart Cruise Control
- Blind Spot Detection
- Xenon projector headlamps
- Newly designed 19” alloy wheels
- New audio visual navigation system
- Smart tailgate system opens at push of a button
Its a good looking SUV and changes to this model are minimal. Front and rear design have been refreshed , however it still retains key elements of the Hyundai “family look”, featuring the brand’s hexagonal front grille, finished in chrome.
“The New Santa Fe features a number of important upgrades that emphasise its visual stance and athletic character,” says Stanley Anderson, marketing director of Hyundai Automotive South Africa. Adding that,
“As the flagship car in Hyundai’s local range and its SUV line-up, the Santa Fe benefits from several new technologies in the Hyundai stable, all contributing to a more luxurious and safer motoring experience.”
The new Hyundai Santa Fe also sees further enhancements from the optimised engines developed by Hyundai Motor for this third-generation model.
Hyundai’s 2.2-litre CRDi diesel engine has a power output of 145 kW and 436 Nm of torque. Coupled with a six-speed automatic gearbox, offering the option to manual gearshift.
CO2 emissions come in at 198g/km and fuel consumption at 8.0 litres/100km.
The Hyundai Santa Fe has three driving modes that can be selected via an instrument panel right off the steering wheel, consisting of Sport, Normal and Eco.
Eco mode will see the gears shifting slightly earlier, resulting in more frugal fuel consumption. They boast that in Eco mode, consumption drops to as low as 7.3-litres/100km on the open road.
Noticeably quiet, the Santa Fe is not only refined, but very comfortable too. It is of course very spacious, you can expect a boot capacity of 1 003 litres. If that isn’t enough for you, fold down the rear seats and you get 2 025 litres. There is more than enough space for the whole family! Speaking of family, isofix child seat anchorage points come standard!
Pricing
The prices of the two derivatives in the enhanced Santa Fe range are:
Santa Fe R2.2 2WD 5-seater Elite R699 900
Santa Fe R2.2 4WD 7-seater Elite R739 900
The prices of the enhanced Santa Fe range include a 5 years or 90 000 km service plan, and a 5 years or 150 000 km warranty and roadside assistance.