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Hyundai Santa Fe 2001 Review

The Santa Fe is another surprise packet from Hyundai.

One of the most surprising cars of 2000 was the Hyundai Accent. It was a cut above the car it replaced: strong, well-built, well-engineered, competent on the road and with few real weaknesses.
Now Hyundai has done it again with the surprise car of 2001, the Santa Fe.

It's the Korean carmaker's first attempt at a soft-roader four-wheel-drive and it's surprisingly good. It's given me a real surprise. It's never going to threaten a LandCruiser in the bush, or a BMW X5 on the boulevard, but it threatens to really shake things up in the Land Rover Freelander-Jeep Cherokee-Toyota Prado-Mitsubishi Pajero class.

The Santa Fe will never win a beauty pageant or even run a place against anything sweeter than a Holden Suburban, but it still gets the job done. It also proves Hyundai's engineers are getting much, much better at their jobs, though a quick spin last week in the latest Elantra showed they still don't know how to do a proper five-speed manual shift.

The Santa Fe was developed to put some oomph into Hyundai sales in the US, where every carmaker has at least one four-wheel-drive. The styling was developed to give it a unique look - and it succeeds - while the engineering is a permanent four-wheel-drive but in the on-road Subaru style without a low-range setting.

The Santa Fe adds a new edge to the crossover business in Australia with a price that puts it up against baby off-roaders, including the Toyota RAV4, but a body that's more like a Prado. It also comes with either four or six-cylinder engines, in two trim levels with pretty good standard equipment, and both manual and auto gearboxes.

The V6 is the new-generation motor that is also fitted to the Trajet people mover and destined soon for a spot in the new Coupe, with 132 kiloWatts and 247 Newton-metres. The four is a 2.4-litre unit with 106/200 numbers.

Hyundai did well to sneak the basic Sante Fe in at just below $30,000, while its engineers have taken on the Ford philosophy of "surprise and delight'' features in everything from the touch-change auto to storage compartments below the front seat and rear floor.

DRIVING

The Santa Fe isn't the best-looking four-wheel-drive on or off the road, but it makes a statement. Even from the driver's seat, you can see the flip-up front wings to remind you what you're in.

The GLS test car was roomy, comfortable and surprisingly swift. But much more importantly, it felt tough and durable, something I first found with the Accent and which is also in the new Elantra. The cabin still has the overdone and underpriced plastic in all Hyundais, but the seats are comfy, the driving position is good and it has plenty of gear, including CD sound and electric assists.

Performance is surprisingly good, like the Trajet, with a meaty surge of torque and plenty of top-end go. The gearbox shifted light and easy but there was no real need for the touch-change manual with only four speeds to vary, apart from in soft off-roading.

The Santa Fe has good ground clearance and handles gravel roads and shallow sand without problems. But it couldn't cope with a couple of sharp climbs. Then again, the Land Rover Freelander also failed a similar trial.

The ride and handling are good, surprisingly good for a Hyundai, though it takes a lot of wheel work in tight corners and is a relentless push-on style of car. The suspension can get soggy in the nose and do the bunny-hop in the tail if you tackle a lot of corrugations, but it's fine for most jobs. It also doesn't rock and roll like some off-roaders, which is good news for convert customers.

The Santa Fe is also easy to park, quiet and reasonable on fuel, though soft-roading will see it dip sharply. But the headlights are ordinary and it could do with a bit more excitement in the cabin.

It's easy to find rivals for the new Hyundai, but none is a direct match. It won't lure people who want the Honda badge on a CRV or the Toyota reputation of a RAV4 or Prado. However, it could come up with plenty of other converts from opponents as diverse as the Jeep Cherokee and Suzuki Grand Vitara.

The Santa Fe isn't the best off-roader available, but its strengths and value pricing, as well as that grunty V6, should give it some real go in showrooms.

HYUNDAI SANTA FE

Price: $36,990 as tested (GLS V6)
Engine: 2.7-litre V6 with double overhead camshafts and fuel injection.
Power: 132kW at 6000 revs
Torque: 247Nm at 4000 revs
Transmission: Four-speed automatic, four-wheel drive
Body: Five-door station wagon
Dimensions: Length: 4500mm, width: 1845mm, height: 1730mm, wheelbase: 2620mm, tracks 1540mm/1540mm front/rear
Weight: 1778kg
Fuel tank: 65 litres
Fuel consumption: Average on test 13.4 litres/100km
Steering: Power-assisted rack and pinion
Suspension: Fully independent with front MacPherson struts and multi-link rear with coil springs.
Brakes: Four-wheel discs with anti-skid.
Wheels: 16x6.5
Tyres: 225/70 R16
Warranty: Five-year/ 130,000km

RIVALS

Hyundai Santa Fe from $29,990
Land Rover Freelander from $37,950
Toyota Prado from $38,660
Jeep Cherokee from $39,990

Pricing guides

$3,630
Based on third party pricing data
Lowest Price
$2,200
Highest Price
$5,060

Range and Specs

VehicleSpecsPrice*
GL (4X4) 2.7L, ULP, 4 SP AUTO $2,200 – 3,410 2001 Hyundai Santa Fe 2001 GL (4X4) Pricing and Specs
GLS (4X4) 2.7L, ULP, 4 SP AUTO $3,190 – 5,060 2001 Hyundai Santa Fe 2001 GLS (4X4) Pricing and Specs
Disclaimer: The pricing information shown in the editorial content (Review Prices) is to be used as a guide only and is based on information provided to Carsguide Autotrader Media Solutions Pty Ltd (Carsguide) both by third party sources and the car manufacturer at the time of publication. The Review Prices were correct at the time of publication.  Carsguide does not warrant or represent that the information is accurate, reliable, complete, current or suitable for any particular purpose. You should not use or rely upon this information without conducting an independent assessment and valuation of the vehicle.