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There
always seems to be a deal in Hyundai
showrooms, a tactic that helped the brand to clear the 100,000 sales mark for
the first time last year.
This
month it’s a free diesel upgrade on the Santa Fe, which gives me a
good reason to jump into one.
But
this time around I’m not opening the door on the top-line Highlander, which
draws more than half of Santa
Fe buyers despite its $54,000 price tag, and
instead I go for the starting-price Active.
The
current deal means a Santa
Fe diesel manual starts at $38,490, the basic petrol price, with the auto
jumping to $40,990. It’s pretty tasty stuff in a class where its only real
seven-seater price rivals are the Ford Territory, Nissan Pathfinder, Toyota
Kluger and — no surprise, in the South Korean clone car wars — Kia’s Sorento.
In a
world that’s overstuffed with SUVs, the Santa Fe is a nice surprise.
What it says on the box is what you get. It’s a big, family-friendly SUV with
good cabin space and the stuff you really need.
It
would be better if the tow rating was higher than two tones but it’s not the
sort of serious four-wheel drive you would take on a big trip into the outback.
For city and suburban use it’s fine. The view is good, it’s relatively easy to
park considering its heft and there is good access to the three rows of seats.
The luggage space is impressive as a five-seater but — and it’s not remotely
alone — I wouldn't want to carry seven people and their gear for more than a
few kilometres.
The
CRDi Active, as it’s called, comes with a six-speed auto and a diesel that
makes 145kW/436Nm. It can be a bit sluggish at times but there is solid pulling
power and it is easy to resort to the manual side of the shift even without
flappy paddles when you need to go.
The
economy is good and the noise levels are fine, for the class and price. It’s
definitely not the quietest diesel I’ve driven this year but it’s all right.
One
thing I love is the suspension. It’s been properly and expertly tuned for
Australian roads and drivers, unlike some opponents including the Pathfinder
and Kluger which at times flop and flounce on poor surfaces.
It’s
much cushier than I expect following a suspension upgrade in the final quarter of
last year, coping easily with anything I can find to try and trick it through
potholes or over bumps.
The Santa Fe even tops the Jeep
Grand Cherokee that’s in the driveway at the same time, which comes as a
surprise, and is also nicer than the new Honda CR-V. It’s all about compliance
and control, which Hyundai
has right now on all its vehicles.
I’m not
happy about the size of the infotainment screen, which seems tiny compared to
that CR-V and makes it a little tougher to use the rear-view camera. The
tail-end view is also blunted by a camera that’s not good after dark.
It’s
the same with the headlamps, which could be a lot brighter for high-beam use.
My
other complaint is the Isofix child-seat mounts, which are hard to use. It’s
about the shape of the seats, which provide good shape and support in the front
buckets but are a bit more complicated in the second row and cover the hooks
where the seat attaches.
VERDICT
The Santa Fe is a solid performer
and is a smart choice for families. It’s cheaper than the
Pathfinder, comes with the diesel you can’t get in the Kluger and is far newer
and more refined than the Territory.
It’s a
good jigger. So I give it The Tick.
Specifications
Price: From $38,490
Warranty: 5yr/unlimited km
Resale: 54 per cent
Service Interval: 12 months/15,000km
Safety: 5-star ANCAP
Engine: 2.4-litre 4-cyl turbocharged petrol,
145kW/436Nm
Transmission: 6-spd automatic;
AWD
Spare: full-size alloy
Thirst: 7.3L/100km, 209g/km CO2 Tank 64L
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