Hyundai Santa Fe Elite 2013 Review

Hyundai’s third generation Santa Fe has brought a big dose of design appeal over the dowdy earlier models, building on the large SUV’s existing credentials to theoretically tackle segment leaders Ford Territory, Holden Captiva 7, and Toyota Kluger.

However, despite serving equal parts family practicality and value with its fresh looks, sales of the Santa Fe continue to trail those three main rivals  by about 2:1.

VALUE

The Santa Fe Elite tested here includes pretty much every modern family ‘must-have’ feature for a relatively slim $46,490.

You get quite a bit for your dollar, including: leather seats and steering wheel, dual zone climate control with ducts for both rear rows, an excellent SUNA-updating satnav and 7-inch multimedia interface, six-speaker audio with subwoofer and amplifier, Bluetooth audio and telephony, reversing camera and rear sensors, auto headlights and wipers, auto-dimming interior mirror, heated exterior mirrors, proximity keys, a chilled glovebox, plenty of bottle and cupholders and an impressive four 12-volt power sockets.

Although asking slightly more money, both the Territory and Kluger lack key spec details found on the Santa Fe. The $50,240 Territory TS TDCi is rear-wheel drive – you have to shell out another $5000 to get the all-wheel drive option -- makes do with a cloth interior, and lacks satnav.

The $47,690 all-wheel-drive Toyota Kluger KX-R is paired exclusively with the thirstier --if more powerful-- 3.5 litre petrol V6, and also lacks leather and satnav.

The top-level $43,490 Captiva 7 LX diesel sits close to the the Santa Fe on spec, but its tighter dimensions and ageing design outweigh the $3000 it will leave in your pocket. The $43,990 Kia Sorento SLi (Santa Fe’s mechanical twin) is perhaps the Elite’s nearest rival. But it misses out on satnav, and its body – while facelifted -- now looks a generation behind the Hyundai.

DESIGN

The Santa Fe Elite benefits from Hyundai’s ‘fluidic sculpture’ design principle, now shared with the majority of the Korean brand’s local lineup, and can be identified over lesser Active variants by its 18 inch alloys and extra chrome body detailing.

Impressively, the Santa Fe’s fresh exterior design is emulated on the inside, with appealing shapes and contours continuing through the dash, door trims and console. Material quality is also a great balance of comfort and family ruggedness.

But the Santa Fe’s attractive rising beltline comes at the expense of driver visibility, resulting in thick D-pillars that mandate meticulous mirror adjustment to keep an eye on your flanks.

The Elite offers similar 7-seat capability to the Territory and Kluger, and legroom in the third row can be managed via the second row’s slide adjustment. There’s not much space behind the third row with the seats up though, so the dog (or luggage) will have to stay at home with seven aboard.

ENGINE AND GEARBOX

The Elite’s 2.2 litre turbodiesel four has carried over from the previous model, with the same 145kW/436Nm outputs. The Elite’s sole transmission choice is a 6-speed automatic, which helps deliver a combined fuel consumption of 7.3L/100km.

Like all Santa Fe variants, the Elite uses an on-demand all-wheel drive system without the low-range transfer case of hardcore 4x4 wagons, but it does come with hill-descent control and a centre diff lock to keep both axles working on slippery terrain.         

SAFETY

The Santa Fe carries a maximum five star ANCAP rating, thanks to driver’s knee, dual front and side thorax airbags, plus curtain airbags for the first two rows (seven in total), ABS, stability and traction control, and hill-assist.

DRIVING

On the road, the Elite’s turbodiesel is the clear pick of the Santa Fe’s trio of engines. Developing its peak torque from just 1800rpm, the 2.2 has no trouble hauling the circa-1900kg Elite off the mark, up hills, or when overtaking.

The 6-speed torque converter auto is delightfully well matched to the engine, delivering intuitive and near undetectable shifts throughout our test. The diesel makes its presence know with typical clatter about town, but it’s hardly noticeable at highway speeds, and overall road noise is also impressive.

Hyundai’s local tuning of the Santa Fe’s suspension is immediately evident -- with well-controlled damping doing a good job of ironing out Sydney’s broken concrete pavement -- and is no doubt aided by the Elite’s tall 60 series tyres. Toss it into some bends though, and the Elite tends to sway more than a Territory, with steering that also lacks the sports sedan feedback of the Ford. For safe family hauling though, the Santa Fe does not disappoint.

VERDICT

The Hyundai Santa Fe deserves a higher ranking in the large SUV sales charts. In Elite guise, it presents a well-rounded seven seat solution that is equally happy on bush fire trails, long highway trips, and the clichéd shopping centre carpark. If your budget stretches to $46,490, the Elite comes with all the toys needed to satisfy the hordes, and is head and shoulders above its rivals for styling panache.

Hyundai Santa Fe Elite

Price: from $46,490
Warranty:  5 years/unlimited km
Capped servicing: Yes (3 years)
Service Interval: 12 months/15,000km
Resale: 55 per cent
Safety: 5 stars
Engine: 145kW/436Nm 2.2-litre 4-cyl turbodiesel
Transmission: 6-sp auto, all-wheel-drive
Thirst: 7.3L/100km; CO2 192g/km
Dimensions: 4.7m (L); 1.9m (w); 1.7m (H)
Weight: approx. 1900kg (2600kg GVM)
Spare: full-size