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By
EWAN KENNEDY
7 August 2006
Hyundai's Santa Fe 4WD has matured considerably in
its second-generation and our recent week’s road test has impressed us
with the competence of its design in many ways.
Styling is less overtly Korean than before and
is likely to appeal to the mainstream buyer. The front is almost
car-like in its look, with a strong grille and positive curves
that work nicely. This is almost a crossover in some ways, having
the practicality of a good-sized 4WD and the looks of a sporty
car.
As the Santa Fe has grown in size Hyundai now
offers it with a seven-seat for the first time in Australia.
Though the rearmost seat will usually be used by children it’s
possible to carry adults there because it offers surprisingly good
head and legroom.
Be aware that some of the space in the rearmost
seat has been achieved by reducing legroom in the other two rows
of seats. Taller than average drivers may not have sufficient
legroom. Try for yourself to see if it suits your needs, by taking
along your tribe and checking all three rows of seats at the same
time.
There's not a lot of luggage space when all
three rows of seats are in use, but that’s not unusual in
vehicles of this size. The five-seater version of the Santa Fe has
a huge amount of underfloor stowage in the area not taken up by
the extra seat.
Considerable work has gone into noise and
vibration suppression in the cabin of the new Santa Fe and we were
impressed by the level of refinement. It’s not quite as good as
similar sized passenger cars in this respect, but it’s not a
long way behind either. Certainly those looking for a bit more
space and pizzazz than their current sedan won’t be
disappointed.
Road holding is good for a vehicle of this type
and few drivers will get anything other than a neutral feel
through the steering and suspension. Should you push too hard,
there's a sophisticated traction control system to help you out of
trouble.
Hyundai has given the Santa Fe a turning circle
that’s nice and tight. Making it nimble off road, as well as in
the suburban parking stations that, sadly, are the natural habitat
of many off-roaders in this day and age.
Off-road driving proved that Hyundai is still
serious about making the Santa Fe a good performer. It’s
comfortable on slippery dirt or gravel roads and can tackle
medium-duty driving such as rocky shelves or beaches with little
effort. Though a little more power would have been nice at times.
Power for this latest Santa Fe comes from a
revamped version of the 2.7-litre petrol V6 we saw in the
superseded model, it now has 138 kW and 248 Nm. This is a
relatively large vehicle and there's not a lot of power to spare,
particularly if you’re carrying a lot of people and/or luggage.
Hyundai tells us it’s working on a V6 engine
with a capacity of 3.3 litres, to counteract the added weight of
the new-generation Santa Fe. It’s likely to be mated to a
five-speed auto (the current unit is a four-speed) which will
further improve performance. The date of introduction hasn’t
been set at this stage.
A 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine
will be coming to Australia towards the end of 2007 and should
provide good torque and lower fuel consumption.
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Marque Publishing Company
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