Unapologetically soft
Hyundai’s Santa Fe has carved the way forward for the brand’s SUV models for two decades. With the fourth generation they’ve aimed to make the experience as comfortable as possible, says Kyle Kock.
The Dead Sea is a pretty extreme part of the planet, at more than 400 m below sea level, with a toxic quantity of salt in the water that’s unable to sustain any sort of plant or animal life. And the end of summer temperatures are living up to the harsh environment. It’s a blistering 36° when Hyundai presents the fourth generation Santa Fe to a panel of motoring writers from Africa and the Middle East out in an open-air amphitheatre.
There’s a sense of relief when the proceedings end and it’s time to get behind the wheel. Unlike the human element, who are sweating bullets walking to the parking area of the Mövenpick Dead Sea Resort, two neat rows of Hyundai’s latest SUV stand there without so much as a puddle of airconditioning water under their bellies, idling quietly.
Cool cabin
We’re relieved to be able to jump into the Santa Fe after tossing our bags in the back and watching the autotailgate do its thing. The temperatures have already been preset to room temperature but the (dual zone) system is immediately turned down to cool us a bit faster. We also reach for the seat-cooling function and turn it on full blast. You feel the effects after only 30 seconds.
The other thing you immediately notice is just how spacious the cabin feels. Luc Donckerwolke, head of Hyundai’s design centre, explains how the longer wheelbase, longer roofline and wider body frees up interior room, especially for the second- and third-row occupants. Up front, the dual-cockpit layout separates the driver from the front passengers and a twin-tiered fascia provides layers on the dash so it seems bigger than it actually is.
Hyundai wanted to make the Santa Fe as comfortable for the occupants as possible and nowhere is that more obvious than in the rear of the interior. To access the third row you just push a button on the rear seatback to slide the second row seat forward. And if your thirdrow occupants are nothing taller than 1.7 m, they’re comfortably accommodated for – being able to sit with legs at 90° and in the comfort of a separate airconditioning system.
Oil burner only
There is a multiple engine line-up going to market abroad but only one engine and transmission combination is headed our way: the company’s 2.2 ℓ turbodiesel and newly developed eight-speed automatic, arguably the pick of the bunch if you’re a South African feeling the pinch of the ever-rising fuel costs.
The engine is silky smooth, and it certainly seems that NVH control could be a high point for the Korean firm.
Hyundai chose to develop their own eight-speed automatic in-house and first impressions are good. At 70 km/h it’s capable of selecting the last ratio for cruising if the conditions are ideal, but if we have one criticism of the system it’s that it’s programmed to shift up as early as >
possible. That’s all well and good on a flat surface, but add a few degrees of incline and the Santa Fe starts to feel like it’s lugging a bit. The most ideal setting for this is Sport mode and to shift “manually” via the steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters, but then the throttle is noticeably more sensitive.
Still, driving in Sport mode for more than 100 km the Santa Fe still managed to return about 8,3 ℓ/100 km, which is very impressive.
What else can you expect?
While final specifications are still to be decided on, it’s been confirmed by Hyundai South Africa that we’ll have three model derivatives headed our way: Premium, Executive and Elite. The entry-level and mid-spec models are front-wheel drive (the engine layout is transverse), while the range-topper benefits from Hyundai’s new HTRAC all-wheel-drive system that automatically transfers torque to the axle that needs it most but that you can also lock into a 50:50 split with a button next to the steering wheel.
A 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system will also be standard across the range in South African with Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. The mid-spec model adds LED headlamps, keyless entry and start, as well as electrically operated tailgate. The range-topper will feature a 7-inch TFT display in the instrument cluster to better inform the driver of the Santa Fe’s operations, heated and cooled front seats, and a rear seat alert that emits a beep when a rear passenger tries to open a door and there are vehicles approaching from behind.