What they said when the Hyundai Santa Fe was new… (Oct 18 2001)
HYUNDAI took no chances with the Santa Fe, its first venture into the sports utility vehicle scene.
Designed and developed at the Korean manufacturer’s California studio at a cost of $230 million, the car offers something lacking in much of today's product - a personality.
It's a permanent four-wheel drive off-roader that will appeal to a wide range of customers, which could be bad news for rivals like Land Rover and Toyota.
The Santa Fe's most striking asset is its shape. It really looks the part with an aggressively smooth profile that aptly reflects its character of slick on the tarmac yet tough in the rough.
And the feel-good factor from that commanding driving position kicks in straight away as a deep central airdam on the bonnet points the way ahead.
Inside there's ample space for five with admirable head and legroom in rear and a large boot with high lifting tailgate.
Neat touches like a padded overhead sunglasses holder, plenty of storage for oddments and both static and pop-out cup holders are welcome components of the design.
The cabin is let down though by soft, squidgy seats and lots of cheap plastic on the dash and facia.
When the Santa Fe was launched in March there was a choice of a new 2.4 litre or 2.7 V6 engine. But the last few weeks has seen the arrival of the test car's common rail diesel unit, a turbocharged 2.0 litre diesel engine.
It is much the most economical version in the line-up and commands a £1,000 premium over the entry level 2.4's tab of £15,999.
For that you get a comprehensive list of goodies like air-con, power steering, electric sunroof, electric front and rear windows, a CD player, alloy wheels and dual airbags, not to mention ABS and electronic brake force distribution to boost stopping power in an emergency.
Because the Santa Fe is designed primarily for everyday conditions, Hyundai hasn't bothered with the extra set of low ratios for extreme conditions.
That doesn't rule out tackling anything more serious than a farm track. In fact there's sufficient ground clearance and pulling power to mudplug with the cruiserweights if not the real heavy duty 4x4s.
The people to thanks for that are Stehr-Daimler-Puch in Austria - well known for their off-road collaboration with Mercedes and Jeep - who developed the four-wheel drive system which features a double differential 'brain' that ensures driving stability and sound handling even under poor conditions.
That said, the test car's performance was adequate rather than inspiring, as a 0-62mph figure of 15 seconds would confirm.
But once it gets going the Santa Fe is rewarding to drive, has very little body roll in corners and cruises quietly at motorway speeds.
Hyundai has already enjoyed success in the niche coupe market and has backed another winner with this lifestyle car. It's well put together and offers decent value for money.
Words: Mike Torpey
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